All publications and documents

Land degradation affects about 65% of Africa’s land and around six million hectares of productive land are lost each year. Inappropriate land use and poor management result in desertification, salinisation and soil and water erosion, creating a spiralling decline in the productivity of the land in terms of both food and other natural resources and services. The effects are often felt most by the…

Global Risks Report analyses the perceived impact and likelihood of 50 prevalent global risks over a ten year time horizon. The 50 global risks are divided into five categories: economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal and technological risks. Significant interconnections of global risks are analysed as major case studies in the report.

Mainstreaming environment and climate change in national development planning, policies and implementation is central to UNDP’s mission of reducing poverty and achieving the MDGs. The UNDP Drylands Development Center is dedicated to fighting poverty and achieving sustainable development in the drier regions of the world, contributing to the effective implementation of the United Nations…

Through a comprehensive analysis of Africa’s most pressing competitiveness challenges, the report discusses the barriers to increased trade, including the state of Africa’s infrastructure and its legal and regulatory environment. It similarly considers how innovative public-private partnerships, often anchored to potential growth poles, can serve as incubators for self-sustaining…

This publication sets goals of 20% improvement per decade on each of its three goals: economic growth and opportunity, food security and nutrition, and environmental sustainability. Realizing these goals on a global level will require the right combination of actions, balancing agriculture-sector growth with sustainability.In the coming decades, a growing and increasingly affluent global…

The first ever Soil atlas of Africa uses striking maps, informative texts and stunning photographs to answer and explain these and other questions. Leading soil scientists from Europe and Africa have collaborated to produce this unique document. Using state-of-the-art computer mapping techniques, the Soil Atlas of Africa shows the changing nature of soil across the continent. It explains the…