Supporting SDG 15, Life on Land: Identifying the Main Drivers of Land Degradation in Honghe Prefecture, China, between 2005 and 2015

Abstract

The essence of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations is described in 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 15 focuses on Life on Land, in other words, terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as their services. Land degradation is a severe anthropic and natural phenomenon that is affecting land use/cover globally; therefore, a dedicated target of the SDG 15 (the indicator 15.3.1) was proposed. The identification of the areas where land degradation has occurred and the analysis of its drivers allow for the design of solutions to prevent further degradation in the studied areas. We followed the methodology proposed by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to study the land degradation in the Honghe Prefecture in southwest China between 2005 and 2015. Through spatial analysis, we found that the degraded areas were consistent with the areas of active human activities (such as urban centers), while the impact of natural factors (such as disasters) on land degradation existed in small areas at high altitudes. Land degradation was affected primarily by the loss of land productivity and secondly by land cover changes caused by the growth of artificial areas. Changes in the soil organic carbon were not significant. We concluded that human activity was the main driver of land degradation in Honghe Prefecture. Decision makers should work to find a balance between economic development and environmental protection to restore degraded land and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral prefecture to defend all ecosystem services.

Evaluation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15.3.1 indicator of land degradation in the European Union

“…Although the LP trends (MOD13Q1 annual) offer 250 m spatial resolution for a country‐scale assessment, there are high variations in the rate, quantity, and timing of the standing biomass production of an ecosystem represented by the LP would need a better zonation (e.g., climate regions) and a specific weighting rules (e.g., LC type) for the assessment of mid‐term declines. According with (Wang et al, 2020), loss of LP and secondly by LC changes caused by the growth of artificial areas. The fact that the initial year (i.e., 2000) was already to an extent degraded might explain why in some areas the degradation was not shown as a pressing problem (Mitri et al, 2019). Agricultural intensification, increasing yield observed in the past twenty years, and crop rotation pattern might interfere with the LP estimation in semiarid and arid regions if a change from cropland to perennial crop occurs in the last few years of the exercise.…”

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

“…SDG-15 (life on land): Human activities and climate change both trigger land and soil degradation [214]. Industrialization and urbanization are the two most important drivers of ecosystem degradation.…”

Biophysical Impact of Sunflower Crop Rotation on Agricultural Fields

“…Land productivity indicators estimated by remote sensing vegetation indices (VIs) are generally accepted for mapping and assessing land degradation and desertification [5]. They are widely used for countries in Europe [6] as well as in Asia [7] and Africa [8]. Different combinations of vegetation indices, which are studied as time series, are used and reflect the dynamics of vegetation and its biophysical indicators.…”