September 2015: A new publication, titled ‘Climate change and land degradation: Bridging knowledge and stakeholders,’ contains the key outcomes of the 3rd Scientific Conference of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which took place in Cancun, Mexico, in March 2015. The report discusses how new interactions between climate change related demographic pressures and unsustainable land management practices are exacerbating land degradation and desertification and contributing to increased poverty, malnutrition, migration, political insecurity and conflict.

The publication highlights three main considerations with regard to actions on reducing vulnerability and enhancing the resilience of ecosystems and human populations, namely: the degree, duration and extent to which the social-ecological system is exposed to land degradation and climate change; the extent to which the function and structure of the social-ecological system is likely to be modified by the changes it is exposed to; and the extent to which it is possible to change the way the social-ecological system functions, so that livelihoods can still be maintained.

On the way forward, the report calls for adopting land degradation neutrality (LDN) as a global objective for sustainable development, noting that a focus on land-based adaptation with the aim of reaching LDN offers a ‘multiple-win’ option that simultaneously addresses the challenges raised by the three Rio Conventions. The report emphasizes the need for increased cooperation and knowledge exchange across the land management, research and policy communities, as well as a more coherent and integrated monitoring framework, in order to effectively measure and respond to the complex interlinkages among climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss. [Publication: Climate Change and Land Degradation: Bridging Knowledge and Stakeholders] [UNCCD Announcement] [Natural Resources Policy & Practice Story on UNCCD 3rd Scientific Conference] [Natural Resources Policy & Practice Story on Global Land Outlook Side Event at UNCCD 3rd Scientific Conference]