Sara Brogaard
Senior Lecturer
The Political Ecology of Land Degradation
Author
Summary, in English
Land degradation, as a threat to smallholders in the tropics, attracts less attention than other global challenges. In addition, gaps between scientific understandings of land degradation and international policy regimes are problematic. We identify the three most significant debates including their different policy implications: desertification in the Sahel, nutrient depletion in Africa, and rural reforms in China. Using a political ecology frame across disciplines, scales of inquiry, and regional experiences, we nuance the often polarized scientific debate while seeking to bridge the gap between science and policy. Three main findings emerge: State-led rural reforms in China represent an important approach to land degradation; a renewed focus on agriculture and sustainability in development discourses opens new ways for tackling nutrient depletion with combined sociotechnological reforms; and a policy void in Africa paves the way for market mechanisms, such as payment for environmental services, that are insufficiently understood and put fairness at risk.
Department/s
- LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Publishing year
2011
Language
English
Pages
295-319
Publication/Series
Annual Review of Environment and Resources
Volume
36
Links
Document type
Journal article review
Publisher
Annual Reviews
Topic
- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
Keywords
- China
- Africa
- desertification
- nutrient depletion
- policy
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1545-2050