Uncertainties and policy challenges in implementing Land Degradation Neutrality in Russia

Abstract

The theoretical concept of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) developed by the UNCCD needs testing at the national level. We studied the uncertainties and challenges for LDN application in Russia as a country with high variability of natural and social-economic conditions. Having a great influence on the political decision-making and institutional politics is one of the challenges, and in this regard we found: (i) in national legislation: inadequate conceptualization of "land" as a natural entity, and of the processes of "land degradation" for non-agricultural lands, especially occurring in boreal and arctic regions; (ii) the need for a differentiated approach to establishing LDN baseline for different regions within the country with different causes and trends of degradation revealed through the great territory; (iii) the importance of assessing accumulated degradation risks as the basis for articulating priorities in LDN “response hierarchy”; (iv) the importance of a differentiated approach for selecting time intervals for determining the LDN baseline, taking into account long-term natural and socio-economic processes. Despite the well-established State Land Monitoring system in Russia, these circumstances identify the following tasks required to achieve LDN objectives: (i) zoning of the country's territory in accordance with the classification of “like for like” exchanges in various biophysical and socio-economic conditions; (ii) considering the role of natural restoration processes in the planning of LDN activities in natural and managed systems. Principles that appear important for developing national LDN policy are: close interaction with climate change adaptation programs, detailed land degradation assessment for non-agricultural lands, keeping administrative division of territory as the basis for LDN spatial monitoring.