The principles of the Land Degradation Neutrality conceptual framework are core to this special issue, and the research papers included aim to support national sustainable development aspirations by providing guidance on policies, procedures and governance needed to regulate national land use to avoid further net loss of productive lands. Relevant to this special issue is science-based evidence on policy principles, rules and procedures to design national actions that contribute to LDN implementation; and on indicator systems and metrics to monitor and maintain a nationally desired status of the land. Contributions also identify key human, technical and institutional capacity needs at national and sub-national levels; provide new information and knowledge for framing future policy-oriented research, and technology to strive to achieve, and to maintain, land degradation neutrality at global and national scales.

Science is playing an increasing role in supporting implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). With the establishment of its Science-Policy Interface (SPI), targeted scientific evidence requested by the Parties to the Convention on new and emerging issues is to be assessed by the multidisciplinary SPI