Representatives from more than 200 member states are confronted with an urgent agenda to stop unsustainable land degradation as COP16 to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) gets underway in Riyadh. The growing land degradation crisis has been brought into sharp focus by a study titled Stepping Back from the Precipice: Transforming Land Management to Stay Within Planetary Boundaries, published on December 1 by the UNCCD and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

According to the research, land degradation has escalated to a point where it is endangering the planet’s ability to support human life. It identifies 15 million square kilometres worldwide—an area greater than Antarctica—as being affected by deforestation, urbanisation, and unsustainable farming as the main causes of degradation. 1.2 billion people, mostly from the world’s poorest countries, are impacted by this catastrophe, according to UNCCD data. Degraded territories are worryingly growing by around 1 million km² a year.

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Planetary Boundaries and Land-System Challenges

One of the nine crucial thresholds for preserving Earth’s stability is the land-system planetary boundary. Breaking it might have disastrous effects on the ecosystem. The land degradation crisis has already led to deforestation crossing the land-system boundary, with current forest cover at only 60% of its original state—far below the optimal 75%.

Other limits, including freshwater systems, biosphere integrity, and climate change, are impacted by this breach. These stresses are made worse by land degradation, which is mostly caused by agriculture. Conventional agriculture has been found to be a significant cause of pollution, soil erosion, and deforestation. Almost 90% of direct deforestation is caused by crop growth alone.

Call to Action

In order to improve system resilience and lessen effects on planetary limits, the UNCCD study emphasises the necessity of sustainable land management. Ibrahim Thiaw, the Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, issued a warning that failure to take prompt action will have dire and enduring effects. He stated, “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.”

Addressing the land degradation crisis requires immediate global cooperation and innovative strategies. Without decisive action, the risk of irreversible ecological damage and socio-economic challenges will continue to grow.

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