Land Degradation

Definition:
Land degradation refers to the process by which the quality and productivity of land are diminished over time, primarily due to human activities or natural forces. It results in the loss of the land’s ability to support plant and animal life, affecting ecosystems and human livelihoods.

1) As a result of climatic changes and physical, biological, political, social, economic and cultural factors and the interactions between them, the decrease, deterioration or disappearance of the economic and ecological functions and services of the potential biological assets in the relevant land (ecosystem) within a certain period of time. "Desertification" is the final stage reached by the process of land degradation.

(2) any diminution or loss of the capacity of land for biological and economic productivity, due to human activities, exacerbated by natural processes and the dimensions of which are frequently increased by climate change and loss of biodiversity.

3) The deterioration of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil, the long-term loss of vegetation and the consequent decrease or loss of the ecological and economic productivity of the land, especially the loss of the soil by water and wind erosion in steppe, pasture, maquis/shrubbery, wooded or forested areas as well as agricultural areas due to natural events and/or human activities.

Land degradation poses significant environmental, economic, and social challenges, but through sustainable land management practices, reforestation, efficient agriculture, and proper policy frameworks, it is possible to reverse some of the damage and restore the productivity and health of the land.