Land use change is the primary transmission pathway for emerging infectious diseases, and the rate of land conversion is accelerating. Moreover, the foundation for building back better in the face of climate change and the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic will be centered upon future land use decisions.

Water scarcity is already widespread and remains on the rise: it is found in nearly every region in the world. Around 36% of the world’s population is currently living in water-scarce regions. This publication shows that avoiding, reducing and reversing land degradation have positive long-term gains in water security.

A new United Nations report warns that a third of the planet’s land is now severely degraded thanks to a doubling in the consumption of natural resources over the past 30 years.

The report provides scientifically sound practical guidance for selecting SLM (Sustainable Land Management) practices that help address DLDD (Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought), climate change adaptation and mitigation, and for creating an enabling environment for their large-scale implementation considering local realities.

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has published a brief titled, ‘Land matters for climate: Reducing the gap and approaching the target,' ahead of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be held in Paris, France.

Desertification: The Invisible Frontline, which was published by the UNCCD, emphasizes that, as the climate changes, so is the face of the earth, and with devastating effects on the lives of those who depend on the land. This publication examines desertification as a cause of global conflict and instability.

Soils are the most significant nonrenewable geo-resource that have for ensuring water, energy, and food security for present and future generations while adapting and building resilience to climatic change and shocks. But soil’s caring capacity is often forgotten as the missing link in our pursuit of sustainable development.