Blog Posts: land use

Mapping urban land use over time can show what, where and when changes are happening, answering pressing questions about urban living. WRI, with support from the National Geographic Society, has developed methods and infrastructure to map urban land use in any city, providing a new tool to help cities manage their resources and improve quality of life.

Dry forests, farms and other areas with sparse tree cover can go uncounted by satellite technology. Local stakeholders can harness the power of Collect Earth to see where billions of trees are growing in landscapes around the world — and where land is under restoration.

Meeting climate goals will require carbon dioxide removal, likely at the billion-tonne scale by midcentury. Direct air capture (DAC) is gaining traction as a promising carbon removal approach, but will require careful consideration of energy, land and water use to inform siting and minimize resource impacts.

Three case studies show how developing cities can implement land value capture to generate significant public revenue and support equitable urban development.

The European Union's $826 billion plan to respond to the coronavirus crisis includes more than $200 billion for climate friendly measures like building renovation, clean energy technology, low-carbon vehicles and sustainable land use.

Economic recovery after COVID-19 must include efforts to bring about a fairer, more nutritious, more sustainable and more resilient global food system.

Soil is eroding more quickly than it is being formed. Sustainable land management can help control soil erosion, protect watersheds and reduce carbon emissions.

"If you want to change the world, it’s not a little bit like Archimedes said: ‘Give me a lever and I can tilt the world,’” says Paul Polman, chair of the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU). “Here you need a few levers to tilt the food system.” Polman and FOLU's Ed Davey explain how those levers can work, following a high-level meeting organized by WRI and WWF and attended by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

As deforestation and land use issues get more global attention, leaders shouldn't forget the people living on these lands. A new report from the Food and Land Use Coalition outlines solutions that help rural and forest communities thrive.

Indigenous Peoples around the world are seeking formal recognition of their land rights. But this quest often brings a troubling "Sophie's choice": in getting their land officially registered and documented, communities often lose some of their rights to use it.