Given current land degradation trends, Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN, SDG Target 15.3) by 2030 could be difficult to attain. Solutions avoid, reduce, and reverse are not being implemented at sufficiently large scales, pointing governance as the main obstacle. In this paper, we review dynamics in agricultural governance, potential may have enable or provide solutions towards LDN. The literatu...

This essay approaches land degradation by targeting its ultimate thermodynamic causes, rather than immediate environmental consequences. The objective is to make some propositions that could help understand the essence of process, and contribute a theoretical framework be developed. These are: 1. Human populations are an ecosystem component, not external driver. 2. Coupled Natural Systems (CHAN...

Experiments with coupled atmosphere/biosphere models indicate that land degradation leads to a reduction in rainfall, evapotranspiration, soil moisture and runoff, and an increase in surface temperature and near surface winds. This talk discusses studies that have investigated the feedback of degradation in forest and other ecosystems on regional climate in the Sahel, the central U.S., South Am...

I declare that this research report is my own unaided work. It is being submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Science at the University of the Witwatersrand. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination at any other university. Figure 1 Map showing the location of the study area. White areas represent privately owned land used for Figure 3: Long-term (198...