UNCCD Terminology

The practices applied in managing land resources

The inherent, long-term potential of the land to sustainably generate ecosystem services (UNEP, 2016), which reflects the capacity and resilience of the land-based natural capital, in the face of ongoing environmental change.

Land productivity is the biological productive capacity of the land, the source of all the food, fibre and fuel that sustains humans. This is most effectively measured in the Land Productivity subindicator using satellite EO datasets representing NPP (see Net Primary Productivity). Changes in land productivity point to long-term changes in the health and productive capacity of the land and reflect the net effects of changes in ecosystem functioning on plant and biomass growth. This assessment includes only above-ground productivity and can be applied to all natural and anthropogenic terrestrial environments. ISO 19115-1:20146 will guide the development of a new international standard.

The term “land productivity dynamics” (LPD) reflects the fact that the primary productivity of a stable land system is not a steady state, but often highly variable between different years and vegetation growth cycles due to natural variation and/or human intervention

Class of land with respect to land potential, which is distinguished by the combination of edaphic, geomorphological, topographic, hydrological, biological and climatic features that support the actual or historic vegetation structure and species composition on that land. Used in counterbalancing “like for like”.

The finest-resolution spatial unit. In most cases this will typically be the extent of land occupied by an image pixel.

The arrangements, activities and inputs that people undertake in a certain land cover type to maintain it or produce change. NOTE This definition of land use establishes a direct link between land cover and the actions of people in their environment. Multiple land uses can coexist at the same location (e.g. forestry and recreation). This is contrary to the term land cover classes, which are mutually exclusive

The natural capital of land resources. This includes the properties of the soil (chemical, physical and biological factors), geomorphological, biotic and hydrological features, that interact with each other and with climate to determine the quantity and nature of ecosystem services provided by the land.

The specific objective(s) to achieve LDN at national level, adopted voluntarily by a country. The ambition of a country with respect to achieving LDN is no net loss of healthy and productive land for each land type, compared with the baseline, and thus the LDN target equals the baseline. Countries may elect to set a more ambitious LDN target if they envision the possibility that gains will exceed losses. In rare circumstances a country may set its LDN target acknowledging and justifying that losses may exceed gains if they forecast that some portion of future land degradation associated with past decisions/realities is not currently possible to counterbalance.

The objective to achieve a land degradation-neutral world (United Nations General Assembly, 2015).

The aspirational goal of LDN, which is to maintain land-based natural capital, globally, and for countries adopting LDN, to achieve it at national level.

Refers to the principle of counterbalancing losses in one land type with equivalent (or greater) gains in the same land type elsewhere in order to maintain (or exceed) LDN.

A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets (including both material and social resources) and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stress and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base.

LADPs assign a central role to local communities, decentralisation and micro-initiatives as a key to elaborate and implement sustainable development activities. Such activities need to be fully integrated in National Action Programmes, combine environmental and socio-economic concerns, and aim at improving living standards of people in desertification affected areas.