Who cares about land degradation neutrality? Exploring the rift between global discourses and local perspectives in far west New South Wales

Abstract

As narratives about the 'global crisis' of land degradation persist, despite a lack of conclusive evidence, this thesis questions whether such narratives are connected to local experiences of the phenomena. To avoid constraining solutions because of narrow or misled understandings, there is a need for contextually-tailored investigations, recognising social, ecological and political interactions. Through a discourse analysis of publications and programs about 'land degradation neutrality' (LDN), this study dissects modern versions of the degradation crisis narrative and proposals for its resolution. Given recent prominence in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, LDN approaches are expected to 'counterbalance' land degradation through sustainable land management and restoration. The narratives emphasise economic incentives to repair degraded land, quantified top-down assessments, and win-win partnerships – but appear to be more appealing for business interests than for local land managers. Neutrality as 'no net loss' conveys inflexibility rather than resilience, and the current LDN approach abstains from normative considerations of how people are connected to land. A literature and interview-based case study in the far west region of New South Wales – rangelands commonly affected by droughts, floods and episodic degradation – explores the relevance of LDN within a particular context according to local knowledge and experiences. Significant discrepancies arise, presenting a number of conundrums about how degradation should be characterised and consequently approached. Conflicting convictions reveal both positive and negative impacts of grazing regimes, wind erosion, 'pests', 'weeds', climate variability, and community-based self-reliance, leading to contrasting responses to sustainable land management and restoration recommendations, such as the need to let the environment restore itself. The case study confirms that land degradation depends on how the problem is framed, and that multiple perspectives need to be considered. This thesis makes contributions to knowledge by critically engaging with the implications of the international LDN discourse and by providing insights about the complexity of capturing the dynamics of dryland degradation, to inform alternative narratives based on better understandings of the careful contextual management of marginal lands.