How to halt the global decline of lands

Louise Willemen; Nichole N. Barger; Ben ten Brink; Matthew Cantele; Barend F. N. Erasmus; Judith L. Fisher; Toby Gardner; Timothy G. Holland; Florent Kohler; Janne S. Kotiaho; Graham P. von Maltitz; Grace Nangendo; Ram Pandit; John A. Parrotta; Matthew D. Potts; Stephen D. Prince; Mahesh Sankaran; Anastasia Brainich; Luca Montanarella; Robert Scholes

doi:10.1038/s41893-020-0477-x

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How to halt the global decline of lands

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Louise Willemen, Nichole N. Barger, Ben ten Brink, Matthew Cantele, Barend F. N. Erasmus, Judith L. Fisher, Toby Gardner, Timothy G. Holland, Florent Kohler, Janne S. Kotiaho, Graham P. von Maltitz, Grace Nangendo, Ram Pandit, John A. Parrotta, Matthew D. Potts, Stephen D. Prince, Mahesh Sankaran, Anastasia Brainich, Luca Montanarella, Robert Scholes

Year:

2020

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Washington Office

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0477-x

Source:

Nature Sustainability

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Abstract

This paper by the coordinating lead authors of the 2018 IPBES Land Degradation and Restoration Assessment, summarizes the key implications of the results of the Assessment, and provides further insights on why land degradation remains an unsolved and largely unrecognised problem despite its manifest importance and availability of solutions. It examines five systematic policy barriers to halting and reversing the deteriorating capacity of the world’s land resources to support human wellbeing and the planet’s terrestrial biodiversity. Ten strategies for overcoming these barriers are presented, involving actions by decision makers, scientists and citizens. Together these actions can make the UN Decade for Ecological Restoration a turning point, rather than a talking point.

Keywords

land degradation, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, policy, monitoring, responsible consumption, knowledge systems

Citation

Willemen, Louise; Barger, Nichole N.; Brink, Ben ten; Cantele, Matthew; Erasmus, Barend F. N.; Fisher, Judith L.; Gardner, Toby; Holland, Timothy G.; Kohler, Florent; Kotiaho, Janne S.; von Maltitz, Graham P.; Nangendo, Grace; Pandit, Ram; Parrotta, John A.; Potts, Matthew D.; Prince, Stephen D.; Sankaran, Mahesh; Brainich, Anastasia; Montanarella, Luca; Scholes, Robert. 2020. How to halt the global decline of lands. Nature Sustainability. 309: 570-. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0477-x.