Assessment of land degradation and sustainable land management in Niger

Land degradation threatens food security and biodiversity conservation affecting ecosystem services and the well-being of the population. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the spatial and temporal dynamics of land degradation and restoration in Niger using the indicator 15.3.1 of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). The assessment was conducted using the Trends.Earth plugin for a baseline period (2001–2015) and a reporting period (2016–2022). The results indicate that improvement is predominantly within Niger’s Great Green Wall (GGW). This reflects extensive land restoration initiatives aimed at combating desertification. Additionally, land productivity doubled between the baseline (14%) and the reporting period (28%). Although soil organic carbon declined slightly in bare lands (−2%), it increased in tree-covered areas, grasslands, croplands, and artificial surfaces by 2%, 4%, 18% and 50% respectively. The proportion of degraded land declined by half between the baseline (6.6%) and reporting period (3.3%). This highlights the effectiveness of the SDG 15.3.1 for evaluating land degradation. It also lays the basis for developing targeted conservation and sustainable land management strategies in Niger’s GGW.