A new report has charted a critical path for global land use reform, warning that without urgent action, Earth’s capacity to sustain human and environmental wellbeing will be irreparably compromised.
The report, titled Stepping Back from the Precipice: Transforming Land Management to Stay Within Planetary Boundaries, was unveiled last week as nearly 200 member states convened tomorrow in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
It was produced under the leadership of Prof. Johan Rockström of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in collaboration with UNCCD.
According to the report, land is foundational to Earth’s stability, regulating climate, preserving biodiversity, and maintaining freshwater systems.
However, deforestation, urbanization, and unsustainable agricultural practices are driving global land degradation at unprecedented rates, threatening human survival and destabilizing ecosystems.
Land Degradation and Its Impacts
Currently, approximately 15 million square kilometres of land an area larger than Antarctica is degraded, with an additional one million square kilometres affected annually.
The report warns that this trend disrupts food security, drives migration, fuels conflicts, and undermines efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.
“If we fail to acknowledge the pivotal role of land and take appropriate action, the consequences will ripple through every aspect of life and extend well into the future, intensifying difficulties for future generations,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary.
The report highlights that Africa is disproportionately impacted, with land degradation compounding challenges in food security, water scarcity, and climate resilience.
Vulnerable populations, including women, youth, Indigenous peoples, and local communities, bear the brunt of these impacts, further deepening inequalities.
Planetary Boundaries at Risk
The study situates land degradation within the planetary boundaries framework, which defines nine critical thresholds for Earth’s stability.
Alarmingly, six of these boundaries including climate change, species loss, and freshwater use have already been breached.
Forest cover, once a natural buffer, has shrunk to 60% of its original area, well below the safe threshold of 75%. This has reduced the capacity of trees and soils to absorb carbon dioxide, exacerbating climate change and reducing resilience against extreme weather events.
Unsustainable Practices and Solutions
Conventional agriculture is identified as a primary driver of degradation. Practices such as excessive irrigation and fertilizer use not only deplete resources but also destabilize ecosystems, leading to lower crop yields and greater reliance on chemical inputs.
The report calls for a shift towards regenerative agriculture and agroecology, emphasizing practices like no-till farming, water conservation, and improved grazing.
Savannas, which cover 20% of Earth’s land surface, are also highlighted as critical ecosystems under severe threat.
Technological innovations, such as precision farming and AI-powered monitoring tools, offer promising solutions.
For example, apps like Plantix, which detects crop diseases, and improved solar cookstoves can reduce deforestation and enhance livelihoods.
The Need for Governance and Policy Reform
The report stresses the importance of governance reforms, including secure land tenure, transparent corporate practices, and regulatory action to align agricultural subsidies with sustainability goals.
It criticizes past multilateral agreements, such as the Glasgow Declaration on deforestation, for failing to deliver tangible results.
“Protecting land systems is not just an environmental imperative but a necessity for human survival,” said Prof. Johan Rockström, lead author of the report.
He urged global leaders to prioritize the restoration of degraded ecosystems, protect forests, and adopt sustainable land-use policies.
Hope for the Future
Despite the grim outlook, the report offers a roadmap for transformative action.
It recommends protecting and restoring ecosystems, shifting to green infrastructure, and fostering equitable land governance.
The potential of degraded peatlands, which account for up to 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, to become carbon sinks by the century’s end was highlighted as a critical opportunity.
As COP16 commenced in Riyadh, the report calls on policymakers to embrace transformative change, emphasizing that failure to act will have far-reaching consequences for current and future generations.
By Dare Akogun
