At least 100 million hectares of healthy land now lost each year

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) reports that the world lost at least 100 million hectares of healthy and productive land each year from 2015 to 2019, which equates to twice the size of Greenland.

The UNCCD's first data dashboard, which compiles national figures from 126 countries and launched on October 24, 2023, reveals that land degradation is worsening at an astonishing rate across all regions of the world.

Between 2015 and 2019, the world lost at least 100 million hectares of healthy and productive land each year, adding up to twice the size of Greenland. These statistics underscore the need for urgent action, as escalating land degradation continues to destabilize markets, communities, and ecosystems around the globe.

The proportion of land degraded varied according to the region. Eastern and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean regions experience the most severe degradation, affecting at least 20 per cent of their total land area. Sub-Saharan Africa, Western and Southern Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean experienced land degradation at rates faster than the global average.

In sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, 163 million hectares and 108 million hectares, respectively, succumbed to land degradation since 2015.

Regional disparities

The UNCCD Data Dashboard shows an alarming reality across the globe and uncovers significant disparities in the proportion of degraded land per region.

The most severe degradation affects at least 20 per cent of the total land area in Eastern and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean regions.

Meanwhile, land degradation occurred at rates faster than the global average in sub-Saharan Africa, Western and Southern Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Notably, since 2015, land degradation has claimed 163 million hectares in sub-Saharan Africa and 108 million hectares in Latin America and the Caribbean, respectively.

Despite the alarming situation across the globe, there are some ‘bright spots’ — countries effectively tackling desertification, land degradation and drought. In sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, Botswana reduced land degradation from 36 per cent to 17 per cent of its territory.

The Dominican Republic decreased its proportion of degraded land from 49 per cent to 31 per cent between 2015 and 2019. Uzbekistan reported the highest proportion of degraded land — 26.1 per cent in the Central Asia region, but it also saw the largest decrease from 30 per cent to 26 per cent compared to 2015.

Land restoration “brightspots”

Despite a bleak global picture, examples exist of countries that are effectively tackling desertification, land degradation, and drought.

In sub-Saharan Africa, Botswana has lowered the rate of land degradation from 36 per cent to 17 per cent of its territory. Botswana has pledged a total of 45.3 million hectares to keeping land degradation at a neutral level, which encompasses both preventing further degradation and initiating restoration interventions in selected land degradation hotspots. Botswana has also documented 1.42 million hectares as “brightspot” areas, meaning areas that they have rehabilitated through the implementation of suitable remediation activities.

The Dominican Republic has decreased the proportion of degraded land from 49 per cent to 31 per cent between 2015 and 2019. They are also making ongoing efforts to restore 240,000 hectares in the Yaque del Norte River basin and in cocoa production areas in San Franscico de Macoris province.

Uzbekistan reported the highest proportion of degraded land (26.1 per cent) in the Central Asia region, and also saw the largest decrease – from 30 per cent to 26 per cent -- compared to 2015. The drying of the Aral Sea has degraded a total of 3 million hectares of land in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan carried out saxaul planting on an area of 1.6 million ha to eliminate salt and dust emissions from the drained bottom of the Aral Sea between 2018 and 2022.

Land degradation neutrality goal still within reach

Although land degradation trends vary by region, data from UNCCD warns that the world will need to restore a staggering 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030 to reach LDN targets enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if the current trends persist.

Barron Orr, UNCCD Chief Scientist said, “We can still meet and even exceed land degradation neutrality goals, despite the global trends moving in the wrong direction. By halting further degradation and ramping up our efforts on existing commitments, we can restore one billion hectares of land by 2030. However, it requires funding and action to work hand-in-hand.

In promising to build a more resilient future, 109 countries have voluntarily set LDN targets for 2030, and another 21 are in the process of doing so. From 2016 to 2019, about USD$ 5 billion from bilateral and multilateral sources has flowed into global efforts to fight desertification, land degradation and drought.

This action assisted 124 nations in rolling out a wide range of projects aimed at achieving land degradation neutrality and addressing the challenges posed by desertification, land degradation, and drought.

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