United for LDN: GEO-LDN Flagship seeks to empower collaborative efforts at NewLife4Drylands Conference

The NewLife4Drylands Final Conference took place between May 14 and 16. The three-day conference started with introducing the NewLife4Drylands approach and challenges and extended to cover a wide range of topics about land degradation, desertification, soil monitoring and resilience as well as the European research perspectives on these topics. Relevant experiences, new initiatives and main results of the project were subsequently presented. The conference ended with a field visit to Palo Laziale.

GEO-LDN was invited to give a virtual input in the first session on “Land Degradation and Desertification, the International Framework”. Antje Hecheltjen, co-chair of the GEO-LDN Flagship took this opportunity to introduce the Flagship and elaborate on the potential for cross-network collaboration. In terms of content and mission, both GEO-LDN and NewLife4Drylands show strong inter-linkages as both are working towards the same indicators and planning for LDN and land restoration.

In terms of knowledge and expertise exchange, GEO-LDN sees a major benefit in engaging the experts from the NewLife4Drylands network through, for example, their participation in the LDN Regional Helpdesk, lecturers for the international postgraduate programme on LDN or presenters in the GEO-LDN online seminar.

In return, the GEO-LDN Flagship can also share our experience in building intersectoral teams in countries for LDN-reporting and using Earth observations for integrated land use planning for future adaptation in the European context. In her final remark, Antje expressed her excitement for further exchange with experts, professionals and practitioners in LDN and soil restoration at the UNCCD COP, where the GEO-LDN Flagship will have a strong presence together with the GEO Secretariat.

View the complete programme to find out more about the conference.