Abstract:
This article offers a synoptic overview of land use, land cover, and ensuing changes in them in the wake of drivers and anthropogenic changes in global biosphere. Also, it discusses the effects of such changes on global greenhouse gases, causing climate change and affecting biodiversity. This is also associated with factors leading to land acquisition, its distribution, management and preservation as that affects access to food and nutritional values for inclusive development. Given the preponderant role ascribed to climate change, land-use, food security, and human development in the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals, scientific research from a multidisciplinary perspective is needed for informed debate on growth, poverty, and the environment nexus. In particular, the current focus of Sustainable Development Goals with 17 goals and 169 targets adds new dimensions into it. This article offers a holistic view covering commonalities and differences of MDGs vis-à-vis SDGs. Also, the aspect of circular economy is discussed to throw new lights. A conceptual framework for analytical modeling to study the myriads of interlinkages is sketched.
