Environmental management - Guidelines for establishing good practices for combatting land degradation and desertification- Part 1: Good practices framework

( see also Environmental management - Guidelines for establishing good practices for combatting land degradation and desertification - Part 2: Regional case studies) published in 2022 , ref. in our catalogue as well.

Our consumption of the earth’s natural reserves has doubled in the last 30 years and a third of the planet’s land is now severely degraded. There is an urgent need to find solutions for land management policy, planning and practices.

A new ISO standard will help land managers at global and national scales put in place best practices to combat land degradation. The recently published ISO 14055-1:2017, Environmental management – Guidelines for establishing good practices for combatting land degradation and desertification – Part 1: Good practices framework, provides guidelines for developing good practices to combat land degradation and desertification in arid and non-arid regions.

The standard refers to actions or interventions undertaken with the purpose of preventing or minimizing land degradation or, where land is already degraded, aiding its recovery to improve productivity and ecosystem health.

Because managing our land-based capital impacts directly on human livelihood and health, the standard covers the various topics that must be considered when establishing good practices, such as the respect for human rights, forest management and agricultural practices, climate conditions and industrial activities, among others.
Soil erosion, loss of fertility, declining biodiversity and reduced water supplies are all classic signs of land degradation and up to 20 % of the world’s drylands* and 25 % of cropland, pastures, forests and woodlands** are estimated to be negatively affected.

Everyone and everywhere are victims, because land degradation threatens our safe food and water supplies and has a significant impact on economies, most notably those in underdeveloped countries.

ISO/DIS 14055-1, Environmental management – Guidelines for establishing good practices for combating land degradation and desertification – Part 1: Good practices framework, details guidelines for establishing good practices to combat land degradation. It has recently reached Draft International Standard (DIS) stage, where national ISO member bodies are invited to vote and comment on the text before it moves to a final draft stage and publication.

The standard will be beneficial for land managers, technical experts, organizations and policy makers worldwide who are interested in combating the effects of land degradation. It can also complement and support the activities of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas .

ISO 14055-1:2017 provides guidelines for establishing good practices in land management to prevent or minimize land degradation and desertification. It does not include management of coastal wetlands.
ISO 14055-1:2017 defines a framework for identifying good practices in land management, based on assessment of the drivers of land degradation and risks associated with current and past practices. Guidance on monitoring and reporting implementation of good practices is also provided.
ISO 14055-1:2017 is intended for use by private and public sector organizations with responsibility for land management and will allow an organization to communicate implementation of good practices.