The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land What’s in it for South Asia?

This guide, prepared by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) and partners, distils the IPCC's Special Report on Climate Change and Land specifically for decision-makers in South Asia. It examines the reciprocal relationship between climate change and land degradation, the specific vulnerabilities of South Asian drylands, and the socio-economic implications for food security and livelihoods. The document outlines sustainable land management practices, the role of gender and marginalised groups in adaptation, and the necessity of integrated governance and cross-sectoral emissions reductions to protect land resources.

• Climate change and land have a reciprocal relationship where climate change alters land-based ecosystems—including biodiversity, vegetation structure, and nutrient cycles—while land conditions influence regional climates and can either reduce or accentuate warming.
• Global warming is already negatively impacting agricultural productivity in South Asia; for instance, wheat yields in India decreased by 5.2% between 1981 and 2009, and maize growing periods in Pakistan shifted between 1980 and 2014.
• South Asia is highly vulnerable to desertification, with significant impacts in India and Pakistan. In India, satellite mapping indicates 81.4 million hectares are suffering from desertification processes, and 7 million hectares are subject to salinisation.
• Land degradation and climate change act as 'threat multipliers' for vulnerable populations. The World Bank projects that by 2046–2055, the mean yields of 11 major global crops will be reduced by 18% in South Asia compared to 1996–2005.
• Sustainable land management (SLM) can be economically viable, with 97% of studied projects showing positive or very positive long-term cost-benefit ratios. Effective strategies include agroforestry, improving soil carbon, and using salt-tolerant plants to revegetate saline lands.
• Gender inequality and insecure property rights hinder sustainable land management. Women often face barriers to credit, agricultural advisory services, and decision-making power, yet their collective action has been shown to prevent crop failures and improve nutritional intake.
• Integrated governance across sectors and scales is required to manage land and water pressures. A mix of coherent policies—such as combining crop insurance, sustainable land management, and disaster planning—is more effective than isolated interventions.
• To avoid jeopardising food security and the Sustainable Development Goals, emissions reductions must occur in sectors other than land. Over-reliance on land-based mitigation, such as large-scale bioenergy crops, can increase competition for land and cause adverse side effects.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2019). The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land What’s in it for South Asia? https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Land_S-Asia_WEB_20Nov2019.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land What’s in it for South Asia? 2019. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Land_S-Asia_WEB_20Nov2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land What’s in it for South Asia? |date=2019 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Land_S-Asia_WEB_20Nov2019.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2019ipccs, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land What’s in it for South Asia?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2019}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Land_S-Asia_WEB_20Nov2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }