Land degradation is a process where land becomes less healthy and productive due to a combination ofhuman activities or natural conditions. The causes for land degradation are numerous and complex.[1] Human activities are often the main cause, such as unsustainableland management practices.Natural hazards are excluded as a cause; however human activities can indirectly affect phenomena such asfloods andwildfires.
One of the impacts of land degradation is that it can diminish the natural capacity of the land to store and filter water leading towater scarcity. Human-induced land degradation and water scarcity are increasing the levels of risk for agricultural production and ecosystem services.[1]
TheUnited Nations estimate that about 30% of land is degraded worldwide, and about 3.2 billion people reside in these degrading areas, giving a high rate of environmental pollution.[2] Land degradation reducesagricultural productivity, leads tobiodiversity loss, and can reducefood security as well aswater security.[3][1] It was estimated in 2007 that up to 40% of the world'sagricultural land is seriously degraded,[4] with the United Nations estimating that the global economy could lose $23 trillion by 2050 through degradation.[5]
As per theMillennium Ecosystem Assessment of 2005,land degradation is in defined as "the reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity ofdrylands".[6] A similar definition states thatland degradation is the"degradation, impoverishment and long-term loss ofecosystem services".[1]
It is viewed as any change ordisturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable.[7]
According to theSpecial Report on Climate Change and Land of theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2019: "About a quarter of the Earth's ice-free land area is subject to human-induced degradation (medium confidence).Soil erosion from agricultural fields is estimated to be currently 11 to 20 times (no-tillage) to more than 100 times (conventional tillage) higher than thesoil formation rate (medium confidence)."[8]
TheUnited Nations estimated in 2014 that ~30% of land is degraded worldwide, and ~3.2 billion people reside in these degrading areas, giving a high rate of environmental pollution.[2] Approximately 12 million hectares of productive land—which roughly equals the size ofGreece—is degraded every year. This is due to the socio-economic exploitation of lands without proper planning for long-term sustainability.[9][10]
In 2021, estimates claim that two thirds of Africa's productive land area are severely affected by land degradation.[1]
In 2024, the United Nations claimed that 75% of soils are degraded at some extent. By the year 2050 the share of degraded land can rise to 90%, if current trends continue. During the years 2015-2019 around 100 million hectares of soil were degraded every year.[11][12] TheGlobal Environment Facility suggested that 95% of soil can degrade by 2050.[13]
In addition to the usual types of land degradation that have been known for centuries (water, wind and mechanicalerosion, physical, chemical andbiological degradation), four other types have emerged in the last 50 years:[14]
Overall, more than 36 types of land degradation can be assessed. All are induced or aggravated by human activities, e.g.soil erosion,soil contamination,soil acidification,sheet erosion,silting,aridification,salinization, urbanization, etc.
A problem with defining land degradation is that what one group of people might view as degradation, others might view as a benefit or opportunity. For example, planting crops at a location with heavy rainfall and steep slopes would create scientific and environmental concern regarding the risk ofsoil erosion by water, yet farmers could view the location as a favourable one for highcrop yields.[15]
Land degradation is mainly derived by numerous, complex, and interrelated anthropogenic and/or natural proximate and underlying causes.[1] For example, in Ethiopia the country has been affected by chronic and ongoing land degradation processes and forms. The major proximate drivers are biophysical factors and unsustainableland management practices, while the underlying drivers are social, economic, and institutional factors.[1]
Land degradation is a global problem largely related to the agricultural sector, generaldeforestation andclimate change. Causes include:
Highpopulation density is not always related to land degradation. Rather, it is the practices of the human population that can cause a landscape to become degraded.
Severe land degradation affects a significant portion of the Earth's arable lands, decreasing the wealth andeconomic development of nations. As the land resource base becomes less productive,food security is compromised and competition for dwindlingresources increases, the seeds offamine and potential conflict are sown.
According to theSpecial Report on Climate Change and Land of theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate change exacerbates land degradation, especially in low-lying coastal areas, river deltas, drylands and permafrost areas. During the years 1961–2013, the area of drylands in drought rose by more than 1% per year. In 2015, about 500,000,000 people lived in areas which experienceddesertification in the years 1980s - 2000s. People living in those areas are severly impacted by climate change.[8] Additionally, it is reported that 74% of the poor are directly affected by land degradation globally.[20]
Significant land degradation fromseawaterinundation, particularly inriver deltas and on low-lying islands, is a potential hazard that was identified in a 2007 IPCC report.
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As a result ofsea-level rise from climate change, salinity levels can reach levels where agriculture becomes impossible in very low-lying areas.
In 2009 theEuropean Investment Bank agreed to invest up to $45 million in the Land Degradation Neutrality Fund (LDN Fund).[21][9] Launched at UNCCD COP 13 in 2017, the LDN Fund invests in projects that generate environmental benefits, socio-economic benefits, and financial returns for investors.[22] The Fund was initially capitalized at US$100 million and is expected to grow to US$300 million.[22]
In the 2022 IPCC report,[23] land degradation is responding more directly to climate change as all types oferosion and SOM declines (soil focus) are increasing.[24] Other land degradation pressures are also being caused by human pressures like managed ecosystems. These systems include human runcroplands andpastures.[24]
Land degradation takes many forms and affects water and land resources. It can diminish the natural capacity of the land to store and filter water leading towater scarcity.[1]
The results of land degradation are significant and complex. They include lower crop yields, less diverseecosystems, morevulnerability to natural disasters like floods and droughts, people losing their homes, less food available, and economic problems. Degraded land also releasesgreenhouse gases, making climate change worse.
Further possible impacts include:
Sensitivity andresilience are measures of the vulnerability of a landscape to degradation. These two factors combine to explain the degree of vulnerability.[15] Sensitivity is the degree to which a land system undergoes change due to natural forces, human intervention or a combination of both. Resilience is the ability of a landscape to absorb change, without significantly altering the relationship between the relative importance and numbers of individuals and species that compose the community.[27] It also refers to the ability of the region to return to its original state after being changed in some way. The resilience of a landscape can be increased or decreased through human interaction based upon different methods of land-use management. Land that is degraded becomes less resilient than undegraded land, which can lead to even further degradation through shocks to the landscape.[28]
Actions to halt land degradation can be broadly classified as prevention, mitigation, and restoration interventions.[1]
Sustainableland management has been proven in reversing land degradation. It also ensureswater security by increasingsoil moisture availability, decreasingsurface runoff, decreasingsoil erosion, leading to an increased infiltration, and decreasedflood discharge.[1]
The United NationsSustainable Development Goal 15 has a target to restore degraded land and soil and achieve a land degradation-neutral world by 2030.[20] The full title of Target 15.3 is: "By 2030, combatdesertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world."[29]
Increasing public awareness about the importance of land conservation, sustainable land management, and the consequences of land degradation is vital for fostering behavioral change and mobilizing support for action. Education, outreach campaigns, and knowledge-sharing platforms can empower individuals, communities, and stakeholders to adopt more sustainable practices and become stewards of the land.[30]
Text was copied from this source, which is available under aCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 International LicenseWhile soil scientists and land professionals have been ringing the alarm for the past decades, the lack of awareness and education of the general public about the importance of soils for humans and ecosystems has become a concern. This hinders the vitally important transition towards sustainable soil governance and highlights the need for enhanced soil literacy.
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