Sustainable Societies

Land

The degradation of land resources is a global phenomenon. It is estimated that worldwide soil degradation effects over 2 billion hectares, putting at risk the livelihoods of more than 1 billion people. About two-fifths of the land surface is drylands, with limited freshwater supplies, and a large proportion of that is considered degraded to some extent. About 65% of all arable land may have already lost some biological and physical function.

Global trends in land degradation, soil loss and desertification particularly impact lower- income countries and less advantaged groups. They have damaged the livelihoods of small farmers and have generated a vicious cycle of further resource depletion as food shortages and poverty lead to the unsustainable, extractive use of resources, which results in land degradation and desertification. In higher-income, food-secure countries, land degradation tends to result from the overuse of agricultural inputs, negatively effecting the environment and long-term economic sustainability. Stress on the environment and land resources caused by natural disasters and climate-related events adds to man-made problems, such as civil strife, deforestation, overgrazing, agricultural mismanagement, industrial contamination and urban sprawl (the major cause of land loss).