An overview of global desertification control efforts: Key challenges and overarching solutions

Abstract Desertification threatens land integrity, social stability, and sustainable global economic development. Between 1982 and 2015, 6% of the world's drylands experienced desertification because of unsustainable land use practices exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change. Despite initiating several global and regional projects to control desertification actively, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) failed to achieve its land restoration goals. Therefore, this paper thoroughly examines the primary factors contributing to desertification, identifies the obstacles impeding control efforts, and presents effective solutions to combat this pressing issue. Poor policy and awareness about desertification, institutional gaps, social and cultural barriers, limited access to credit and modern technologies, lack of standardization, and inconsistent estimates of desertification extent were the main constraints hindering the desertification control efforts. However, implementing several crucial approaches could effectively address the challenge of global desertification. The capacity building, education, and training should be more comprehensive for local communities, but land managers, government officials, and development planners should be part of this. Local and indigenous knowledge should be integrated with scientific knowledge to get a better harvest against desertification. Sustainable land management practices could enhance soil productivity and advanced technology (remote sensing, digital maps, machine learning approaches and data mining) could help standardize procedures and accurately assess the extent of desertification. Different approaches can stabilize soil against wind and water erosion, such as bio‐cementing and biocrust formation. Converting degraded areas into green spaces can create about 10 million green jobs and foster a green economy in developing countries. Finally, to achieve aspirant land restoration targets and sustainable development goals (SDGs), it is imperative to carry out comprehensive research on desertification, utilizing sound and modern scientific knowledge by investing in research institutes and training the next generation of researchers.