The Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative is a global initiative on the economic benefits of land and land-based ecosystems. It aims to increase political and public awareness of the economic costs and benefits of healthy and productive land. The secretariat of the initiative is hosted by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
The initiative highlights the value of sustainable land management and provides a global approach for analysis of the economics of land degradation. It aims to make the economics of land degradation an integral part of policy strategies and decision-making by increasing political and public awareness of the costs and benefits of land and land-based ecosystems.
The ELD vision is to transform global understanding of the economic value of productive land based on both market and non-market values, and to improve stakeholder awareness for socio-economic arguments to improve sustainable land management, prevent the loss of natural capital, preserve ecosystem services, combat climate change, and address food, energy, and water security. The ELD methodological approach will translate economic, social and ecological knowledge into topical information and tools to support improved policy-making and practices in land management suitable for policy makers, scientific communities, local administrators and practitioners, and the private sector.
As mission partner, ELD provides Commonland access to its methodology and network of experts on the economics of land degradation.
