Tsabong, Botswana; Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations. Desertification does not refer to the expansion of existing deserts. It occurs because dryland ecosystems, which cover over one third of the world's land area, are extremely vulnerable to overexploitation and inappropriate land use. Poverty, political instability, deforestation, overgrazing and bad irrigation practices can all undermine the productivity of the land.

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification. The day is a unique moment to remind everyone that land degradation neutrality is achievable through problem-solving, strong community involvement and co-operation at all levels.This year’s observance is focused on changing public attitudes to the leading driver of desertification and land degradation: humanity’s relentless production and consumption.

Today in Botswana, the Kgalagdi and Ghanzi Drylands Ecosystem Project (KGDEP) in collaboration with the Department of Forestry and Range Resources (DFRR) are conducting firefighting training for two (2) communities/villages in Kgalagadi North. A total of fifteen (15) community members in each of the villages of Zutshwa and Ngwatle are undergoing training since the 16^thJune 2020. The training is a part of the planned activities under one of the components of the Kgalagdi and Ghanzi Drylands Ecosystem Project, aimed at improving community rangeland management and pastoral production practices and will run until the 25^th of June 2020.

This training, entitled: - “Basic Bushfires training for first responders” is an easy to learn program approved by the Department of Forestry and Range Resources (DFRR) in partnership with New South-Wales Rural Fire Department (NSWRF) from Australia. This model is tailored made for communities with minimal formal education and is designed to impart skills of putting out fire. Veld fires are a regular occurrence in the target area and cause extensive damage to rangelands and negatively affect the livelihoods of communities. The training is also aimed at supporting the implementation of the Kgalagadi District Bush Fire Risk Management Plan developed with the support of the Kgalagdi and Ghanzi Drylands Ecosystem Project. Furthermore, this training aims at:

·       Providing basic bush firefighting techniques to first responders’ during fire outbreaks

·       Reducing the number of human- induced bush fire injuries and minimise damage to property and the environment

·       Reducing the community’s vulnerability by improving their preparedness and resilience to fires and

·       Promoting coordinated approach and synergies amongst stakeholders during fire outbreaks

The Department of Forestry and Range Resources which is spearheading the training has indicated that, bush fire occurrence is a cross cutting matter/issue, hence every settlement, village or community as well as other stakeholders are equally affected and therefore the need to provide them with prerequisite tools to deal with veld fire outbreaks. Selection of the two (2) villages for this training was based on the likelihood, magnitude/severity of damage and re-occurrence of fires within locality in previous years.