Feature Papers for the ‘Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues’ Section: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Dear Colleagues,

Land use is shaped by a complex nexus of socio-economic and political factors which significantly influence Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Economic forces such as market demand, urbanization, and resource extraction play key roles in shaping land use patterns, often leading to adverse environmental and societal impacts. In addition, political dynamics such as land tenure systems, property rights, and governance structures significantly influence land access and decision-making processes, thereby shaping land use outcomes at local, regional, and global scales. Moreover, socio-cultural elements, including cultural practices, demographics, and migration patterns, play an important role in determining the direction of land use. These factors influence a range of issues, from food security and poverty reduction to environmental sustainability and cultural heritage preservation. Understanding and addressing these sociocultural dynamics are essential for promoting resilient and inclusive land use policies and practices. Fostering sustainable and equitable land use requires a holistic, multi-stakeholder approach that engages governments, businesses, communities, and civil society organizations. Effective land use planning and management necessitate cross-sectoral collaboration, transparent decision-making processes, policy coherence, and meaningful dialogue among diverse stakeholders. By integrating diverse perspectives and expertise, policymakers can develop strategies that prioritize environmental conservation, social equity, and economic development, ensuring the long-term health and resilience of our land and communities.

Achieving SDGs is inextricably linked to how we manage and use land. This nexus is most evident in the interdependencies among several key SDGs that are directly influenced by land use dynamics. For instance, SDG 2, which advocates for "Zero Hunger", is closely connected to agronomic practices and the sustainable use of arable land. The efficient and responsible use of land resources is essential for boosting agricultural productivity, ensuring food security, and providing adequate nutrition for the growing world population. This requires innovations in sustainable farming, improved land management techniques, and the preservation of soil fertility to support food systems that are resilient to climate shocks and other external pressures. At the same time, SDG 15, "Life on Land", highlights the need to preserve and restore terrestrial ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands, to maintain the biodiversity and ecosystem services they provide. These services are critical for human survival and include water purification, flood protection, carbon sequestration, and the preservation of flora and fauna. Sustainable land use strategies are crucial to prevent habitat destruction, land degradation, and loss of biodiversity, which are challenges that this goal seeks to address. SDG 10, "Reduced Inequalities", incorporates the principle of equity, which extends to land use by supporting fair and just access to land resources. This includes addressing historical inequities in land distribution, ensuring land rights for marginalized communities, and implementing policies that allow for equitable sharing of the benefits derived from land use. Furthermore, SDG 13, "Climate Action", underscores the urgency of adopting sustainable land use practices to mitigate climate change. Land use decisions have a profound impact on greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration, and the resilience of natural and human systems to climate-induced changes. Practices such as deforestation, land conversion, and unsustainable agriculture exacerbate climate change, while sustainable practices can mitigate its effects and contribute to the adaptation capacities of communities. The integration of these SDGs into land use policies requires a careful understanding of the trade-offs and synergies between environmental conservation, social equity, and economic development. It is imperative for policymakers to create a framework that balances these sometimes-competing objectives, enabling human prosperity while safeguarding the planet. Overall, this Special Issue (SI) seeks to catalyze interdisciplinary collaboration, uniting diverse academic disciplines ranging from environmental science, agronomy, social sciences, and economics, to urban planning and law to address the multifaceted challenges of achieving the SDGs in the context of sustainable land use. By promoting a multidisciplinary exchange of knowledge and research, the goal is to cultivate a comprehensive and inclusive understanding of land-related issues. Such an integrative approach is vital for formulating holistic strategies, policies, and practices that can navigate the complex interplay between human activities and the natural environment. Through this collaborative academic and policy-oriented endeavor, we can aspire to meet the ambitious targets of the SDGs and ensure a sustainable future for all.

We invite submissions from a diversity of disciplinary backgrounds including environmental science, economics, political economy, socio-economic, development economics, sociology, and political science. We particularly seek submissions that demonstrate a high degree of methodological rigor in their examination and analysis of land issues, and that contribute to innovative approaches for achieving the SDGs. We welcome interdisciplinary work that synthesizes multiple perspectives, methods, and data sources to provide novel insights into land issues and their relation to the SDGs.

Prof. Dr. Hossein Azadi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the Special Issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.