*Introductory Chapter: Arid Environment DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108683*


### **Figure 1.**

*Environmental management and sustainable development approaches in arid ecosystems (Adopted from [4].*

problem. Balancing land degradation is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On the other hand, sustainable land management is also of great importance for combating climate change, because the soil whose organic component

is preserved acts as a sink with the ocean and forests by trapping the carbon in the atmosphere. It is possible to realize approximately one-third of the greenhouse gas reduction potential with land degradation balancing and sustainable land use. The most important tool for balancing land degradation and combating desertification is the "United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Exposed to Severe Drought and/or Desertification, Especially in Africa" (UN Convention to Combat Desertification – UNCCD) adopted in 1994. The Convention is the only binding international agreement linking the issue of environment and development with sustainable land management [6].
