Global Land Outlook : Latin America and the Caribbean thematic report

Abstract

The widespread degradation of terrestrial ecosystems in LAC is mostly the result of unsustainable land management. Regional and international demand for products such as food crops, livestock, wood, oil, and mining from LAC, coupled with adverse socioeconomic conditions and the need for foreign investment, exerts pressure on decision makers to prioritize short-term goals that may result in degradation of lands where these goods and services are produced. This regional thematic report sets out to illustrate current trends in land degradation and desertification, as well as to show the changes in land use, and the losses of land resources. Driving forces and impacts of these trends and phenomena are identified. The regional perspectives of these processes, and the related challenges and opportunities of the future are also examined.