Sustainable Land Management - NR fact sheet

One out of every three people on earth is in some way affected by land degradation. Latest

estimates indicate that nearly 2 billion ha of land worldwide – an area twice the size of China

– are already seriously degraded, some irreversibly. This includes large areas of cropland,

grassland, woodland and forest areas whose degradation reduces productivity, disrupts vital

ecosystem functions, negatively affects biodiversity and water resources, and increases

vulnerability to climate change.