In Cameroon, the pressure on wetlands, which cover nearly 70% of the national territory, appears to be increasing, whether for subsistence needs, firewood, grazing, logging or expansion of development projects. Currently, in terms of land use, forest has decreased by 619 km² and cultivated land has increased by 321 km². The surface area of degraded forests and land is estimated at around 12 million hectares, with a general trend towards an increase in the phenomenon due to both natural and anthropogenic factors.

This project aims at contributing to the UN resolution 2/24 on combating desertification, land degradation and drought and promoting sustainable pastoralism and rangelands; and UN resolution 4/15 on innovations in sustainable rangelands and pastoralism, as well as the UNEP-led gap analysis on rangelands and the resulting report: Rangelands: A case of benign neglect.

Agriculture's contribution to the economy and employment is declining at varying rates, posing various socioeconomic issues. Meeting growing agricultural needs with current farming techniques is expected to lead to over-extraction from natural resources, accelerate greenhouse gas emissions, and low yields. In addition, intensive and unsustainable agriculture will lead to environmental degradation such as loss of biodiversity, deforestation, and land degradation, among other things.

Land degradation and discontinuation of ecosystem services (ES) are a common phe nomenon that causes socio-economic and environmental problems in Ethiopia. However, a dearth of information is known about how ES are changing from the past to the future with regard to land use land cover (LULC) changes. This study aimed at estimating the values of ES based on the past and future LULC changes in central Ethiopia.

The CGIAR Initiative on Climate Resilience, ClimBeR, aims to transform the climate adaptation capacity of food, land, and water systems in Senegal and five other countries (Kenya, Zambia, Morocco, Philippines, Guatemala), ultimately increasing the resilience of smallholder production systems to withstand severe climate change effects like drought, flooding, and high temperatures.

Land degradation neutrality (LDN) is increasingly recognized as an effective mechanism to address land degradation and sustain ecosystems. Although this mechanism could accelerate the achievement of SDGs, we should approach with caution many of the policy measures proposed within countries’ LDN target-setting programmes to avoid violating rights to land and resources.

Satisfying the changing food habits and increased demand for food intensifies pressure on the world’s water, land and soil resources. However, agriculture bears great promise to alleviate these pressures and provide multiple opportunities to contribute to global goals. Sustainable agricultural practices lead to water saving, soil conservation, sustainable land management, conservation of natural resources, ecosystem and climate change benefits. Accomplishing this requires accurate information and a major change in how we manage these resources.

Los recursos de aguas, tierras y suelos del mundo están sometidos a presiones debido a que deben satisfacer la mayor demanda de alimentos. La agricultura reviste importancia para mitigar estas presiones y contribuir positivamente a los objetivos relacionados con el clima y el desarrollo. Las prácticas agrícolas sostenibles pueden dar lugar a mejoras directas en el estado de la tierra, el suelo y el agua, así como generar beneficios ecosistémicos y reducir las emisiones derivadas de la tierra.

Armenia is a landlocked country in the South Caucasus. After gaining independence from the former Soviet Union, a very difficult socio- economic situation developed in Armenia, with a current high level of poverty. Land privatization has led to excessive land fragmentation and a small average farm size. Most of the country (87 percent) is mountainous with a vertical zonation of diverse landscapes. Armenia is hotspot of biodiversity in the region, facing human and climate induced land degradation. Water erosion affects most forest and croplands across the country.

La réponse à la demande accrue de produits alimentaires accentue la pression exercée au niveau mondial sur les ressources que sont les eaux, les terres et les sols. L’agriculture a un rôle à jouer dans l’allégement de cette pression et dans la concrétisation des objectifs en matière de climat et de développement. Des pratiques agricoles durables peuvent déboucher sur des améliorations directes de l’état des terres, des sols et de l’eau, mais elles peuvent aussi être bénéfiques aux écosystèmes et réduire les émissions issues de la terre.

A report by RFUK reveals the growing extent, and impact, of transport and energy infrastructure development in the Congo Basin – which is on its way to becoming a major driver of deforestation in the world’s second largest rainforest. The eight case studies featured in this report show that, while certain projects may bring some economic benefits, environmental and social impacts have been overwhelmingly higher than necessary due to bad planning, corruption, failure to follow better practice, and simple negligence.

This chapter explores the interface between land tenure rights and soil security and screens through the Cameroonian land tenure legislation in order to identify relevant provisions that guarantee soil security.