Land management makes it possible to guide the use and development of soils, water, and biodiversity in a particular direction – with positive or negative effects on rural and urban ecosystems. If land is overexploited or used inappropriately, its natural yield potential is reduced and ecological balance is lost. This makes it especially important to manage land sustainably. The goal of sustainable land management is to orient use of land resources towards the long term, ensuring it is in harmony with nature, and to preserve the environmental functions of these resources. In addition, sustainable land management can contribute to climate protection and adaptation to climate change. And it plays a key role in avoiding, reducing, and reversing land degradation.
CDE develops methods and tools to measure, assess, and model the direct and indirect impacts of land use and management on soils, water, biodiversity, and human well-being. Its researchers are committed to finding innovative pathways to sustainable land use.
