Alternative Dispute Resolution: managing upsets and keeping people safe

Abstract

The direct human impact on terrestrial ecosystems is extensive, and only the most inaccessible regions free of human influence. Deforestation, desertification, biodiversity loss, loss of productivity potential, soil erosion, and pollution are ongoing processes associated with landscape degradation. Reversing degradation requires time and consistent effort. The realization that simply preserving extant nondegraded natural ecosystems will be insufficient to address global environmental problems has led to increased reliance on passive and active restoration to counter the effects of landscape degradation. Responding to the adverse consequences of land degradation requires a two-pronged approach: (1) avoiding or at least reducing degradation and (2) restoring degraded ecosystems. Land-degradation neutrality takes the first approach; its objective is to maintain or improve the condition of land resources, including restoration of natural and seminatural ecosystems. Forest landscape restoration takes the second path and underpins the Bonn Challenge that seeks to bring 150 million ha of the world’s deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million ha by 2030. Soil recovery is basic to both pathways; this includes reducing soil loss and improving soil quality and soil health, especially maintaining and increasing organic matter.