Join WOCAT at the UNCCD COP14 from 2-13 September, New Delhi, India in one of the 7 side events, the presentation "A global overview on sand and dust storms" or the additional "Carbon Benefits Project (CBP)/WOCAT Training: Estimating theimpact of Land Management Projects on climate change mitigation"

This new publication will be launched at UNCCD COP14 in India, September 2019 (side event: ‘LDN -restoring balance in our natural and working landscapes’, 4th September from 13:00 to 15:00hrs).

The WOCAT Symposium and WOCAT Network Meeting 2019 that was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture of Ethiopia and jointly co-organized with CIAT Ethiopia, WLRC and WOCAT, was a success thanks to all participants, contributors and co-organizers. At the WOCAT Symposium participants shared their knowledge and discussed about up- and out-scaling SLM and achieving LDN. The following day participants visited the Jema watershed north of Addis Ababa to experience successful SLM implementation. At the WOCAT Network Meeting invited WOCAT experts jointly reflected on the achievements and experiences in applying WOCAT in different countries, institutions and projects, and on how the future of WOCAT should look like. More information will be shared soon here on the WOCAT website.

The side event focused on Transitions of shifting cultivation in South and South-East Asia - Challenges and opportunities to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN). Policy-makers, development practitioners and farmers shared their views on how shifting cultivation can contribute to LDN and agreed on the need to establish a community of practise on the topic.

In joint collaboration with Conservation International, CONICET, Both ENDS, ISRIC, Sustainable Land Management Associates, CIAP and FAO, WOCAT has contributed to four different papers on Land Degradation Neutrality.The papers highlight the relevance of SLM for achieving LDN, the use of standardized global methods and tools and using their synergies for assessing and monitoring LDN, and the enabling conditions and environment to further the implementation of LDN.

The Carbon Benefit Project will carry out a range of enhancements to the CBP tools including enhancing mapping tools, developing a database of country specific factors, and linking to carbon markets. It will also link the CBP tools to WOCAT and LandPKS, to develop a fully comprehensive set of tools for SLM managers.

The new SLM collection created by NAFRI in Lao available both in Lao and English language serves as a tool for technical staff, extension workers, project implementers, SLM planners, famers and policy makers. It includes the mots relevant information on different SLM practices including details on their implementation, costs, ecological and socio-economic benefi ts and disadvantages. The collection of information and data on SLM Technologies serves evidence-based decision-making in SLM.