After decades of extreme overexploitation, almost half of the world’s land is either impoverished or exhausted, according to a report from the United Nations, which called the figure “a wake-up call.”

“In a world of profligate consumerism, global supply chains, and a growing population, land resources – our soil, water, and biodiversity – are rapidly being depleted,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).“As a finite resource and our most valuable natural asset, we can no longer afford to take land for granted. We must move to a crisis footing to address the challenge and focus on the land.”

Earth being degraded from unsustainable resource use

According to the UNCCD, more than 40% of all land on earth is now “degraded” due to unsustainable land and water use, harmful agricultural practices, destructive mining, urbanisation and infrastructure construction.

More than 70% of the world’s non-ice-covered land has been deforested or mined in the human quest for food (almost half of Earth’s land is used for farming and ranching), along with natural resources, from sand to oil and gas.
The land also suffers from pollution, erosion and depletion.

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With up to 40 % of the planet’s land degraded, desertification affects 1/2 of humanity and threatens about 1/2 of global GDP. The land also suffers from pollution, erosion and depletion.

“Land resources – soil, water, and biodiversity – provide the foundation for the wealth of our societies and economies. They meet the growing needs and desires for food, water, fuel, and other raw materials that shape our livelihoods and lifestyles,” the report reads.

“However, the way we currently manage and use these natural resources is threatening the health and continued survival of many species on Earth, including our own.”

The report said that of nine planetary boundaries used to define a ‘safe operating space for humanity’, four have already been exceeded: climate change, biodiversity loss, land use change, and geochemical cycles.
Solutions are at hand

But the report wasn’t entirely pessimistic. It outlined a number of solutions to the issues presented, and Thiaw emphasised that “the solution is right beneath our feet.”

The 15th UNCCD World Summit, which will be held next month in Abidjan, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire, will be entirely devoted to the report.