Land is the basis for life on Earth: lecture at TU Dresden

5 November 2019
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Dresden, Germany – The UNCCD Science-Policy Interface member Dr. Marijana Kapovic Solomun gave a lecture about the work of UNCCD and the concept of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) for the participants of the seventy-eighth UNEP/UNESCO/BMU International Short Course on Soil and Land Resources for Sustainable Development at the Centre for International Postgraduate Studies of Environmental Management of the Technical University of Dresden on 22 October 2019.

Decision makers, expert and practitioners from Malawi, Afghanistan, Serbia, Indonesia, Argentina, Nepal, China, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Lesotho, Lebanon, India, Sri Lanka, Bolivia, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Madagascar, Nigeria and Zimbabwe were introduced to the recent UNCCD initiatives including LDN Target Setting Programme and The Drought Initiative, together with the outcomes of the recent COP14. They have expressed high interest in the LDN and the reporting process, as well as collaboration with the UNCCD focal points in the implementation of UNCCD in their countries.

The course is focused on soil and land as the basis for supporting all terrestrial life on Earth. Considered in the timeframe of a human lifespan, soil is a non-renewable natural resource that needs to be protected to support future agricultural development, essential ecosystem functions and food security. The course addresses the main concepts of land resources and soil management and their importance for the provision of goods and services for people and ecosystems.