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The sustainable management and restoration of our landscapes – achieving land degradation neutrality - will deliver many co-benefits. From biodiversity conservation and combating climate change to ensuring economic growth and human wellbeing. How we manage the land is closely linked to how many decent jobs we can create; to food and water security; migration and urbanization trends; real climate…

Since the 1970s, Africa has been heavily affected by recurrent periods of drought. These droughts have threatened the livelihoods and future of entire populations across the region. The lack of rain has led to the disappearance of livestock and the destruction of cereal crops. The great famines that rocked the Sub-Saharan region in the 80s each affected millions of people. In addition, the high…

Land degradation neutrality (LDN) became a global news headline in 2015: that year, the target of achieving LDN worldwide by 2030 was officially set as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This means ensuring that each country’s pool of healthy and productive land, on which it depends for ecosystem services1 (such as food, water and temperature regulation), remain at…

An urgent global problem needs to be addressed: the extent and severity of land degradation worldwide is worrying, and the negative impact on our environment, people and the economy cannot be ignored. Land degradation has significant impacts on societies and economies as it leads to food insecurity, carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, increased pests, reduced availability of clean water and…

We are working to make synergies around land issues a reality. Common indicators that can be used to measure land degradation neutrality at the global level are being rolled out. These are: Land use/cover change, land productivity and carbon stocks — above and below ground. A partnership is being forged so that impact and progress can be easily understood and made visible for better land-use…

The first volume of the International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy includes an important discussion on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals that are the basis for the post-2015 development agenda up to the year 2030; the Yearbook focuses in particular on Goal 15, which includes achieving a “land degradation-neutral world.” It also provides a comprehensive and highly…