Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land . It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Land degradation can be caused by multiple forces, including extreme weather conditions, particularly drought, and human activities that pollute or degrade the quality of soils and land utility .Different types of land degradation include:
- Soil erosion and degradation caused by agricultural, industrial, and commercial pollution; loss of arable land due to urban expansion, overgrazing, and deforestation .
- Land-use constraints associated with armed conflicts …
- Desertification, which is a form of land degradation by which fertile land becomes desert .
Land degradation has negative impacts on food production, livelihoods, and the production and provision of other ecosystem goods and services2. It can also lead to a loss of biodiversity, with huge economic costs for nations where deserts are growing .Sustainable land use can help to reduce the impacts of agriculture and livestock, preventing soil degradation and erosion and the loss of valuable land to desertification . When natural land such as a forest is converted into farmland, it removes important nutrients and prevents the recycling and replenishing of organic material .Land degradation affects people’s livelihoods and occurs over a quarter of the Earth’s ice-free land area . The majority of the affected people are living in poverty in developing countries . Land degradation affects humans in multiple ways, interacting with climate change and contributing to it . Therefore, it is important to take steps to prevent and reduce land degradation to protect the environment and human well-being.
