Minister talks soil erosion in Turkey

Iceland’s Foreign Minister spoke yesterday of Iceland’s successes in fighting soil erosion and tackling climate change, at a UN convention on desertification currently under way in Turkey.

The Twelfth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is being held in Ankara, Turkey 12-24 October.

Foreign Minister Gunn­ar Bragi Sveins­son is one of the 3,000 expected delegates, including 100 ministers and Heads of State.

Sveinsson gave a keynote speech for panel discussions on combating soil erosion.

Since the first legislation on the issue in 1907, and thanks to consistent efforts, Iceland has “reached a point where soil erosion and land degradation have decreased significantly and that land restoration, and the ability of the land to heal itself, have surpassed land degradation,” the Minister told listeners.

He also shared his conviction that “Iceland can become a fossil free economy within 30-40 years by stepping up efforts that are already underway in achieving this vision”.

Sveinsson reminded his audience that individual development goals are interrelated, and that there is a direct link between issues such as soil erosion, desertification, climate change, hunger and poverty, and the current refugee crisis.

Icelandic Foreign Minister, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson. Photo: Eggert