Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) is a concept adopted within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Target 15.3). It means that the net loss of productive land due to degradation is balanced by efforts to restore or sustainably manage land elsewhere. In other words, any loss in one area should be offset by gains in another.
The concept of LDN was first formally proposed and adopted at the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the UNCCD, held in Ankara, Turkey, in October 2015. During this conference, Parties agreed to promote LDN as a global objective aligned with SDG Target 15.3.
Official UNCCD definition
“Land Degradation Neutrality is achieved when the amount and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and services remains stable or increases within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems.”
Why is it important?
According to UNCCD, up to 40% of the Earth’s land surface is already degraded, and the trend continues. Land is losing productivity due to erosion, nutrient depletion, salinization, desertification, and unsustainable land use.
Consequences:
Loss of food security;
Decline in water quality and availability;
Loss of biodiversity;
Increased vulnerability to climate change and migration pressures.
LDN offers a proactive, balanced approach: preventing degradation, restoring degraded land, and sustainably managing resources.
Goals and approaches
The goal of LDN is to maintain or enhance land-based natural capital within a country or region. This is achieved through three interconnected pathways:
Avoiding degradation: soil conservation, preventing erosion, sustainable land use;
All Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — have joined the Global LDN Target Setting Programme (LDN TSP). Under this initiative:
National LDN targets for 2030 were developed;
Land degradation baselines and high-risk zones were identified;
LDN has been integrated into national policies on agriculture, climate, desertification, and environment;
Pilot projects are underway to restore land and manage rangelands sustainably.
Russia also actively participates in international initiatives under the UNCCD. Actions include:
Monitoring land degradation and soil quality;
Programs to rehabilitate degraded lands in steppe, forest, and arid regions;
Development of soil protection and agro-landscape planning technologies.
Benefits of the LDN approach
Enhancing food security;
Conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services;
Increasing climate resilience;
Creating green jobs and opportunities in rural areas;
