ABSTRACT
Land is an essential natural resource and central to effective functioning of the five-node nexus (see Chapter 1). Land is vital for the survival and prosperity of humanity, and for maintenance of all terrestrial ecosystems. The vast majority of human food is derived from the terrestrial environment, which also provides fodder, fibre, fuel, fertiliser, flowers and many other vital products. Land resources are closely tied to water and biomass resources, together providing the supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural services that underpin sustainable development. Land can hold special significance to populations in the Global South, where a majority continue to reside in rural areas. Rural communities rely deeply on land and its resources for their livelihoods, well-being and existence: crops are grown for subsistence and for sale in local markets; fodder is collected for livestock; fuelwood is used for cooking and heating; biomass is used for constructing homes and stables; and wild species are used for health and well-being. Here, land signifies far more than the productivity of its soil: it is an assertion of socio-cultural identity and heritage.
