Observing and quantifying the health of the land: the importance of interdisciplinary research

1The intensification of poorly-regulated agricultural production with scant regard for environmental conditions, along with the over-exploitation of natural resources to meet the ever-increasing needs of a growing population, are the principal causes of land degradation. Climate change, and its current and future consequences, will only serve to exacerbate this anthropogenic pressure on the land, not least on account of the increasing regularity of extreme weather events (droughts, rains). Documenting the scale of land degradation is a major priority in order to identify pertinent solutions. Since the first years of this century, considerable efforts have been made to quantify land degradation, particularly in arid zones. Remote sensing is one means of estimating the evolution of land degradation over vast areas and long periods of time. For example, numerous studies have highlighted a recent trend for regreening in the Sahel region, although this does not necessarily equate to a full restoration of natural soil functions or the services which ecosystems provide to local populations. Farmers do not always see a positive correlation between re-greening and ecosystem restoration, since periods of drought may encourage the development of hardy plants which are of less use to local populations (Herrmann & Tappan, 2013). Furthermore, the results obtained by remote sensing need to be backed up with measurements taken in the field in order to highlight localised heterogeneity in precipitation, regreening and land usage. Last but not least, the current state of technology does not allow us to track the evolution of soil health down to the fine level of individual family smallholdings, and yet it is precisely at this level that solutions to combat degradation are being deployed. Observing and quantifying all of the social, economic, ecological and agronomical dimensions at both the global and the local levels (down to individual plots of farmland) represents a major priority in order to bridge the gap between science and decision-makers.

Co-producing research with all actors

2One way of making more informed decisions is to prioritise the coproduction of research, with a view to improving the state of available knowledge.

3“The coproduction of research is a process of collaboration between multiple stakeholders, including academics, who aspire to generate useful knowledge to inform decision-making.” (Page et al., 2016). The process can be divided into three phases: 1) co-designing of the research; 2) co-development (scientific integration, knowledge development); and 3) co-publication of results to maximise the impact of the research. In order to avoid land degradation, to reduce the speed of degradation and, where possible, to restore degraded land, it is essential to effectively plan interventions and ensure that they are focused on areas where they are most consistent with the needs of local populations, at the right time and on the right scale (plot, landscape), driven by a jointly-defined set of priorities. The process of coproducing research may be of use to decision-making and, more generally, may help the research community to evolve and make an active contribution to the transformations required to achieve sustainable development.

Conceptual framework for land degradation neutrality (LDN) as per SDG 15.3

Uniting all actors in pursuit of land degradation neutrality (LDN)

4A political objective ratified in 2015 by over 200 UN member states, achieving land degradation neutrality (SDG target 15.3) is a new paradigm designed to halt the continuing destruction of healthy land. LDN is defined as “a state whereby the amount and quality of land resources, necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security, remains stable or increases within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems” (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, 2015). The idea is to balance out losses and gains in order to arrive at a situation whereby healthy, productive land is no longer in decline. To achieve this, more effective dialogue is needed between decision-makers, technical and financial partners, development agencies, civil society organisations, professional bodies, academics and consumers in order to identify concrete solutions to the many challenges involved: food security, biodiversity, attenuation of and adaptation to climate change, and of course general well-being. One key priority must be to reconcile scientific knowledge, traditional knowledge and political visions. All parties should remain true to themselves and their unique skills, but all must agree upon shared objectives which must be constructed over the long term, with “spaces” for dialogue at different levels. At the territorial level, “living labs” are of particular importance for all stakeholders, as they provide forums in which users can share their reactions and ideas, as well as offering spaces in which to conduct experiments and involve users in the innovation process. A good example is provided by the Ferlo-Sine Living Lab “Trajectories towards carbon neutrality and sustainable development along an agro-sylvo-pastoral gradient in Senegal”, launched under the banner of the FairCarbon priority research programme (PEPR). The lab’s goal is to test different scenarios for carbon neutrality, looking at their impact in terms of land degradation (see diagram) using an agro-sylvo-pastoral gradient which represents land usage within the parts of the Sahel affected by the Great Green Wall project. The best scenarios, co-constructed with local populations, will be presented and debated with local governments, NGOs, central government agencies and local people, in order to put together a territorial action strategy for achieving carbon neutrality by 2035.