ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an analysis of problems of land degradation worldwide, and the various ways in which Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) can be promoted through international legal mechanisms as well as at national level. It also makes the point that LDN, as part of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 and in conjunction with other SDGs, can play role in COVID-19 recovery by contributing to healthier and more productive agricultural soil systems. The general assembly also stated that it “reiterates that degraded land, if recovered, would, inter alia, contribute to restoring natural resources, thus potentially improving food security and nutrition in affected countries, and in process could, inter alia, contribute to absorption of carbon emissions.” As Cowie argues, “successful implementation of LDN interventions requires an enabling environment—a combination of institutional capacity, financial resources, policy and regulatory mechanisms, and science-policy interaction.” The chapter concludes with a set of recommended steps that might be followed in order to incorporate LDN into national-level legislation.
