Global land degradation worsens, but targeted policies show promise in land improvement, study reveals. A comprehensive update of the Global Assessment of Land Degradation and Improvement (GLADA) study spanning four decades reveals that 28.5% of the Earth’s land area is degrading, driven by megafires, deforestation, and unsustainable farming. However, targeted sustainability policies have improved biological productivity on 26% of global land, offering hope for regions adopting proactive measures.