Ulaanbaatar, September 8, 2026: Land degradation is emerging as a major development challenge, threatening agricultural production, livelihoods, economic opportunity and the stability of communities already facing climate and environmental pressures, according to the United Nations Development Programme.

Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, has argued that the consequences of deteriorating land extend far beyond damaged ecosystems. The condition of land increasingly influences whether communities can produce food, maintain incomes and remain in the places where generations have lived.

UNDP estimates that up to 40 percent of the world’s land is degraded, directly affecting a large share of humanity. The organization has warned that the problem is becoming increasingly connected with food insecurity, water shortages, displacement and economic instability.

Land Degradation Is an Economic Issue

For farming and pastoral communities, land is a fundamental economic asset. Declining soil quality, reduced vegetation and water scarcity can lower agricultural productivity and weaken household incomes.

Wignaraja has pointed to Mongolia as an example of how these pressures are experienced at community level. For herders, deteriorating pasture is not an abstract environmental statistic. Less grass can mean weaker livestock, lower income and greater difficulty keeping families on their traditional lands.

This creates a wider development problem. When land can no longer support the same level of economic activity, households may be forced to search for opportunities elsewhere, increasing pressure on towns and cities and potentially contributing to migration.

Climate Change Is Intensifying the Pressure

Climate change is adding another layer of difficulty. More frequent droughts, changing rainfall patterns and extreme weather can accelerate the deterioration of already vulnerable landscapes.

UNDP has warned that damaged ecosystems are less capable of regulating water, protecting soils and reducing the effects of climate-related hazards. This can leave communities more exposed to droughts, floods and other disasters.

The consequences can reinforce one another: degraded land reduces productivity, declining incomes increase vulnerability, and vulnerable communities have fewer resources to invest in restoration or adaptation.

Migration and Stability Are Part of the Equation

Land degradation can also become a social and security concern.

When agricultural and pastoral livelihoods weaken, people may move in search of employment, food security or access to essential services. Competition for increasingly scarce land and water can also increase tensions between communities.

UNDP has highlighted the connection between land degradation, livelihoods and instability, noting that prolonged drought and declining land productivity can increase competition over resources and contribute to social tensions.

This means land restoration should not be viewed simply as an environmental programme. It can also be an investment in resilience, economic opportunity and community stability.

Asia-Pacific Faces Significant Risks

The Asia-Pacific region is particularly important in this discussion because millions of people depend directly on agriculture, livestock and other land-based activities.

UNDP says drylands now cover more than one-third of Asia-Pacific’s land area, while communities across the Pacific are confronting another dimension of land loss as rising pressures affect vulnerable coastal areas.

The region also faces substantial climate and disaster risks, making sustainable land management increasingly important for long-term development.

Restoration Can Create New Opportunities

Despite the scale of the problem, UNDP sees land restoration as an opportunity rather than only a cost.

Restoring degraded landscapes can improve agricultural productivity, strengthen water security, protect biodiversity and create economic opportunities. UNDP estimates that restoring 150 million hectares of degraded land could generate up to $40 billion in additional annual income for smallholder farmers while helping provide food for about 200 million people.

The challenge is ensuring that restoration programmes are designed around the needs of local communities rather than treating land simply as an environmental asset.

A Development Priority for Governments

The growing recognition of land degradation as a development issue could influence how governments approach investment, climate adaptation and rural development.

Policies that support sustainable farming, responsible grazing, water management, ecosystem restoration and alternative livelihoods can help communities withstand environmental shocks while protecting economic opportunities.

The recent UN Convention to Combat Desertification COP17 in Ulaanbaatar placed these issues at the center of international discussions, bringing governments, communities, businesses and other stakeholders together around land restoration and drought resilience.

The central message is increasingly clear: protecting land is also about protecting people.

As climate pressures grow and competition for natural resources increases, the ability to restore and sustainably manage land could become an increasingly important factor in determining food security, migration patterns, economic resilience and human development.