Opportunities for Monitoring Soil and Land Development to Support United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Case Study of the United States of America (USA)

Elena A. Mikhailova (), Hamdi A. Zurqani, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman and George B. Shepherd
Additional contact information
Elena A. Mikhailova: Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Hamdi A. Zurqani: Arkansas Forest Resources Center, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas System, Monticello, AR 71656, USA
Lili Lin: Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
Zhenbang Hao: University Key Lab for Geomatics Technology and Optimized Resources Utilization in Fujian Province, Fuzhou 350002, China
Christopher J. Post: Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Mark A. Schlautman: Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Anderson, SC 29625, USA
George B. Shepherd: School of Law, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 10, 1-23

Abstract: Land, including soil resources, makes important contributions to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, there are challenges in identifying land/soil measurable information (e.g., indicators, metrics, etc.) to monitor the progress toward achieving these goals. This study examines the role of land/soil in selected SDGs (SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 13: Climate Action; SDG 15: Life on Land) and provides practical examples on how to use geospatial analysis to track relevant qualitative and quantitative land/soil data using the contiguous United States of America (USA) as a case study. The innovative aspect of this study leverages geospatial technologies to track the intersection of land use/land cover (LULC) change and soil resources to quantify development trends within the overall land cover matrix to evaluate if these trends are sustainable. Classified land cover data derived from satellite-based remote sensing were used to identify the extent of developed areas in 2016 and the change in development areas since 2011. Most land development through time in the USA has caused losses (area loss of nearly 355,600 km 2 , with projected midpoint losses of about 5.7 × 10 12 kg total soil carbon (TSC) and about $969B (where B = billion = 10 9 , USD) in social costs of carbon dioxide emissions, SC-CO 2 ). All ten soil orders present in the contiguous USA experienced losses from developments, which represents a loss for both biodiversity and soil diversity (pedodiversity). The contiguous USA experienced an increase in land/soil consumption between 2001 and 2016 at the expense of deciduous forest (−3.1%), evergreen forest (−3.0%), emergent herbaceous wetlands (−0.6%), and hay/pasture (−7.9%). These “new” land developments (24,292.2 km 2 ) caused a complete projected midpoint loss of 4.0 × 10 11 kg TSC, equivalent to $76.1B SC-CO 2 . States with the largest developed areas and the highest TSC losses with associated SC-CO 2 were Texas and Florida. The proposed methodology used in this study can be applied worldwide, at various spatial scales, to help monitor SDGs over time. With improved tools to monitor SDGs, progress on these SDGs may require linking the SDGs to existing or future international and national legal frameworks.

Keywords: carbon; CO 2; climate; costs; damage; greenhouse gas emissions; law (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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