REPRESENTATIVES from thirty African, Caribbean and Latin American nations met in Mali on Monday to discuss how to stop deserts taking over more of their land. The three-day conference, organised by the United Nations, will discuss ways of putting into practice the body’s desertification control convention. UN agencies say that 110 countries are affected by the spread of deserts. Africa is worst hit, with desert encroaching on 73% of already arid land there, according to official UN figures. The UN estimates it will cost 10 to 20 billion dollars a year over a 20-year period, to push back the desert. The prime ministers of Niger and Mali are chairing the meeting. Meanwhile, Venezuela announced it will give one million dollars emergency aid to Africa to help it fight desertification.