From Land Degradation to Land Restoration

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the evolution of international land governance, focusing on the transition from top-down desertification efforts to the concept of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). It details the drivers of land degradation, the role of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the socio-economic barriers—such as land tenure and gender inequality—that hinder restoration efforts.

• Land degradation is a global crisis affecting 25% of the total land area, with 3.2 billion people directly impacted. Scientists warn that 24 billion tons of fertile soil are lost annually, primarily due to unsustainable agriculture, and if current trends persist, 95% of Earth's land areas could be degraded by 2050.
• The World Bank estimates that global land degradation results in an annual economic cost of USD 85.8 trillion.
• International land governance shifted from the ineffective, top-down approach of the 1977 Plan of Action to Combat Desertification (PACD) to the community-based, bottom-up approach adopted by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 1994.
• Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) is a state where the quality and amount of land resources necessary for ecosystem functions, services, and food security remain stable or increase. It is integrated into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as SDG target 15.3, and 128 countries have committed to setting LDN targets.
• Gender inequality significantly hinders land restoration; in over half of the world's countries, laws or customs restrict women's access to or ownership of land. Globally, women's share as agricultural land holders is estimated at 12.8%, ranging from 0.8% in Saudi Arabia to 51% in Cabo Verde.
• The Great Green Wall initiative, launched by the African Union in 2007, aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, sequester 250 million tons of carbon, and create 10 million green jobs by 2030 across more than 20 African countries.
• Effective LDN implementation is obstructed by several systemic challenges: insecure land tenure, which prevents the adoption of sustainable practices; lack of national coordination and scientific data; and insufficient funding from traditional sources and national budgets.

APA

Chasek,, P. (2022). From Land Degradation to Land Restoration. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/land-degradation-land-restoration

Chicago

Chasek,, Pamela. From Land Degradation to Land Restoration. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/land-degradation-land-restoration.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chasek, |first1=Pamela |title=From Land Degradation to Land Restoration |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=11 January 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/land-degradation-land-restoration |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chasek2022from, author = {Chasek,, Pamela}, title = {{From Land Degradation to Land Restoration}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/land-degradation-land-restoration}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }