The Scientific Conceptual

Framework for Land Degradation

Neutrality

FAO-IPCC Expert meeting on climate change, land use and food security Rome 23-25 January 2017

Annette Cowie, Barron Orr and SPI

Outline

Background to LDN and need for conceptual framework for LDN

Process for development of the conceptual framework

Elements of the conceptual framework

Land Degradation Neutrality

“A state whereby the amount and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security remain stable or increase within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems”

Origin of LDN Health and productivity of land is declining Addressing land degradation gives multiple benefits: • climate change mitigation,

adaptation • biodiversity conservation • food security • sustaining livelihoods • Rio +20

“Zero net land degradation” • SDGs (15.3) • UNCCD COP 12

“A state whereby the amount and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security remain stable or increase within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems” UNCCD COP12 October 2015

Development of conceptual framework • UNCCD COP 12: SPI work program

• SPI Objective 1:

Provide scientific guidance to the operationalization of the voluntary land degradation neutrality (LDN) target

• Expert workshop • “Thought-starter” survey • In-depth expert review • COP Bureau review • CRIC 15 and SPI presentations

Land Degradation Neutrality

“A state whereby the amount and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security remain stable or increase within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems”

“A state whereby the amount and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security remain stable or increase within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems” UNCCD COP12 October 2015

Schematic of the scientific conceptual framework for LDN

Scientific conceptual framework for LDN

Vision of LDN to sustain and improve the stocks of land-based natural capital and the associated flows of ecosystem services, in order to support the future prosperity and security of humankind

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Figure 1. Conceptualizing LDN in a cause and effect model within the socio-ecological system. Solid arrows indicate cause-effect relationships; dotted arrows indicate response relationships.

Mechanism for achieving neutrality Neutrality = no net loss compared to the reference state Counterbalancing future land degradation (anticipated losses) through planned measures to achieve equivalent gains elsewhere within the same land type “like for like”

Frame of reference: the baseline equals the target

Response Hierarchy Avoiding degradation is the highest priority, followed by reducing degradation and finally reversing past degradation

Preliminary assessments

Enabling policies, institutions

Land types based on land potential (capability)

– Land stratification: land type x land use

Land degradation status (restoration potential)

Resilience assessment (risk, vulnerability, climate change impacts, thresholds, adaptation/transformation needs, sustainability)

Socio-economic analyses

RAPTA: Resilience, Adaptation Pathways and Transformation Assessment Framework

http://www.stapgef.org/the-resilience-adaptation-and-transformation-assessment-framework/

Projecting the impacts of land use decisions

Projecting the impacts of land use decisions

The LDN logic model (“theory of change”)

Planning for LDN LDN introduces a new approach in which land degradation management is coupled with land use planning: integrated land use planning Keep track of cumulative impacts, and plan measures to counteract losses

Monitoring LDN status Neutrality is assessed by monitoring the LDN indicators relative to the baseline

Selection of indicators based on ecosystem services to be monitored

Ecosystem services derived from land-based natural capital: mapping indicators

LDN Indicators Three global indicators: Land cover Land cover change Productivity NPP Carbon stocks SOC “One out, all out” Complemented by: Locally-relevant indicators Process indicators Outcome indicators Verified using local knowledge False positives

Monitoring the LDN indicators: area-based approach

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.

SDG Target 15.3

Monitoring for SDG 15.3 Indicator: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area

Principles (1) 1. Maintain or enhance land-based natural capital. 2. Protect the rights of land users. 3. Respect national sovereignty. 4. For neutrality, the LDN target equals (is the same as) the baseline. 5. Neutrality is the minimum objective: countries may be more ambitious. 6. Integrate planning and implementation of LDN into existing land use planning processes. 7. Counterbalance anticipated losses in land-based natural capital with interventions to reverse degradation, to achieve neutrality. 8. Manage counterbalancing at the same scale as land use planning. 9. Counterbalance “like for like” (within the same land type). Not between conservation and production areas. 10. Balance economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Principles (2) 11. Base land use decisions on multi-variable assessments, considering land potential, land condition, resilience, social, cultural and economic factors. 12. Apply the response hierarchy : Avoid > Reduce >Reverse. 13. Apply a participatory process including stakeholders in designing, implementing and monitoring LDN. 14. Reinforce responsible governance: protect human rights, including tenure; ensure accountability and transparency. 15. Monitor using the three UNCCD land-based global indicators: land cover, land productivity and carbon stocks. 16. Use “one-out, all-out” to interpret the three global indicators. 17. Use national and sub-national indicators to aid interpretation and fill gaps. 18. Apply local knowledge to verify and interpret monitoring data. 19. Apply a continuous learning approach: anticipate, plan, track, interpret, review, adjust, create the next plan

Subject LDN Target Setting Programme

Subject Building block 2: Assessing LDN

• WHAT is the baseline?

• WHAT are the drivers?

• WHICH indicators to use?

• WHICH data sources to use?

Further information • Orr, B.J., A.L. Cowie, V.M. Castillo Sanchez, P. Chasek, N.D. Crossman,

A. Erlewein, G. Louwagie, M. Maron, G.I. Metternicht, S. Minelli, A.E. Tengberg, S. Walter, and S. Welton (2017). Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality. A Report of the Science-Policy Interface. http://www2.unccd.int/publications/scientific-conceptual-framework-land-degradation-neutrality

• UNCCD/Science-Policy Interface (2016). Land in Balance: Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality. Science-Policy Brief 02- September 2016. http://www.unccd.int/Lists/SiteDocumentLibrary/Publications/10_2016_spi_pb_multipage_eng.pdf

• UNCCD/The Global Mechanism (2016). Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality at the country level, Building blocks for LDN target setting. http://www2.unccd.int/sites/default/files/documents/18102016_LDN%20country%20level_ENG.pdf