THE ASSESSMENT REPORT ON LAND DEGRADATION AND RESTORATION 1 The assessment report on LAND DEGRADATION AND RESTORATION SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS THE ASSESSMENT REPORT ON LAND DEGRADATION AND RESTORATION SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS OF THE IPBES ASSESSMENT REPORT ON LAND DEGRADATION AND RESTORATION Copyright © 2018, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) ISBN No: 978-3-947851-04-1 Reproduction For further information, please contact: This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and any form for educational or non-profit services without special Ecosystem Services (IPBES) permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement IPBES Secretariat, UN Campus of the source is made. 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Creations / Shutterstock_Sundry Photography 2 P. 3: IISD_S Wu (Sir R T Watson) Traceable accounts P.4-5: UNEP (E Solheim) / UNESCO (A Azoulay) / FAO (J Graziano The chapter references enclosed in curly brackets (e.g. {2.3.1, da Silva) / UNDP (Achim Steiner) 2.3.1.2, 2.3.1.3}) are traceable accounts and refer to sections of the P. 6: F Villegas chapters of the IPBES Assessment Report on Land Degradation P. 8-9: Shutterstock_R Whitcombe and Restoration. A traceable account is a description within the P. 15: Shutterstock_J W Rus / Shutterstock_T Spider / Shutterstock_ corresponding texts of these chapters, reflecting the evaluation D Landeau / Shutterstock_V ST Thomas / Shutterstock_Dewi Putra / of the type, amount, quality, and consistency of evidence and the Shutterstock_Shestakov Dmytro / Shutterstock_K Bunjean degree of agreement for that particular statement or key finding. P. 16-17: Shutterstock_Thepphanom Leeprakton P. 41: F Berger / R van Aarde / Alcoa World Alumina, Australia / Disclaimer on maps J Morris The designations employed and the presentation of material on the P. 42-43: Shutterstock_Hello RF Zcool maps used in this report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Technical Support Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services concerning the Anastasia Brainich legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. These Graphic Design maps have been prepared for the sole purpose of facilitating the MOABI / Maro Haas, Art direction and layout assessment of the broad biogeographical areas represented Zoo, designers graphiques, Figures design therein. Delphine Chéret-Dogbo, Figures Yuka Estrada, SPM figures SUGGESTED CITATION: IPBES (2018): Summary for policymakers of the assessment report on land degradation and restoration of the Intergovernmental Science- Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. R. Scholes, L. Montanarella, A. Brainich, N. Barger, B. ten Brink, M. Cantele, B. Erasmus, J. Fisher, T. Gardner, T. G. Holland, F. Kohler, J. S. Kotiaho, G. Von Maltitz, G. Nangendo, R. Pandit, J. Parrotta, M. D. Potts, S. Prince, M. Sankaran and L. Willemen (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. 44 pages MEMBERS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE WHO PROVIDED GUIDANCE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THIS ASSESSMENT: Günay Erpul, Yi Huang, Marie Roué, Leng Guan Saw (Multidisciplinary Expert Panel), Rashad Zabid Oglu Allahverdiyev, Ivar Andreas Baste, Fundisile Goodman Mketeni (Bureau). This report in the form of a PDF can be viewed and downloaded at www.ipbes.net THE ASSESSMENT REPORT ON LAND DEGRADATION AND RESTORATION The assessment report on LAND DEGRADATION AND RESTORATION SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS AUTHORS:1 Robert Scholes (co-chair, South Africa), Luca Montanarella (co-chair, Italy/FAO). Anastasia Brainich (IPBES); Nichole Barger (United States of America), Ben ten Brink (the Netherlands), Matthew Cantele (United States of America), Barend Erasmus (South Africa), Judith Fisher (Australia), Toby Gardner (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland/Sweden), Timothy G. Holland (Canada); Florent Kohler (Brazil, France), Janne S. Kotiaho (Finland), Graham Von Maltitz (South Africa), Grace Nangendo (Uganda), Ram Pandit (Nepal, Australia), John Parrotta (United States of America), Matthew D. Potts (United States of America), Stephen Prince (United States of America), Mahesh Sankaran (India), Louise Willemen (the Netherlands). 1. Authors are listed with, in parenthesis, their country of citizenship, or countries of citizenship separated by a comma when they have several; and, following a slash, their country of affiliation, if different from citizenship, or their organization if they belong to an international organization: name of expert (nationality 1, nationality 2/affiliation). The countries or organizations having nominated these experts are listed on the IPBES website. FOREWORD he objective of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is to provide Governments, the private sector, and civil society with scientifically credible and independent up-to-date assessments of Tavailable knowledge, to make better-informed decisions at the local, regional and international levels. This thematic Assessment of Land Degradation and Restoration has been carried out by 98 selected authors and 7 early career fellows, assisted by 79 contributing 2 The Assessment Report on Land Degradation and authors, who have analyzed a large body of knowledge, Restoration by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy including about 4,000 scientific and other sources. It Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) represents the state of knowledge of land degradation and provides a critical analysis of the state of knowledge restoration. Its chapters and their executive summaries were regarding the importance, drivers, status, and trends accepted, and its summary for policymakers was approved, FOREWORD of terrestrial ecosystems. The Report recognizes that by the Plenary of IPBES at its sixth session (18-24 March combatting land degradation, which is a pervasive, systemic 2018, Medellín, Colombia). phenomenon occurring in all parts of the world, is an urgent priority in order to protect the biodiversity and ecosystem This Report provides a critical assessment of the full services that are vital to all life on Earth and to ensure human well-being. The Report identifies a mix of governance range of issues facing decision makers, including the options, policies and management practices that can help importance, status, trends and threats to biodiversity and support stakeholders working at all levels to reduce the nature’s contributions to people, as well as policy and negative environmental, social and economic consequences management response options. Establishing the underlying of land degradation and to rehabilitate and restore degraded causes of land degradation provides policymakers with land. The Report encompasses all the terrestrial regions the information needed to develop appropriate response and biomes of the world, recognizing that land degradation options, technologies, policies, financial incentives and drivers and processes can vary in severity within regions behavior changes. and countries as much as between them, and includes the full range of human-altered systems, including but not The Report recognizes that combatting land degradation, limited to drylands, agricultural and agroforestry systems, which is a pervasive, systemic phenomenon occurring in all savannahs and forests and aquatic systems associated with these areas. parts of the world, is an urgent priority in order to protect the biodiversity and ecosystem services that are vital to all life The present document, the Summary for Policymakers of on Earth and to ensure human well-being. Land degradation the Assessment Report, was approved by the sixth session negatively impacts 3.2 billion people, and represents of the Plenary of IPBES (Medellín, Colombia, 18-24 March an economic loss in the order of 10% of annual global 2018). It is based on a set of chapters which were accepted at this same Plenary session. The chapters are available as gross product. The Report concludes that avoiding land document IPBES/6/INF/1/Rev.1 (www.ipbes.net). degradation and restoring degraded lands makes sound economic sense, resulting in, inter-alia, increased food and water security, increased employment, improved gender equality, and avoidance of conflict and migration. Avoiding land degradation and restoring degraded lands are also essential for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. 2 THE ASSESSMENT REPORT ON LAND DEGRADATION AND RESTORATION Urgent and concerted action is needed to avoid worsening land degradation in the face of population growth, unprecedented consumption,