Restoration and rehabilitation of degraded land in arid and semiarid environments: Editorial

Abstract

Widespread degradation is impacting land around the globe as a consequence of intense anthropogenic pressures and accelerated changes in climate. The expansion of land degradation may cause the destabilization of ecosystems' structure and functioning and may be somewhat comparable to a global health crisis such as the COVID19 pandemic (Di Marco et al., 2020). Although areas of high biodiversity can host high numbers of pathogens, biodiversity may serve as a protective factor for preventing transmission and maintaining ecosystems helping to reduce exposure to infectious agents (Romanelli et al., 2015). Recently it has been suggested that degraded habitats may encourage more rapid evolutionary processes and diversification of diseases allowing pathogens to spread easily to livestock and humans (Zohdy, Schwartz, & Oaks, 2019). Thus, conserving, or in the case of irreversible degradation, restoring, are the goals that society has to enforce to maintain or rebuild an equilibrium with nature. Particularly susceptible regions are drylands, which include arid and semiarid environments. These areas are seriously affected by climate change and land degradation impacts (Berdugo et al., 2020) with ecosystems facing serious threats such as long periods of drought, unpredictability of rainfall, and intense use of the land.

"Bracing for the Next Crisis: Pandemics, Climate Change, and Safeguarding Global Health and Prosperity"

“…This data-driven instrument has the potential to be a catalyst for informed policy decisions, strategic resource allocation, and strengthened international collaboration [35,36,54]. Widespread adoption of the GHPI could empower nations to build more robust healthcare systems, fortify their resilience against climate change (including threats like prolonged droughts, extreme heat, and severe weather events) [41,42], and accelerate the implementation of sustainable development practices [22,25,28,29,51,52]. It is important to note that climate change can be a source of, or contribute to, new viruses and pandemics.…”

“…Mitigating the adverse effects of climate change requires a concerted, multi-pronged approach. Transitioning to sustainable energy sources, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and implementing effective adaptation strategies [22,41,42] are imperative to safeguarding public health, ensuring food and water security, and preserving economic stability.…”

Effect of land rehabilitation measures on soil organic carbon fractions in semi-arid environment

“…Global increases in human populations have increased pressure on natural resources as demand for food, fiber, fuel, pasture, and alternative livelihood intensifies (Ovuka, 2000;Muñoz-Rojas et al, 2020). Most often this induces severe soil erosion, where conservation is not prioritized (Hassen and Bantider, 2020).…”

Editorial: Desertification and Rehabilitation

“…Nevertheless, a large number of questions concerning desertification still remain, depending on the different contexts and objectives of national strategies (Xue et al, 2015;Muñoz-Rojas et al, 2021). The large gap between sciences and policies concerning the rehabilitation of the desertified land requires urgent attention in many countries.…”