Land Degradation

Land degradation refers to a range of processes that contribute to a reduction in the quality and economic productivity of the land. It describes the deterioration of the biological, physical, or chemical properties of land and its constituent parts. Land degradation is often viewed in relation to certain ecosystem services that land is expected or desired to provide within particular socioeconomic and land‐use systems. This contextual nature of land degradation makes its management highly challenging. Land degradation creates challenges across a range of sectors and scales. This means that policies and actions to address land degradation span multiple governance levels. It is increasingly recognized that those who manage the land need to be directly involved in actions to reduce, prevent, and reverse its degradation.