▁Europe . ▁ ▁Global ▁environmental ▁effects ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁sever ity ▁of ▁its ▁e colog ical ▁effects , ▁and ▁the ▁scale ▁on ▁which ▁it ▁is ▁occurr ing , ▁er os ion ▁constit utes ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁significant ▁global ▁environmental ▁problems ▁we ▁face ▁today . ▁ ▁Land ▁de grad ation ▁Water ▁and ▁wind ▁er os ion ▁are ▁now ▁the ▁two ▁primary ▁causes ▁of ▁land ▁de grad ation ; ▁combined , ▁they ▁are ▁responsible ▁for ▁ 8 4 % ▁of ▁de grad ed ▁a cre age . ▁ ▁Each ▁year , ▁about ▁ 7 5 ▁billion ▁tons ▁of ▁soil ▁is ▁er oded ▁from ▁the ▁land — a ▁rate ▁that ▁is ▁about ▁ 1 3 – 4 0 ▁times ▁as ▁fast ▁as ▁the ▁natural ▁rate ▁of ▁er os ion . ▁Appro xim ately ▁ 4 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁agricult ural ▁land ▁is ▁seriously ▁de grad ed . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁Nations , ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁fert ile ▁soil ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁Ukraine ▁is ▁lost ▁every ▁year ▁because ▁of ▁dr ought , ▁def or est ation ▁and ▁climate ▁change . ▁In ▁Africa , ▁if ▁current ▁tr ends ▁of ▁soil ▁de grad ation ▁continue , ▁the ▁continent ▁might ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁feed ▁just ▁ 2 5 % ▁of ▁its ▁population ▁by ▁ 2 0 2 5 , ▁according ▁to ▁UN U ' s ▁Gh ana - based ▁Institute ▁for ▁Natural ▁Resources ▁in ▁Africa . ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁model ing ▁develop ments ▁have ▁quant ified ▁ra inf all ▁er os ivity ▁at