Land models sprout as degradation threatens billions of livelihoods

Promising efforts to restore degraded land are now in the spotlight at a time when 40 per cent of the world’s land currently faces degradation and drought, threatening the livelihoods of over three billion people, the head of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) said Wednesday, announcing three winners of its World Restoration Flagships awards.The UN desertification conference, running from 17 to 28 August in Mongolia, is has awarded three land rejuvenation programmes, which together aim to restore a total of almost five million hectares by 2030, an area equal to nearly seven million football fields.“These [programmes] show that restoration works,” UNCCD chief Yasmine Fouad said. “They demonstrate that investing in nature strengthens resilience, supports livelihoods and delivers tangible benefits for people and communities.”There is now a growing recognition that land degradation, drought and ecosystem loss are no longer just environmental concerns.They are fundamental challenges to food security, water security and economic stability, Ms. Fouad said, noting that the UN is committed to global goals of restoring one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030.Here’s a l...