The International Resource Panel’s GRO report provides a unique framework for focusing both local and global investments in the SDGs on those activities that promote“improved resource productivity and a relative decoupling of well-being [e.g. SDGs 1-7] from resource use”. The “Sustainability…

The LDN Country Profiles provide evidence-based arguments that contribute to making the case for investing in measures to avoid, reduce and reverse land degradation. These profiles demonstrate the importance and multiple benefits of taking actions to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality. The country…

On 12 September 2017, the UNCCD launched its new flagship report titled, 'The Global Land Outlook' (GLO), which assesses the current and future state of the world’s land resources. Along with the GLO, the UNCCD released a series of working papers meant to "provide an expanded format as well as an…

Healthy soils are crucial for productive agriculture and a thriving environment. Around the world, soils face pressure from practices that result in land degradation. On December 5, 2020 the Soil Quality Mobile App (SQAPP) officially launches, bringing soil quality analysis to your smartphone SQAPP…

Efficient land (including water and forest) administration practices are required to achieve many global development agendas—e.g., land degradation neutrality, New Urban Agenda, COP21, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and COVID-19 or Coronavirus pandemic challenges. It also helps to create a…

Fertile soils and productive land are limited—finite—resources. But there is an ever-growing demand for fertile land to feed a growing global population. Meeting this demand is becoming a massive global challenge due to two major factors. There is competition for productive land for other uses, such…

This paper represents a contribution to the Global Land Outlook in terms of discussing the complex dimensions of land and water resources management. Per the Terms of Reference for its production, the paper explains complex interactions between land and water resources management. Hot spots of land…

A range of international bodies like the United Nations and the Rio Conventions set international targets like the Sustainable Development Goals and specific targets to combat poverty, climate change and desertification. Many of these targets are directly related to our natural environment…

Climate change has negative consequences for sustainable development, undermining the gains of intensive farming in developing countries and destabilizing existing land and resource governance institutions and property rights. In recent years, climate change has received a significant amount of…

The concept of Zero Net Land Degradation was recently proposed as the basis for a future protocol for the UNCCD to reduce global dryland degradation.

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) highlighted ongoing efforts to leverage private funding for large-scale land restoration, through the newly launched LDN Fund, a public-private funding mechanism. Simone Quatrini, Global Mechanism of the UNCCD, said more than 100 countries so far…

This paper identifies and compares the land impact of all terrestrial energy forms. It also focuses on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the use and supply of energy, as well as the maintenance and enhancement of terrestrial carbon sinks that are essential to mitigating climate…

Despite the wide recognition of the importance of soils, soil protection efforts in European Union have been partial, fragmented and insufficient to halt their degra­dation. Calls for improving this situation have increasingly come from scientists, policymakers, non-governmental organisations and…