Sand and Dust Storms Day

Tentative agenda

8:00-12:30
Sharing knowledge on SDS management
Chair: Ziadat Feras (SDS Coalition)
Opening remarks: Lifeng Li, FAO
Introduction of UN Coalition Members

• Adaptation and Mitigation
  • Economic assessment of SDS in Mongolia (CPR Mongolia) (video)
  • Good Practices for SDS source and impact mitigation (Akmal Akramkhanov, ICARDA, Stefan Strohmeier, BOKU, Mira Haddad, ICARDA/BOKU)
  • UNCCD SDS toolbox (Jeroen Van Dalen, UNCCD - Tatenda Lemann, WOCAT)
  • Towards Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality, a case of Botswana land restoration projects (Baitshepi Hill, Botswana)
  • Discussion (5 mins)


• Forecasting and Early Warning
  • WMO SDS Warning and Advisory System (Alexander Baklanov, WMO)
  • SDS warning in Burkina Faso & W Africa (Ernest Werner, State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), Spain) (video)
  • Regional cooperation of SDS monitoring and forecasting in GCC region (Jumaan Saad Alqahtani, GCC Regional SDS Warning Center)
  • Discussion (5 mins)


• Coffee break (30 mins)


• Health and Safety
  • Health and Dust (tbc, WHO)
  • SDS and health impact in Central Asia [Title TBC] (Paola Agostini and Elena Golub Strukova, World Bank) (video)
  • Discussion (5 mins)


• Policy and Governance
  • National SDS plan of Nigeria (Mabel Emmanuel, Nigeria)
  • Natural resources governance and policy to address SDS impact in MENA region (Sandrine Jauffret, World Bank) (video)
  • Discussion (5 mins)


• Regional Collaboration
  • Regional SDS strategy for Central Asia (Henry Wyes, CAREC) + video to begin
  • Transboundary collaboration in Kuwait and Iraq (Ameera al Hassan, UN Habitat)
  • Sand and Dust Storms Risk Assessment in Asia and the Pacific: Findings and proposed Actions on reducing the risk (Letizia Rossano, ESCAP/ADPIM) (video)
  • Discussion (5 mins)

13:00-15:00
High level interactive dialogue
Moderator: Lukwesa Burak (BBC journalist)

• Opening remarks (Lifeng Li, Director Land and Water, FAO)
• Welcome remarks (Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary, UNCCD)
• Country statements (45 mins)
• International Responses (15 mins)
  • UNCCD SDS Compendium (Miriam Medel, UNCCD)
  • A concept note on Combating SDS to enhance food security and achieve land degradation neutrality + video to begin (Feras Ziadat/Nick Middleton, FAO)
• Panel discussion (35 mins)
  • UN Habitat
  • UNFCCC
  • NFPs
  • Civil Society Organizations
  • UNCCD GM
• Closing remarks (Lifeng Li, Director Land and Water, FAO)(5 mins)

15:15-18:00
Building Resilience: SDS training
Trainers: C. Kelly (Consultant, UNCCD), Nick Middleton (FAO), Alexander Baklanov (WMO)

• Welcome and Opening (15:15-15:30)
• The nature and impact on lives and society of SDS (15:30-15:55)
• Global to National SDS Forecast and Monitoring Systems (15:55-16:20)
• Break (16:20-16:30)  
• Early Warning for SDS (16:30-17:00)
• Reducing the Occurrence of SDS Events: Source Management and Land Degradation Neutrality-based Options (17:00-17:55)
• Summary and Closing (17:55-18:00)