2023 Progress toward SDG land degradation & restoration commitments

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE 2023 VOLUNTARY NATIONAL REVIEWS AND THE SDG INDICATORS’ GLOBAL DATABASE?

WHERE ARE WE AT?

There are countries that have advanced their SDG land degradation and restoration commitments. Some have undertaken thoughtful planning or allocated new resources.

Others have augmented or strengthened land restoration and sustainable land management practices in an inclusive way.

A few have introduced ambitious reforms, established new national programs, or drafted new legislation to ensure long-term efficacy.

Our review finds that, while work on deforestation is active and growing, work on land degradation outside of the forestry sector is relatively uncommon.

main takeaways

• Save for countries facing acute desertification, many countries have yet to prioritize land degradation neutrality, and most have not taken significant action.
• Those who have acted decisively have a long way to go before their new laws, policies, and strategies are fully implemented, or their programs will reach the necessary scale needed to achieve land degradation neutrality.