World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought  celebrated annually around the world on June 17, was established by the UN General Assembly on January 30, 1995 (resolution No. A / RES / 49/115). The date for the holiday was chosen on the occasion of the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification on June 17, 1994.

The Convention directed States to devote World Day to Desertification and Drought activities to raise awareness of the need for international cooperation in combating desertification and the effects of drought, as well as on the implementation of the provisions of the Convention to Combat Desertification.

Also, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the period from January 2010 to December 2020, the United Nations Decade on Deserts and the Fight against Desertification. Its goal is to promote the implementation of measures for the protection of dry lands (resolution 62/195 of 2007).

Each year, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is devoted to a specific topic. Over the years, they were the following words: “The beauty of the desert is a problem of desertification”, “Desertification and climate change is a single global problem”, “Preservation of land and water resources = Protection of our common future”, “Improving the quality of life through improving soil fertility”, “Do not let our future dry up”, “There is no free food.  Invest in soil health ", " Comprehensive cooperation to prevent land degradation "and others.