Land degradation is a pressing global issue with far-reaching impacts on ecosystems, economies, and social resilience. Approximately 40% of the world's land is degraded, with an additional 100 million hectares lost annually. This degradation results in severe environmental consequences, including biodiversity loss, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced agricultural productivity.
Economically, the loss of healthy landscapes poses a significant threat. Land degradation has the potential to lower global GDP by 10% between 2021 and 2030, affecting the livelihoods of 3.2 billion people, particularly the poorest 40%. The challenges in the landscape space are multifaceted and aligning short- and long-term incentives is difficult, as benefits like carbon sequestration, soil fertility, and water filtration unfold over time and unevenly.
Achieving collective action critical for success requires effective cross-sectoral planning and decision-making. Additionally, the cross-cutting nature of landscape policies and investments demands that policymakers and project implementers acquire expertise across multiple disciplines to work across sector silos, stakeholders, and jurisdictions in an integrated landscape context.
Successful initiatives, such as China's Loess Plateau restoration and Ethiopia's sustainable land management, demonstrate the potential to overcome these challenges, highlighting the importance of tailored solutions and innovative financing mechanisms.
