As the World celebrates Desertification and Drought Day, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has joined the International community to commemorate this observance of the global commitment to ecosystem restoration, as well as the reduction and reversal of environmental degradation.

The benefits of aviation industry-led contributions to ecosystem restoration is a two-way street.

Airports and aviation infrastructure
often occupy large areas of land, disrupting natural habitats and ecosystems. By engaging in restoration efforts, the aviation sector
can mitigate these negative impacts by restoring and conserving ecosystems, promoting biodiversity, and creating wildlife corridors.

Ecosystem restoration enhances the resilience of ecosystems to climate change, including extreme weather events. This is crucial for
airports and airlines, as they are highly vulnerable to disruptions caused by climate change.

By investing in ecosystem restoration, the aviation sector can help protect its own infrastructure and operations, ensuring long-term sustainability and resilience.

The focus of this year’s World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought seeks to highlight women’s land rights as a key element of achieving the connected global goals of gender equality and land degradation neutrality by 2030.

The specific objectives of the
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNCCDD) under the aegis of this year’s theme include: Raising awareness of the disproportionate impact of desertification, land degradation and drought on women and girls and the
barriers they face in decision-making on land issues.

Highlighting women’s contributions to sustainable land management and broader SDGs Mobilizing global support to advance land rights for women and girls around the world.

The goal of this year’s observance aims to drive a global recognition that investing in women’s equal access to land and associated assets is a direct investment in their future and the future of humanity.

Desertification, land degradation, and drought exert a disproportionate impact on women and girls, exacerbating existing gender inequalities.

As primary providers of food, water, and fuel in many communities, women bear the brunt of these environmental challenges. And advancing land rights for women and girls worldwide is crucial for multiple reasons. It promotes gender equality,
empowering women economically, socially, and politically. Access to land ownership and control enables them to participate in decision-making processes, improve livelihoods, and break cycles of poverty.

Strengthening women’s land rights enhances food security and sustainable development, as women constitute a significant portion of agricultural laborers. When women have secure land rights, they can invest in farming practices, improve productivity, and
contribute to local economies.

Securing land rights for women fosters social justice, and enables them to protect natural resources and preserve cultural heritage.

The aviation industry is positioned to make immense contributions to ecosystem restoration efforts due to its global reach, extensive infrastructure, and potential for sustainable practices. And by recognizing the indispensable role women play in building resilient
and sustainable ecosystems, the aviation industry is situated to a vital role in global environmental stewardship.

By supporting and contributing to the restoration of ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable land management, as well as the support of
women’s rights to own and manage land.

Actualizing the goal to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean by 2030 requires that we leverage every opportunity at our disposal to promote ecosystem resilience.

In this common and collective quest to
tackle the environmental crisis, the Fly2Green Nigeria Initiative which is a Sustainable Aviation policy action program spearheaded by the NCAA is positioned to boost the contributions of the national and regional aviation sector towards the requisite transformative action to drive environmental sustainability.

Through the activation and deployment of the following market-driven industry and
development impact benefits all through the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030:
Enable eco-advocacy on Green, Blue and Circular Economy Programs and Zero- SLCPs (Short-lived Climate Pollutants)
campaigns.
Empower eco-citizens to promote Ecosystem Conservation for Wetlands and the Great Green Wall.
Engage eco-marshalls and volunteers to drive collective eco-responsibility.
Embrace energy/fuel efficiency for low carbon footprint.

Educate communities to drive integrated climate-smart programs.
Espouse corporate green responsibility/ESG through voluntary emission reductions programs to offset carbon footprint.
Enlist technology to improve operational efficiency/flight path optimization and boost local air quality.
Embed multi-industry green impact solutions for improved healthcare, gender equality and economic growth.
Ensure the activation of green, market-driven climate finance solutions for Sustainable aviation.

The aviation industry relies on resilient ecosystems for numerous critical functions, including air quality regulation, climate
regulation, and water management.

Healthy ecosystems provide essential services that support safe and efficient aviation operations, highlighting the industry’s dependence on the conservation and sustainability of natural environments.
This interdependent relationship between ecosystem protection and the aviation sector, makes the industry as a whole an invested ally and a crucial
partner in the quest for an ambitious women’s land rights agenda, as well as environmental protection and sustainability, all through the decade for ecosystem restoration and beyound.