LDN tools
Land in Balance, a science-policy brief prepared by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface
Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality, a report of the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface

The following tools and resources were presented in the publication “Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality: A Report of the Science-Policy Interface” as examples of sources of information that countries pursuing land degradation neutrality (LDN) could use. The list is not exhaustive, and other useful tools and resources for LDN implementation and monitoring can be found in the Knowledge Sharing Systems on the Knowledge Hub.
- Guidelines for Land Degradation Neutrality
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These guidelines support GEF project developers in formulating projects that contribute to the LDN ambitions of countries and in ensuring that other projects not directly targeting LDN are compatible with LDN objectives and approaches.
- Tools/methods and capacity building for resilience assessments
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Resilience, Adaptation Pathways and Transformation Assessment (RAPTA)
- Source: Global Environment Facility (GEF)
- More information: Designing Projects in a Rapidly Changing World: Guidelines for Embedding Resilience, Adaptation and Transformation (RAPTA) into Sustainable Development Projects (Version 2.0)
Self-evaluation and Holistic Assessment of climate Resilience of farmers and Pastoralists (SHARP)
- Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- More information: SHARP
- Tools/methods and capacity building for economic valuation
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Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative
- Source: ELD Initiative
- More information: ELD Initiative
Land Use Trade-Offs (LUTO)
- Source: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
- More information: Land use efficiency: anticipating future demand for land-sector greenhouse gas emissions abatement and managing trade-offs with agriculture, water, and biodiversity
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)
- Tools/methods to estimate land potential and land stratification
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Global Agro-ecological Zoning Tool (GAEZ)
- Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- More information: GAEZ
Land Capability Classification system
- Source: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- More information: Land-capability classification
Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS)
- Source: Landpotential.org
- More information: The Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS): mobile apps and collaboration for optimizing climate change investments
Global Land Outlook working paper: Land use planning
- Source: Global Land Outlook
- More information: Full PDF
- Tools to integrate gender considerations into the design of preliminary assessments
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Gender and Land Rights Database (GLRD)
- Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- More information: GLRD
Towards a gender-responsive implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
- Source: United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
- More information: Full PDF publication
- Tools to develop other indicators/metrics to monitor LDN implementation
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Red List Index
- Source: International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- More information: Red List Index-Guidance for National and Regional Use
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Source: United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
- More information: SDG Indicators
- Tools to support local community participation in verification of LDN indicators/metrics
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Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF)
- Source: World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
- More information: The Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) Field Guide v4.1
Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS)
- Information from assessments that can support LDN implementation
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Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative
- Source: ELD Initiative
- More information: ELD Initiative
Global Environment Outlook (GEO) assessments
- Source: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- More information: GEO
Global Land Outlook (GLO)
- Source: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
- More information: GLO
Land Degradation and Restoration Assessment (LDRA)
- Source: Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
- More information: LDRA
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA)
- Source: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
- More information: Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis
Special Report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems
- Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
- More information: IPCC Special Report
- Tools for integrated land-use planning
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Tools that assist in balancing multiple objectives and identifying co-benefits and trade-offs:
- Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM): IUCN and WRI (2014). A guide to the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM): Assessing forest landscape restoration opportunities at the national or sub-national level. Working Paper (Road-test edition). Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 125pp.
- Land-Use Trade-Offs (LUTO) model: See, for example: Bryan, B.A., et al. (2016). Land-use and sustainability under intersecting global change and domestic policy scenarios: Trajectories for Australia to 2050. Global Environmental Change, vol. 38, pp. 130–152.
- Choosing SLM practices to address local land degradation issues and context
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- Best practices in sustainable land management
- WOCAT (World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies) – Global database on SLM
- DESIRE-DSS: See, for example: Schwilch, G., F. Bachmann and J. de Graaff (2012). Decision support for selecting SLM technologies with stakeholders. Applied Geography, vol. 34, pp. 86–99.
- Schwilch, G., et al. (2012). A structured multi-stakeholder learning process for sustainable land management. Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 107, pp. 52–63.
- GeOC tool – Provides a means to evaluate the biophysical and socioeconomic context for spatial targeting and scaling up of SLM options: Le, Q.B., R.Thomas and E. Bonaiuti (2017). Global Geo-Informatics Options by Context (GeOC) Tool for Supporting Better Targeting and Scaling-Out of Sustainable Land Management: Designing the System and Use Cases. Amman: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas.
- Standard: ISO 14055-1:2017 Environmental Management – Guidelines for Establishing Good Practices for Combatting Land Degradation and Desertification – Part 1: Good Practices Framework. https://www.iso.org/standard/64646.html
- World Bank (2008) Sustainable land management sourcebook. Agriculture and rural development. Washington, DC: World Bank
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Estimating potential soil carbon response to SLM
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- Carbon Benefits Project (CBP) tool: CBP offers web-based tools, including a simple and a detailed version. The simple tool is suitable for ex ante estimates;the detailed assessment tool is applicable for project reporting where moderate to high certainty is required.
- Ex-Ante Carbon Balance (EX-ACT) tool: Spreadsheet-based tool suitable for ex ante estimates of SOC change. Available in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia/Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish
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