Making the case for SLM investments

One of the greatest challenges to successful resource mobilisation for sustainable land management in many countries is the lack of priority land degradation and desertification is given when development policies and strategies are set. The contribution of land resources to national development, poverty reduction, green growth and other sustainable development objectives, and the potential SLM has to reverse the degradation of fragile ecosystems, are too often not recognized. Other, more “visible” and pressing issues are very often higher on the political agenda and therefore receive more attention and funding.

With development aid allocation increasingly subject to national-level negotiations, the availability of external public finance in support of SLM programmes depends on the importance given to sustainable land and ecosystem management by the recipient government. Compelling economic arguments are needed to make the case for SLM to Ministries of Finance, in particular.

Similarly, land use decisions by the private sector, either for subsistence, business or speculation, are usually driven by contingent needs, returns on investment or other profit-related factors. However, natural assets could provide higher returns in the long-term for the investor if other ecosystem functions and broader socio-economic aspects are taken into consideration.

By assessing the total economic value of ecosystem goods and services, the direct and indirect costs of natural capital depreciation and the net benefits of alternative land use approaches, it is possible to generate enough economic evidence to justify responsible land use policies and increased public and private investments into sustainable ecosystem management practices and initiatives.

The GM is actively engaged in the integrated economic valuation of land as a vehicle to unlock the investment potential for SLM. Through a consortium called OSLO (Offering Sustainable Land-use Options), it aims at promoting responsible land use by demonstrating the total economic value of terrestrial ecosystems and generating socio-economically viable and environmentally sustainable land use change options. OSLO is a global partnership of leading research and academic institutions, international organizations and UN agencies that developed an innovative economic valuation methodology for land and ecosystem services. Through this work, the GM also contributes to global level assessments of land degradation, such as the Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) initiative.