A new report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has warned against the way land resources – soil, water and biodiversity – are currently mismanaged and misused to the detriment of survival of Earth and its species.
If the trend continues, food supply disruptions, forced migration, rapid biodiversity loss and specie extinction would increase, accompanied by a higher risk of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19.
It also told hundreds of practical ways to effect local, national and regional land and ecosystem restoration, adding that land and resource rights, secured through enforceable laws as well trusted institutions, can transform underperforming land assets into sustainable development opportunities, helping maintain equitable and cohesive societies.
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UNCCD’s evidence-based flagship Global Land Outlook 2 (GLO2) report, five years in development with 21 partner organisations and with over 1,000 references, is the most comprehensive consolidation of information on the topic ever assembled.
It offers an overview of unprecedented breadth and projects the planetary consequences of three scenarios through 2050: business as usual, restoration of 50 million square kilometres of land and restoration measures augmented by the conservation of natural areas important for specific ecosystem functions.
It also assesses the potential contributions of land restoration investments to climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction, human health and other key sustainable development goals.
Executive Secretary of UNCCD, Ibrahim Thiaw, said: “Modern agriculture has altered the face of the planet more than any other human activity. We need to urgently rethink our global food systems, which are responsible for 80 per cent of deforestation, 70 per cent of freshwater use and the single greatest cause of terrestrial biodiversity loss.
“Investing in large-scale land restoration is a powerful and cost-effective tool to combat desertification, soil erosion and loss of agricultural production. As a finite resource and our most valuable natural asset, we cannot afford to continue taking land for granted.”
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