There is a widespread consensus that the pressing issues of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought (DLDD) are not yet properly included and addressed in today's political and private sector agendas on a global, national and local level and that it is therefore of vital importance to raise awareness of the effects - costs and benefits - that decisions related to land management and ecosystems have.
 

The UNCCD 2nd Scientific Conference therefore aims to gather a broad range of stakeholders - academics, policy makers, civil society actors and the private sector - to approach DLDD from an economic perspective.
 

The conference will provide guidance to governments and non-governmental actors alike, on why they should and how they can, together, reverse current DLDD trends, support affected countries and communities to improve their land management practices and increase resilience.

The conference will be held in Davos (CH) later than March 2012, but the exact date and venue are not available yet.

More info and CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: http://2sc.unccd.int/home/

The DESIRE project celebrates June 17th, the World Day to Combat Desertification, with the second version of their short documentary about the DESIRE project and what the project does and has done about fighting desertification.

The first version of the film shows what the global problem of desertification is all about and states what the EU-funded DESIRE project (2007-2012) will do about this global problem. Recently, a film crew visited some additional DESIRE field sites and shot footage about what this global project has accomplished. In this second version also project leader Prof. Coen Ritsema and reseracher Dr. Simone Verzandvoort comment on the feats of the project.



The movie can be viewed full-screen by clicking HERE.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) gives attention to the global desertification day on their website and emphasize once again the importance of this global issue, influencing the lives of many people around the globe. This years motto is: “Healthy Soil Sustains Your Life: LET’S GO LAND-DEGRADATION NEUTRAL”. “Essentially, all life depends upon the soil. There can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together”, American naturalist Charles Kellogg wrote in 1938. Fertile soil is indeed among the world’s most significant non-renewable and finite resources. It is a key element, which sustains life on the Earth and provides us with water, food, fodder and fuels.  
This is an important reminder for us that despite some progress, land degradation, desertification and drought are still our reality. We should not let them dry up our soil, the very foundation of the Future We Want. Therefore, let us go land-degradation neutral.

On a special UNCCD event during the RIO+20 meeting, currently going on in Rio, the price winner of the Land-for-Life award will be announced. In this contest,the DESIRE project is semi-finalist.
 

The 282 page DESIRE-WOCAT book called 'DESIRE for Greener Land', that has been written in the framework of the DESIRE project, has been delivered by the printer today!

'Desire for Greener Land' compiles options for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in drylands.

The book describes the DESIRE approach and WOCAT methodology for a range of audiences, from local agricultural advisors to scientists and policymakers. Links are provided to manuals and online materials,enabling application of the various tools and methods in similar projects.

The book also includes an analysis of the current context of degradation and SLM in the study sites, in addition to analysis of the SLM technologies and approaches trialled in the DESIRE project. Thirty SLM technologies, eight SLM approaches, and several degradation and SLM maps from all the DESIRE study sites are compiled in a concise and well-illustrated format, following the style of this volume’s forerunner where the land is greener (WOCAT 2007).

Finally, conclusions and policy points are presented for decision makers, the private sector, civil society, donors,and the research community. These are intended to support people’s efforts to invest wisely in the sustainable management of land – enabling greener drylands to become a reality,not just a desire.

Download the full DESIRE-WOCAT book PDF by clicking HERE (20Mb).

The book 'DESIRE for Greener Land' will be available from an online bookstore soon. Announcements will be made on this website.

All 26 DESIRE project partners will receive a set of book copies soon.