The analysis has been carried out by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) — a legally binding framework to address desertification and the effects of drought
- Land degradation now affects 15 million sq. km, more than the size of Antarctica and comparable to the Russian Federation.
- Annually, 1 million sq. km of land is newly impacted by degradation.
- 1.2 billion people, primarily the world’s poor, are affected by land degradation.
Causes:
Key drivers include:
- Deforestation,
- Urbanization
- Unsustainable farming practices.
Agriculture, particularly conventional farming, is the primary contributor through:
- Deforestation (close to 90% attributed to cropland expansion).
- Soil erosion, pollution, and unsustainable irrigation practices.
- Overuse of nitrogen- and phosphorus-based fertilizers, destabilizing ecosystem
Land degradation contributes to climate change as well
the world’s soil is the largest terrestrial carbon sink. When land is degraded, soil carbon can be released into the atmosphere, along with nitrous oxide. This can further exacerbate global warming.
The new report said land degradation has reduced the capacity of land ecosystems such as trees and soil to absorb human-caused carbon dioxide by 20% in the last decade.
Land degradation adversely affects humans and ecosystems around the planet. For instance, it raises the risk of malnutrition by reducing the quality and quantity of food production.
Which areas are the worst affected?
The report has identified several land degradation hotspots in dry regions such as
- South Asia,
- northern China, the High Plains and
- California in the United States, and the Mediterranean.
A third of humanity now lives in drylands, which include three-quarters of Africa.
Read more: UNSC Resolution 1701
