New e-learning course: “Using land-cover information to monitor progress on Sustainable Development Goal 15”

On the International Day of Forests, 21 March 2024, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) launched a new e-learning course developed in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with support from the Group on Earth Observations Land Degradation Neutrality Flagship (GEO-LDN), and the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ).

The course focuses on remote sensing and data use in support of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15, specifically Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).

“This course introduces the basic concepts related to land cover information, with a focus on its application in reporting on Sustainable Development Goal 15, illustrated by two key indicators: 15.3.1 (share of degraded land in total land area) and 15.4.2 (including the mountain green cover index and share of degraded mountain land)," explained Xavier de Lamo, FAO Forestry Officer. “Designed primarily for government technical officers, the course is also a valuable resource for anyone interested in using land cover data in environmental monitoring".

The course highlights the central role of land cover data in achieving LDN and meeting global environmental commitments.

“Parties to the UNCCD are calling for improvements in land cover monitoring, both to track land restoration and degradation, in order to make progress towards achieving Land Degradation Neutrality. This course will be a huge stride in helping reporting officers understand and use land cover information to achieve this goal.”, said Dr. Brian O’Connor, Geospatial Information Officer, Science, Technology and Innovation Unit – UNCCD.

The course is self-paced, and can be taken at any time. It consists of 5 lessons, of approximately 35 minutes each.

Please register for the course here: elearning.fao.org/course/view.php?id=1098