Abstract
With up to 40% of the world’s land degraded, land degradation has emerged as a critical global challenge that extends beyond environmental concerns to threaten food security, water availability, biodiversity, and human livelihoods. As Desertification and Drought Day approaches, there is an urgent need to accelerate land restoration efforts. Degraded lands exacerbate climate change through carbon emissions, while healthy soils function as vital carbon sinks, underscoring the role of restoration in climate mitigation. Restoration practices such as agroforestry, reforestation, and regenerative agriculture not only improve ecosystem resilience but also yield substantial socio-economic benefits. Global initiatives, including the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, project that restoring degraded ecosystems could generate trillions in ecosystem services and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ultimately, land restoration represents a strategic investment toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and building a more resilient and equitable future.

Key words: Land degradation ∙ Global challenge ∙ Food security ∙ Water availability ∙ Biodiversity ∙ Human livelihoods ∙ Desertification and Drought Day ∙ Land restoration ∙ Climate change ∙ Carbon emissions ∙ Carbon sinks ∙ Climate mitigation ∙ Agroforestry ∙ Reforestation · Regenerative agriculture ∙ Ecosystem resilience ∙ Socio-economic benefits ∙ UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration ∙ Ecosystem services ∙ Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) ∙ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) · Resilient future ∙ Equitable future ∙ Restoration practices ∙ Trillions in value

Concept note:
With up to 40% of the world’s land degraded, the urgency to act has never been more pressing. Land degradation is not only an environmental concern but also a socio-economic threat. It jeopardizes food security, water availability, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of billions of people globally (UNCCD, 2022). As we approach this year’s Desertification and Drought Day in June, the call to scale up land restoration efforts is both timely and necessary.
Degraded lands contribute significantly to climate change by releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere. At the same time, healthy soils act as major carbon sinks. Thus, restoring degraded lands can mitigate climate impacts, while also improving agricultural productivity, conserving biodiversity, and enhancing ecosystem resilience (IPBES, 2018). The United Nations has emphasized that investing in nature is one of the most cost-effective strategies for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to climate action, life on land, and poverty reduction (UNEP, 2021).
Land restoration is more than an environmental intervention—it is a pathway to recovery and resilience. Whether through agroforestry, reforestation, sustainable grazing, or regenerative agriculture, restoration efforts can generate significant socio-economic benefits. For instance, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) estimates that restoring 350 million hectares of degraded ecosystems could generate $9 trillion in ecosystem services and remove up to 26 gigatonnes of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere (UNEP & FAO, 2020).
Desertification and Drought Day provides a vital platform to mobilize stakeholders-from governments and farmers to corporations and civil society-to invest in long-term solutions. Land restoration is not merely an environmental imperative but a strategic investment in our shared future.

References:
IPBES (2018). The IPBES Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. https://ipbes.net/assessment-reports/ldr

UNCCD (2022). Global Land Outlook, 2nd Edition. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. https://www.unccd.int/resources/global-land-outlook/glo2

UNEP (2021). Making Peace with Nature: A scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies. United Nations Environment Programme. https://www.unep.org/resources/making-peace-nature

UNEP & FAO (2020). The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Strategy. United Nations Environment Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization. https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/strategy