Level 2 - Details on Desertification

• 1. What is desertification?
• 2. How are desertification and human well-being linked?
  • 2.1 Is a downward spiral of desertification inevitable?
  • 2.2 What are the consequences of desertification?
• 3. Who is affected by desertification?
  • 3.1 What is the geographical extent of desertification?
  • 3.2 How vulnerable are affected populations?
  • 3.3 Do impacts of desertification extend beyond drylands?
• 4. What are the major causes of desertification?
  • 4.1 What social, economic, and policy factors can contribute to desertification?
  • 4.2 Does globalization play a role in desertification?
  • 4.3 How can land use affect desertification?
• 5. How will different future development paths influence desertification?
  • 5.1 Which scenarios have been explored in this assessment?
  • 5.2 Are pressures on drylands expected to increase?
  • 5.3 What are the key challenges for the future?
• 6. How can we prevent or reverse desertification?
  • 6.1 Why are actions needed?
  • 6.2 What actions can be taken to prevent desertification?
  • 6.3 What actions can reverse land degradation?
• 7. Is there a link between desertification, global climate change, and biodiversity loss?
• 8. How can we better understand desertification?
  • 8.1 How can the extent of land degradation be monitored?
  • 8.2 How can uncertainties about abrupt or irreversible changes be reduced?
• 9. Conclusion: Main findings