Unsustainable land management practices and a changing climate are causing the degradation and desertification of large areas of land. The reduction of the capacity of the land to maintain vegetation, produce food and sequester soil carbon is affecting the livelihoods and traditions of local communities. This session aims to contribute to the reversal of desertification through the exchange of knowledge and experiences on the assessment and mitigation of desertification. We welcome assessment studies that integrate multiple data types, such as satellite-derived data, ground-based monitoring and sampling, socio-economic surveys and narrative analysis, at different working scales. We are interested in methods for improving the analysis and mapping of Land Degradation Neutrality, in support of the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 15.3.1. At the same time, we encourage presentations from experimental studies on the development and testing of innovative technologies for combatting desertification in degraded land. We would like to hear from field investigations on Sustainable Land Management practices that aim to reverse past degradation via restoration and rehabilitation. This session would like to showcase success stories and recent advances, but also offers the floor to presentations and discussions of desertification innovations and approaches that failed or require new directions.
This session is supported by the international Communities of Knowledge and Practice on desertification assessment and innovations for sustainable land management, facilitated by the MONALISA and TERRASAFE projects, which you are welcome to join! MONALISA (GA: 101157867) and TERRASAFE (GA: 101157373) are co-funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme under the SOIL MISSION, UK Research and Innovation and SERI - Swiss Confederation.