UNCCD reporting for countries (March-May 2018), Hakki Emrah Erdogan, Neil Crossman

1. 2017-2018
UNCCD Reporting

2. SDG Indicator 15.3.1:
Proportion of land that
is degraded over total
land area
Dr Hakki Emrah Erdogan
Dr Neville Crossman

3. SO1: Proportion of degraded land
Content
1. Concept and «One out all out» rule
2. Description of degradation for each indicator
3. Calculation of proportion of degraded land
4. UNCCD default data for PRAIS 3
5. Interpretation of UNCCD default data
6. ConclusionCompare
land cover datasets and legends

4. Date
1. Proportion degraded land definition
SDG Target 15.3:
“By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil,
including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to
achieve a land-degradation neutral world”
SDG Indicator 15.3.1:
Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area.
 Upgraded in November 2017 by IAEG-SDG to Tier 2 status
(i.e. “Indicator is conceptually clear, has an internationally established methodology and
standards are available, but data are not regularly produced by countries”)

5. Date
1. Proportion degraded land definition
Proportion of degraded land is derived from the three indicators:
1. Land Cover change (LC change)
2. Land Productivity Dynamics (LPD)
3. Change in Soil Organic Carbon stocks (SOC change)
State of each indicator was classified as degraded or not.

6. Date
2. One out all out rule
• This is the ‘one out, all out’ rule – described in the Scientific Conceptual
Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality (Cowie et al 2018).
• An area (pixel/cell) is considered degraded if at least one of the three
indicators shows a negative change (i.e. is degraded).
• stability or improvements in land condition in any one indicator cannot
compensate for degradation in the others.
• because the indicators are complementary – not additive.

7. Date
3. Description of degradation in each indicator
LC change (red = degraded):

8. Date
3. Description of degradation in each indicator
LPD:

9. Date
3. Description of degradation in each indicator
SOC change:
• Locations experiencing a decline in SOC stock over the period 2000-
2015 (red = degraded)
From(2000)
To (2015)

10. Date
4. Calculation of proportion of degraded land
• An area (i.e. pixel/cell) is degraded if at least one indicator is degraded
• Total area degraded was divided by total land area
• Total land area is the area of the country, minus inland water bodies (e.g.
rivers, lakes)

11. Date
5. UNCCD default data for PRAIS 3
LC Change LPD SOC Change
• Degraded area (pixels/cells) where there is degradation in LC change (2000-2015), or LPD (2000-2013),
or SOC change (2000-2015).

12. Date
5. UNCCD default data for PRAIS 3
• Land degradation map
• Rasters of land degradation for the
period are provided in geotiff format.
• Cells are classified as‘1’ (degraded) or ‘0’
(not degraded).

13. Date
5. UNCCD default data for PRAIS 3
Land degradation reporting table
(example of Ethiopia)

14. Date
6. Interpretation of UNCCD default data
• Uncertainties in 3 input indicators carry through to proportion of degraded land:
1. LC change: seasonality; spatial variation; land cover classification accuracy;
2. LPD: within-pixel vegetation heterogeneity; temporal variability;
3. SOC change: data smoothing; data collection and sampling errors; missing or unknown SOC change
factors.
This proportion of degraded land (2000-2015) becomes the SDG 15.3.1 (t0)
baseline.
• Expectation there will be the possibility to adjust baseline estimates if/when
national estimates improve in accuracy (not set in stone)

15. 7. Conclusion
• Proportion of degraded land is composite indicator:
• LC change, LPD and SOC change
• One out all out rule means location is degraded if any one indicator is
degraded
• Uncertainties in LC change, LPD and SOC change carry through to proportion
of degraded land
• Local data and expertise should be used where there is considerable
disagreement in the input indicators