Around 16 million square kilometres of land across the world — comparable to the size of South America — is set to be severely degraded by 2050 without urgent action, according to the United Nations.
However, restoring 1.5 billion hectares of land could spark a trillion-dollar global restoration economy, the international organisation said June 17, 2025, on the occasion of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
Currently, land degradation and drought is costing the global economy $878 billion each year, three times more than the total official development assistance provided in 2023. On the other hand, achieving global land restoration goals by 2030 will require an investment of $1 billion each day, as per the latest findings by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
The private sector provides only 6 per cent of this funding at present, a level that must significantly increase, the analysis showed.
What’s good for land is good for people and economies. But humanity is degrading land at an alarming rate, costing the global economy nearly $880 billion every year — far more than the investments needed to tackle the problem.UN Secretary-General António Guterres
The findings from UNCCD, however, also highlighted the enormous potential of land restoration. Reviving just one billion hectares of degraded land around the world could generate up to $1.8 trillion in annual economic returns. For every dollar invested in land restoration, the benefits could range from $7-30, thanks to improved ecosystems and livelihoods.
Sub-Saharan Africa, where 45 per cent of the world’s degraded land is located, is leading global efforts with restoration pledges covering over 440 million hectares. These efforts could create up to 10 million sustainable jobs in agriculture and forestry, particularly in climate-vulnerable regions like the Sahel, UNCCD said in a statement.
Latin America and the Caribbean, which accounted for 14 per cent of the world’s degraded land, hold the second-largest restoration goal, targeting over 220 million hectares.
In Western Asia and Northern Africa, nearly 90 per cent of the land is already degraded. The pressures of rising temperatures, limited water resources and fragile agricultural systems continued to stress both people and ecosystems. Still, over 150 million hectares have been designated for restoration efforts in these areas.
Deforestation, unsustainable farming practices and unchecked urban growth were found to be the leading causes of land degradation. These pressures were intensified by climate change and the interconnected challenges of poverty and excessive consumption.
“This year’s observance highlights the enormous benefits of reviving our land — benefits we can’t afford to overlook as the global population is set to reach 10 billion by 2050. There is much at stake in curbing the competition over shrinking natural resources: Without nutritious food, clean water and raw materials, there are no livelihoods; and without them, there can be no economic prosperity, political stability or lasting peace. A restored land is a land of endless opportunities, and it depends on all of us to unlock them,” said UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw.
UNCCD, one of the legally binding frameworks set up to address desertification and drought, was an international treaty signed by 197 parties, for mitigating impacts of land degradation.
This year’s global observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was held in Bogotá, Colombia, under the theme ‘Restore the Land. Unlock the Opportunities’.
Land degradation affects nearly 30 per cent of Colombia’s territory and more than 40 per cent of its soils were vulnerable to salinisation, directly impacting the livelihoods of one in ten Colombians.
“Today, the country is restoring more than 560,000 hectares of land, expanding agroforestry systems and advancing land use planning in rural areas. In the past five years, the country has rallied farmers, civil society and scientists around initiatives to restore critical watersheds, encourage sustainable coffee growing and cattle raising, and improve the quality of productive soils with focus on the Caribbean and Andean regions,” the UNCCD statement read.