Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands Riccardo Biancalani FAO LADA Team Mendoza, 26 January 2009

Main objectives of LADA To develop tools and methods to assess the magnitude and rate of land degradation and its impact on ecosystems To carry out a global assessment of land degradation and more detailed assessments in six pilot countries To build assessment and monitoring capacities at national, regional and global scales to enable the design of appropriate mitigation interventions and sustainable land management practices

OUTLINE New insights : Land Degradation Global Level National Level Local Level Indicators Capacity Building Communication and Networking

Main Concepts Holistic(considers different aspects: ecological, social, economic) Multiscale (global, national, local) Time related(distinguishes degradation from badlands) User oriented (considers people’s needs and points of view)

Land Degradation = The loss of ecosystem functions, goods and services. Focus

Global Land Degradation Assessment the land use system (ecologic-economic) the use of trends as indicators the need for harmonized global datasets

National Land Degradation Assessments National LUS as the mapping unit (main driver) the LADA/WOCAT concept (LD linked with SWC/best practices) DPSIR

Kenya Land Cover Change Agricultural areas Agricultural field density

Local Land Degradation Assessment identifying the areas sampling the areas (LUS, transect....) AEZ/EEZ area characterization (DPSIR)

Global Level DONE! Global Land Use System version1.0 available on-line Global Land Degradation Assessment. Preliminary Results published including scientific article and press release. Other global indicators being investigated (with IIASA). Still To Do Refine the GLADA approach: what is measured and how can it help national and local assessments. Link GLADA results with national and local assessments and with the attributes of the global land use system.

National Level Done LADA/WOCAT QM questionnaire finalized text translated in Spanish, French and Chinese. LADA/WOCAT QM questionnaire tested in Argentina, China, Tunisia, South Africa and Senegal. National land use systems map produced in all countries National Land Cover Change Studies only completed in Senegal (and Kenya). LCC feasability studies made in Tunisia and China. Visits planned and agreed this year to South Africa. To do QM on line and off-line systems suffered considerable delays and had problems. QM viewer still on the design board. Comprehensive national assessment examples urgently needed (Tunisia done. Senegal, South Africa, China on-going). Acceleration of the National Land Cover Change studies required (South Africa, Argentina and Cuba to be visited before the end of the year).

Local Assessment DONE !! Three workshops held in which all countries participated. First version of the local assessment manual produced including partial or full translations in 4 languages. Training for trainers held in Argentina, China and South Africa. To do Finalize the LADA-local manual (ongoing). Create Database for storing results. Start Local Assessments in all countries. ONE CASE STUDY only! After this workshop finalize ALL local assessments.

Indicators Information and Monitoring System Done!! Proto-type Indicator System developed and tested in Tunisia Two workshops held (both in Tunisia) Website established. / To do National Expansion planned for the coming six months Web site to be expanded considerably building on LADA indicators and country information.’(LOA issued to NRD)

Capacity Building DONE! Several local, national and international LADA workshops held. Exchange of LADA country representatives e.g. Argentina sharing with Tunisia national assessment experiences. Training for trainers initiated (Argentina in May, China this month) National Best Practices Manual (WOCAT approach) produced in Argentina and China. To Do Establishing Regional Training Centers (2009) in each LADA country. Best practices manual to be done in Tunisia, Senegal, South Africa and Cuba.

Communication and Networking Done New LADA website gives news and data and has a forum Meetings and cooperation between countries on LADA (eg Tunisia/Argentina) and South Africa/Senegal in CSD-Land Good partnerships with WOCAT, DESIRE, DESURVEY, ISRIC, UNEP, UN-CCD and UN-U Many countries want to adopt the LADA approach and methodology 5 Central Asian countries joined last month (funded by ADB) SWALIM tested own LADA in Somalia and participated in the South Africa workshop and continues to contribute. A LADA workshop is planned for 6 Southeast Asia countries and Mongolia in April Organized by DLD Thailand. To do A newsletter ? Expand Web Forum? Generate more donor interest ! ! !

Thanks!