2 The Universal Protection of Soils Comes into the Picture
Via the SDGs
At its 70th session, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the 2030
Agenda
10 on Sustainable Development. In this document, many Heads of States of
the world declared their intentions to pursue seventeen Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), in order to ensure that the future of the planet is not compromised as
we pursue present and future socio-economic development. These goals are to be
achieved by the year 2030, and seek to address the fundamental question of
balancing environmental protection with the needs of social and economic development. Along with these goals are their one hundred and sixty-nine targets which the
international community will strive to achieve.
Goal 15 aims to “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial
ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse
land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.” The essence of this goal is securing
terrestrial (land based) ecosystems services which can only be done through, inter
alia, the protection of bio-productive land, or put another way, by the protection of
soils.
11
As with the other SDGs, this one also has its targets among which is Target 15.3
that declares, “By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil,
including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve
a land degradation-neutral world.” So here we have a written declaration by the
international community to address the question of soil protection by, inter alia,
restoring “degraded land and soil.” This was the first time the United Nations
decided to take such action to protect the bio-productive land/soils of this planet as
a whole and at such a level.
The question must, however, be asked of what is meant by a “land degradationneutral world?” This is a pertinent question for it is logical that one must know what
something is; i.e. one must first have a concept of it before one can try to achieve
it. And very central to this first question is the question of from whence the concept
of a land degradation-neutral world? Where did this idea come from? And why is the
international community convinced that this idea should become a target of this
all-important 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda on which the fate of this planet
might very well be hinged? To answer these questions, it is necessary to visit the
creation, history, evolution and practice of the implementation of the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
10 United Nations, General Assembly (2015) The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
11 Adhikari and Hartemink (2016).
From Desertification to Land Degradation Neutrality: The UNCCD and the. . .
3
Via the SDGs
At its 70th session, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the 2030
Agenda
10 on Sustainable Development. In this document, many Heads of States of
the world declared their intentions to pursue seventeen Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), in order to ensure that the future of the planet is not compromised as
we pursue present and future socio-economic development. These goals are to be
achieved by the year 2030, and seek to address the fundamental question of
balancing environmental protection with the needs of social and economic development. Along with these goals are their one hundred and sixty-nine targets which the
international community will strive to achieve.
Goal 15 aims to “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial
ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse
land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.” The essence of this goal is securing
terrestrial (land based) ecosystems services which can only be done through, inter
alia, the protection of bio-productive land, or put another way, by the protection of
soils.
11
As with the other SDGs, this one also has its targets among which is Target 15.3
that declares, “By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil,
including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve
a land degradation-neutral world.” So here we have a written declaration by the
international community to address the question of soil protection by, inter alia,
restoring “degraded land and soil.” This was the first time the United Nations
decided to take such action to protect the bio-productive land/soils of this planet as
a whole and at such a level.
The question must, however, be asked of what is meant by a “land degradationneutral world?” This is a pertinent question for it is logical that one must know what
something is; i.e. one must first have a concept of it before one can try to achieve
it. And very central to this first question is the question of from whence the concept
of a land degradation-neutral world? Where did this idea come from? And why is the
international community convinced that this idea should become a target of this
all-important 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda on which the fate of this planet
might very well be hinged? To answer these questions, it is necessary to visit the
creation, history, evolution and practice of the implementation of the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
10 United Nations, General Assembly (2015) The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
11 Adhikari and Hartemink (2016).
From Desertification to Land Degradation Neutrality: The UNCCD and the. . .
3