Connecting land tenure to land restoration

The Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) adopted a decision on land tenure in 2019, requesting stakeholders to explore options on how to increase knowledge on responsible governance of tenure as a way to achieve land degradation. In 2022, the Global Land Outlook, a biennial publication of the UNCCD that assesses the global state of land, identified the need to probe the links between tenure and restoration as a strategy for land degradation neutrality. This article establishes the connection between tenure and restoration by going beyond mere narratives. Using simple diagrammatic and mathematical illustrations, it shows how tenure rights (influenced by land tenure) can enable restoration activities to contribute to land degradation neutrality. Policymakers, academics, and professionals who struggle with achieving land restoration through land tenure practices will find this article helpful for their work.