June 17th is the United Nations' designated "World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought." It's meant to raise awareness of the fragile nature of semi-arid lands -those receiving less than 20 inches of rainfall per yearand of how decisions we make can alter the health and resiliency of these areas. Deserts are generally classified as lands receiving less than around 10 inches of rainfall annually. Think of most of the southwest U.S. Desertification refers to the conversion of semi-arid

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... to the sparsely vegetated landscapes typical of deserts -changes caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations. Semi-arid lands are extremely vulnerable to overexploitation and inappropriate land use. Given that much of Texas and the southwest U.S. are in some stage of drought or abnormally dry conditions, now is a good time to take a look at land degradation in our own state and at what role Planet Texas 2050 can play in helping to understand and combat the problem.