Land degradation is harming the wellbeing of 3,2 billion people and the impact of its effects will only grow with time. So reports the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), an independent intergovernmental body set up by UN member states, in a new summary for policy makers.

Land degradation is the human-induced loss of biodiversity, productivity, and ecosystem functions from terrestrial and aquatic environments. It results from practices that bring short-term benefits to those doing them, but have substantial long-term costs, such as overgrazing of land, draining of wetlands for agricultural uses, and disruptive mining practices.