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Profile photo of Lina Eklund

Lina Eklund

Researcher

Profile photo of Lina Eklund

Rethinking Global Soil Degradation : Drivers, Impacts, and Solutions

Author

  • Nima Shokri
  • David A. Robinson
  • Mehdi Afshar
  • Christine Alewell
  • Milad Aminzadeh
  • Emmanuel Arthur
  • Nils Broothaerts
  • Grant A. Campbell
  • Lina Eklund
  • Surya Gupta
  • Richard Harper
  • Amirhossein Hassani
  • Cathy Hohenegger
  • Thomas Keller
  • Maximilian Kiener
  • Inma Lebron
  • Kaveh Madani
  • Tshilidzi Marwala
  • Francis Matthews
  • Per Moldrup
  • Attila Nemes
  • Panos Panagos
  • Remus Prăvălie
  • Matthias C. Rillig
  • Philipp Saggau
  • Salome M.S. Shokri-Kuehni
  • Pete Smith
  • Amy Thomas
  • Lis Wollesen de Jonge
  • Dani Or
Show all

Summary, in English

The increasing threat of soil degradation presents significant challenges to soil health, especially within agroecosystems that are vital for food security, climate regulation, and economic stability. This growing concern arises from intricate interactions between land use practices and climatic conditions, which, if not addressed, could jeopardize sustainable development and environmental resilience. This review offers a comprehensive examination of soil degradation, including its definitions, global prevalence, underlying mechanisms, and methods of measurement. It underscores the connections between soil degradation and land use, with a focus on socio-economic consequences. Current assessment methods frequently depend on insufficient data, concentrate on singular factors, and utilize arbitrary thresholds, potentially resulting in misclassification and misguided decisions. We analyze these shortcomings and investigate emerging methodologies that provide scalable and objective evaluations, offering a more accurate representation of soil vulnerability. Additionally, the review assesses both physical and biological indicators, as well as the potential of technologies such as remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics for enhanced monitoring and forecasting. Key factors driving soil degradation, including unsustainable agricultural practices, deforestation, industrial activities, and extreme climate events, are thoroughly examined. The review emphasizes the importance of healthy soils in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly concerning food and water security, ecosystem health, poverty alleviation, and climate action. It suggests future research directions that prioritize standardized metrics, interdisciplinary collaboration, and predictive modeling to facilitate more integrated and effective management of soil degradation in the context of global environmental changes.

Department/s

  • Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (MGeo)
  • LU Profile Area: Human rights
  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
  • MECW: The Middle East in the Contemporary World
  • Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES)

Publishing year

2025-12

Language

English

Publication/Series

Reviews of Geophysics

Volume

63

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article review

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Topic

  • Environmental Sciences
  • Soil Science

Keywords

  • soil degradation
  • soil health
  • soil science

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 8755-1209