ABSTRACT
In a crowded world with populations still rising and consumption patterns changing, humankind has not done enough to plan and manage the future development of land and water resources. After decades of underinvestment, poor management and lack of governance, the evidence is widely apparent. From dramatic mudslides on slopes too steep to bear human settlement, to unprecedented inundation of whole river basins, the impact on human lives from extreme meteorological events makes the news. What does not, though, is the creeping degradation of the land and water systems that provide for global food security and rural livelihoods. In some regions, whole systems are now at risk. Urgent steps need to be taken to reverse trends in their degradation while maintaining their integrity and productivity.
