Fig. 7: Global estimated rates of soil loss by water erosion and global changes across modelled scenarios.

Panel a depicts spatial estimates of global soil loss (see Methods) divided into seven classes according to the European Soil Bureau classification. The colour gradient denotes the intensity of soil loss from low (green) to high (red) rates of soil loss. Grey areas are not covered by our model due to the lack of data. b Projected changes of soil loss on cropland as compared to 2015 aggregated to global (left) and regional values (right). Bars show overall soil-loss changes, while shaded dots only show soil-loss changes in historic cropland areas. Overall soil-loss change (black line) between 2015 and 2050 closely follows soil loss on cropland. GLO: Global; CAZ: Canada, Australia and New Zealand; CHA: China; EUR: European Union; IND: India; JPN: Japan; LAM: Latin America; MEA: Middle East and Northern Africa; NEU: non-EU member states; OAS: other Asia; REF: reforming countries; SSA: Sub-Saharan Africa; USA: United States. See Supplementary Fig. 5 and Supplementary Fig. 6 for values of absolute soil loss.