The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), a WOCAT Consortium Partner, held a training on the WOCAT tools and methods in Colombia this August. Representatives of the Rural Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA), the Rural Development Agency (ADR), the Institute of Geography Agustín Codazzi (IGAC), the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS) and the University of Applied Sciences and Environment  (UDCA) participated in the training.

UNEP has published an article on the aim of the GEF funded Carbon Benefits Project (CBP). This project is working on combining knowledge on carbon sequestration with already existing WOCAT tools and methods.

In Thailand, the Thai Land Development Department (LDD), FAO and WOCAT are working together in the framework of the DS-SLM project to scale up SLM practices in 4 land degradation affected regions. Thirty five national and regional LDD officers participated in the WOCAT training workshop in Bangkok and around 30 participants joined the two day field work in Chachoengsao Province. The WOCAT standardized Questionnaires and Database were translated into Thai language.

The Observatorio Nacional de la Degradación de Tierras y Desertificación (ONDTyD) and the Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas (IADIZA-CONICET) organize the first conference on integrated evaluation of desertification: approaches and socio-environmental methodologies, on 25-26  September 2018 in Mendoza, Argentina.

WOCAT partner Uganda Landcare Network exhibits at the National Agricultural Show 2018 of the Uganda National Farmers Federation and shows how to scale Sustainable Land Management practices. CDE - Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

In Cambodia, the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA), partner of WOCAT in the IFAD-funded project ‘Scaling-up SLM with smallholder farmers’, held its yearly National Expert Group meeting attended by UNCCD focal point Dr. Meas Pyseth, RUA Vice Rector Dr. Sok Kunthy, Deputy Director of CARDI Dr. Seng Vang and the Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Dr. Mao Minea. They discussed the project’s contribution to address land degradation issues and promote SLM practices among stakeholders and farmers in Cambodia thereby contributing to achieving land degradation neutrality.

Mr. Jalal Uddin from the Bangladesh Conservation Approaches and Technologies (BANCAT) developed a new manual for the GEF project ‘Establishing National Land Use and Land Degradation Profile Towards Mainstreaming SLM practices in sectors Policies (ENALULDEP/SLM)’ to support project participants to document and implement SLM Technologies and Approaches in hot spots all over the country, contributing to achieving SDG 15 life on land.

The side event by the Swiss NGO DRR Platform and partners will explore different components for the successful implementation of Nature-based Solutions for Water, based on case studies from the joint publication with WOCAT on good practices in Disaster Risk Reduction https://www.wocat.net/library/media/122/

Every two-three years, ILC organises the Global Land Forum (GLF). This unique event brings together ILC members and other stakeholders from grassroots organisations, activists, local and international NGOs, and researchers, to multilateral organisations and government agencies from around the world to advance understanding of the complex and dynamic political, economic, environmental and social linkages between land governance, food security, poverty and democracy.

The GIZ programme 'Soil protection and rehabilitation for food security', in collaboration with University of Leeds and ICRISAT has developed the new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) 'Land Matters! Integrating soil degradation concerns and solutions into policy processes'. 

The UN focuses on “nature-based solutions” as the theme for the 2018 World Water Day and World Water Development Report. The aim of this week is to align the present 2018 Thematic Scope with this, and to go further to explore the wider water, ecosystems and human development agenda.

Training Workshop on WOCAT SLM Technologies and Approaches Questionnaires and Database, 6-9 August 2017, Bangkok, Thailand organized within the framework of the GEF/DS-SLM project together with FAO, WOCAT and the Land Development Department Thailand.

Training workshop on participatory co-management of natural resources organized within the framework of the FAO project on Participatory and integrated watershed management project for erosion control (GCP/MOR/050/SWI). CDE, University of Bern, and the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (HAFL) held the workshop with a strong focus on participatory rangeland management. The project has documented 11 SLM Technologies and 4 SLM Approaches.