All publications and documents

The SWSR is a reference document on the status of global soil resources that provides regional assessments of soil change. The information is based on peer-reviewed scientific literature, complemented with expert knowledge and project outputs. It provides a description and a ranking of ten major soil threats that endanger ecosystem functions, goods and services globally and in each region…

The Arab Region is facing one of the severest water scarcity crises in the world. Most of the Arab region lies in the arid and semi-arid zones. Rainfall is low, variable and unpredictable in most of the area. Several Arab countries are suffering from water deficiency and others are heading that way, with an annual population growth of about 3%. Above all, rising levels of water consumption due to…

The debate on climate change focuses on global carbon flows and on broad-brush generalisations about how societies may adapt to predicted future conditions. However, the actual decisions on how and where to sequester carbon and how to adapt to very uncertain futures will need to take place at more local levels. Although global and national policies will provide the context, the actual outcomes…

Agricultural practices have adapted over millennia to regional and local variations in weather conditions. But as the effects of climate change become more noticeable, further adaptation becomes essential to ensure food security in Europe. The need to improve cultivation techniques is perhaps more apparent in dry areas where the impact of climate change is already visible. As its…

The development of modern high efficiency bioenergy technologies has the potential to improve energy security and access while reducing environmental impacts and stimulating low-carbon development. While modern bioenergy production is increasing in the world, it still makes a small contribution to our energy matrix. At present, approximately 87% of energy demand is…

Desertification is a silent, invisible crisis that is destabilizing communities on a global scale. As the effects of climate change undermine livelihoods, inter-ethnic clashes are breaking out within and across states and fragile states are turning to militarization to control the situation. The effects of desertification are increasingly felt globally as victims turn into refugees, internally…