Land degradation
Land degradation is the reduction or loss of land's biological or economic productivity, ecological integrity, or capacity to provide functions and services. It can result from interacting land uses, management practices, and natural processes, and may affect cropland, rangeland, forests, woodlands, soils, water regulation, biodiversity, and livelihoods.
In simple terms
Degradation can appear as soil erosion, salinization, nutrient depletion, vegetation loss, compaction, contamination, declining habitat condition, or reduced productive capacity. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification gives a treaty definition focused on arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, while broader environmental usage covers land in other climatic zones. Measurement therefore requires a stated boundary, baseline, indicators, and timeframe rather than a single universal signal.
Why it matters
Healthy land supports food production, freshwater regulation, carbon storage, biodiversity, and livelihoods. Degradation can reinforce drought, poverty, conflict over resources, and climate vulnerability. Regenerative agriculture may address some causes, while broader sustainable agriculture strategies can help prevent others; both depend on context and evidence. Diagnosing the processes and who is affected is essential because a practice that improves one indicator, such as short-term yield, may worsen soil, water, or ecosystem condition elsewhere or later.
Example
For example, repeated overgrazing combined with drought may reduce plant cover, expose soil to erosion, lower infiltration, and reduce forage productivity. A land assessment would compare these changes with a baseline and examine climate, stocking, tenure, and management rather than attributing the outcome to one factor automatically.
How it differs
Regenerative agriculture
Land degradation is a decline in land condition or productive capacity; regenerative agriculture is one family of management approaches that may seek to restore those qualities on working land.