The assessment of land degradation and restoration by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services shows that land degradation across the globe is a wide and severe issue and is showing no signs of slowing down. The authors offer 10 guidelines for this trend to be halted and reversed.
1. Recognize the benefits of land,
2. Set legally binding goals,
3. Monitor progress towards goals,
4. Promote local action,
5. Combine local knowledge with more conventional scientific knowledge,
6. Account for all costs and benefits of land restoration,
7. Balance demands on land to a sustainable level,
8. Encourage responsible trade and consumption,
9. Strenghten juridical institutions for environmental action,
10. Re-evaluate what a good life is.