The United Nations General Assembly declared 2021 to 2030 as the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration with the goal to “prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide.” To address the barriers related to measuring the extent and impacts of degradation, which is defined as “the reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and complexity” of the land, better information is required at local-to-global scales. Remote sensing observations allow for large scale, consistent, and cost efficient measurements of biophysical attributes and as a result are well suited for monitoring degradation and studying the effectiveness of restoration efforts. This session explores the advances in the application of earth observations to characterize global land degradation and to promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. We welcome contributions that make methodological advances in monitoring degradation and application-based research that furthers our understanding of the types, trends, and consequences of land degradation.