Failing to mitigate soil erosion: a review

Sharing success stories in mitigating soil erosion is a common and effective strategy for promoting sustainable land management and fostering community engagement. These stories showcase interventions and bridge the gap between research and practice by illustrating real-world applications and inspiring broader adoption. However, while successes are celebrated and well-documented, failures often remain marginalized or hidden, despite their potential to drive critical reflection, innovation, and progress. This paper argues that embracing transparency about failures in addressing soil erosion is essential for advancing sustainable land management. Failures provide invaluable insights into the complexities and contextual challenges of soil degradation, highlighting the iterative nature of learning and the need for epistemological humility. By analysing failures alongside successes, we can refine strategies, avoid repeated mistakes, and strengthen efforts to mitigate soil erosion. The paper is structured in two parts. The first section explores key factors critical to understanding failures in soil erosion management, including (i) defining appropriate thresholds, (ii) undervaluing local populations and indigenous knowledge, (iii) neglecting scale, and (iv) overlooking processes. These discussions aim to unpack the nuanced challenges of failure, paving the way for more informed and adaptive approaches. The second section explore how failures are addressed from a systematic review of the scientific literature. Ultimately, this work underscores the importance of integrating lessons from both successes and failures to amplify the impact of investments in sustainable land management. By fostering a culture of transparency, we can build a more resilient and effective framework for addressing soil erosion in diverse contexts.

Keywords: Land degradation, Mitigation, Stakeholders, Soil Conservation