CHENNAI: In a world increasingly threatened by the effects of human activity on natural systems, land degradation has emerged as one of the most pressing global challenges. A recent report by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, commissioned for the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), reveals the alarming extent of land degradation and its wide-reaching consequences.
Over 1.5 billion hectares of land and 1.2 billion people globally are currently affected by degradation. This troubling trend is exacerbated by human activities such as unsustainable agricultural practices, deforestation, and urbanisation, which push the planet further beyond six of the nine planetary boundaries critical for Earth’s resilience. These boundaries include land-system change, climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater use, biogeochemical flows, and the introduction of novel entities such as pollutants and microplastics.
The planetary boundaries framework, a scientific model introduced in 2009, defines thresholds that, if crossed, can destabilise the Earth system. Worryingly, the boundary for land-system change was breached as early as 1990.
Today, only 60% of global forest cover remains, falling well below the safe threshold of 75%. Agriculture accounts for nearly 90% of deforestation, with cropland expansion dominating in regions such as Africa and Asia, and livestock grazing driving forest loss in South America.
Soil degradation, a less visible but equally critical issue, poses a dual threat to food security and climate stability. The report estimates that ecosystem service losses due to land degradation cost the global economy between $6.3 and $10.6 trillion annually.
This reflects the diminished capacity of degraded lands to support biodiversity, regulate water cycles, and act as carbon sinks. The transformation of savannas, grasslands, and drylands into barren landscapes not only exacerbates the biodiversity crisis but also heightens the risks of climate-induced tipping points.
“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 UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw.
Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said degraded land is not just an environmental issue, but a direct economic and social crisis. “Every hectare lost to degradation further erodes the foundation of human wellbeing.”
Climate change itself, the report highlights, is both a driver and a consequence of land degradation. Land-use activities contribute about 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with deforestation and soil degradation among the most significant sources.
Simultaneously, climate change reduces the effectiveness of land as a carbon sink, compounding global warming. For instance, extreme weather events such as droughts and floods accelerate soil erosion and disrupt agricultural productivity.
“When we lose forests and degrade soil, we not only release carbon but also weaken the planet’s natural ability to sequester it. Reversing land degradation is essential for tackling climate change,” explained Ibrahim Thiaw.
Freshwater resources, indispensable for both human and ecosystem survival, are also under severe stress. The report reveals that 18.2% of the global land area is experiencing significant reductions in surface water flows, while 15.8% shows declines in soil moisture.
These figures signal a breach of the planetary boundary for freshwater change, with dire implications for agriculture, drinking water supplies, and biodiversity.
Meanwhile, the current global use of nitrogen and phosphorus far exceeds the safe limits of 62 teragrams (Tg) and 6.2 Tg per year, respectively, contributing to the eutrophication of water bodies and the loss of aquatic biodiversity.
Despite these alarming trends, the report offers a roadmap for transformative action. Key interventions include restoring ecosystems, enhancing soil health, managing scarce water resources, and adopting digital solutions for sustainable land management. Crucially, such measures must integrate principles of fairness and justice to ensure equitable distribution of benefits and responsibilities.
Investing in land restoration is not just an environmental imperative but also an economic opportunity. Studies cited in the report show that every dollar spent on restoring degraded land can yield up to $30 in benefits, including improved agricultural yields, enhanced biodiversity, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, aligning land management practices with the planetary boundaries framework can foster synergies between climate action, biodiversity conservation, and socioeconomic development.
“This is not a cost but an investment in resilience,” Thiaw said. “The benefits of restoring land far outweigh the initial outlay.”
“We have the science, the tools, and the knowledge,” said Rockström. “What we need now is the collective will to act. Together, we can restore balance to our planet.”
India at the ongoing UNCCD conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia said access to finance was critical to achieving the goals of the UNCCD. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said India has already restored 22.5 million hectares of degraded land, making significant progress toward its target of 26 million hectares by 2030. He said adequate financial resources are essential to scale up global land restoration efforts and suggested that the recently launched World Drought Atlas could guide the mobilisation of such resources.
Big Data
7/9 Planetary boundaries impacted by land use, underscoring its central role in Earth systems
60% Remaining global forest cover—well below the safe boundary of 75%
15 mn km² Degraded land area, more than the size of Antarctica, expanding by 1 million km² annually
20% Earth’s land surface is covered by savannas, now under threat from cropland expansion and ill-conceived afforestation
46% Global land area classified as drylands, home to a third of humanity; 75% of Africa is dryland
90% Share of recent deforestation directly caused by agriculture—dominated by expanding cropland in Africa/Asia, livestock grazing in South America
80% Agriculture’s contribution to global deforestation; 70% of freshwater use
23% Greenhouse gas emissions stemming from agriculture,forestry, and land use
10% World’s arable land planted with genetically modified crops by 2018—dominated by soy (78%), cotton (76%), and maize (30%)
1/3 Anthropogenic CO2 absorbed by land ecosystems annually
25% Share of global biodiversity found in soil
20% Decline in trees’ and soil’s CO2 absorption capacity since 2015 attributed to climate change
3% Freshwater share of Earth’s water, mostly locked in ice caps and groundwater
50% World’s major rivers disrupted by dam construction
47% Aquifers being depleted faster than they replenish
1 bn People with insecure land rights,fearing loss of home or land
145 nations that pledged in 2021 to halt deforestation by
2030; forest loss has since continued
$500B+ (2013–2018): Agricultural subsidies across 88 countries,
90% of which fueled inefficient, harmful practices
