Other meetings & events

In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Symposium on Soil Biodiversity (GSOBI21), "Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity" will be a science-policy meeting, fully virtual that will take place from 19-22 April 2021. Due to its new format and the time difference between the different regions of the world, adjustments have been made to the current agenda.  It is jointly organized by the UN FAO and its Global Soil Partnership (GSP), the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS), together with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative (GSBI) and the Science-Policy Interface of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (SPI UNCCD). The main objective will be to fill some critical knowledge gaps and promote discussion among policy makers, food producers, scientists, practitioners and other stakeholders on solutions to live in harmony with nature, and ultimately, achieve the SDGs through the conservation and sustainable use of soil biodiversity. More info and registration here.

The winner of the Group on Earth Observation Land Degradation Neutrality (GEO-LDN) Competition will be announced at the award ceremony on 19 March, following the nineteenth session of the UNCCD’s Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 19). The virtual ceremony will take place on the CRIC’s platform and broadcasted live in the UN Web TV Channel. The GEO-LDN Competition is an international technology innovation contest to design and build a tool that will support more transparent and well-informed land use decisions from the local to national level. The winning solution will be promoted by the GEO-LDN Initiative and the UNCCD for use by all countries committed to setting voluntary LDN targets. The winning team will receive financial and technical support estimated at USD 100,000 for the transformation of the prototype into an operational and scalable tool, and a two-year license to use Google Earth Engine (GEE) as part of their solution. More info here...

The Asia-Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN), developed and launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is an open network that strives to equip adaptation actors in the region with knowledge for designing and implementing adaptation measures, building capacity to access technologies and finance, and integrating climate change adaptation into policies, strategies, and plans towards building climate change resilient and sustainable human systems, ecosystems, and economies. APAN has established close partnerships with key sub-regional organizations and has become an important adaptation knowledge mobilizer in Asia and the Pacific region.  The Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum is the regional flagship event of the  APAN Network, and the primary platform for adaptation practitioners to meet, share their learnings and experiences and work together towards the pertinent outcomes and practical solutions that are needed to address the challenges of climate change. Since the first event in 2010, the APAN Forum has grown to become the venue for scientists, donors, youth, and representatives from over 50 countries to meet, converse, and work together for adaptation action partnerships. Learn more about the seventh the seventh Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum and register here.  

The three finalist teams of the GEO-LDN technology innovation Competition will be making a live demonstration of their tool-prototype, developed to support the integration of the Land Degradation Neutrality mechanism into land-use planning.  Based on these demonstrations and potential tool-user feedback, the Jury Panel will select the winner, to be announced in the Award Ceremony planned for March 19th. Don’t miss the tool-demos and let us know which one you prefer and would best suit your needs as a tool-user! The program will include: Brief introduction to the Competition  The live tool-demo rules  Live demonstration of the tools by competing teams, followed by discussion  General Q&A Wrap-up and next steps The webinar will be held in English, with simultaneous translation to French and Spanish. Register here.

Nowhere are the challenges of achieving sustainable development in the face of a changing climate more acute than in the Sahel. As the world prepares to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to secure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in the region. The first meeting of the Steering committee will seek to forge a positive, actionable agenda on the change of narrative, providing a supporting framework for all members. It will bring together a wide range of stakeholders from various sectors to discuss opportunities to galvanize solutions to the complexity of the political, socio-economic and security challenges across the Sahel, now compounded by the pandemic.