Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Management in Europe & CIS

Sustainable Land Management to combat desertification and land degradation

Main challenges in the region

Human activities can degrade the land and negatively impact water and biological resources, affecting the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities. Evidence of degradation can be seen when desertification and deforestation ruins the land’s resource potential. Activities that contribute to land degradation include soil erosion, denudation, pollution, loss of organic matter, loss of fertility and vegetation cover, introduction of invasive species, habitat conversion, and aquifer degradation.

Related UNDP activities in the region include harmonizing relevant planning and policy frameworks, integrating land use planning, and establishing institutional mechanisms for the management of transboundary resources. The main goal is to support the flow of agricultural goods and services by preserving or restoring the health of the eco-system, and thus improve the livelihood of local people. Projects relate to sustainable agriculture, rangeland, and forest management.

The following projects focus on land degradation and support community-led sustainable land management projects. These include:

• Strengthening capacities at the community and local levels to support sustainable land management;

• Facilitating the formulation and implementation of land use planning systems, with an emphasis on drought preparedness and other extreme climatic events;

• Supporting the development of agreements and modalities for the management of transboundary natural resources through sustainable land management;

• Promoting sustainable agricultural practices, such as crop diversification, to reduce the risk of crop failure, and support the judicious use of fertilizers and other agrochemicals;

• Supporting soil and water conservation through improved tillage methods; taking agro-forestry approaches to reduce erosion; promoting suitable land uses (including protection from farming where necessary); and improving the management of agricultural waste;

• Supporting sustainable rangeland and pasture management, and ground water conservation by strengthening viable traditional systems, and introducing mechanisms to resolve conflicts over land use; offering community-based protection and rehabilitation ; fire management; and the replenishment of ground water;

• Supporting forest and woodland management, especially in non-protected forests, by strengthening viable indigenous management systems; rehabilitating degraded deforested areas; introducing fees for ecological services; and managing community woodlots for fuelwood.