Land Degradation Neutrality In Small Island Developing States
Land degradation exacerbates the unique vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to environmental challenges, such as climate change, flash floods, soil erosion, lagoon siltation, coastal erosion and sea level rise, undermining their economic potential. Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in SIDS, preserving biodiversity and increasing resilience to climate change. Land degradation has a strong negative impact on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, water resources management and coastal zone management. SIDS face a potentially greater strain on these sectors due to their high susceptibility to natural disasters, which often reverses their economic and social improvements. Land-based solutions contribute significantly to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sendai Framework, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, as well as on the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.