The first Online Support Session was officially launched on 19 March 2024. This new format builds on the momentum of the successful Global Dialogue Forum (GDF) 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa, where 14 intersectoral country teams presented their use cases and developed roadmaps for advancing their Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets in 2024.
The participating countries were Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Belize, Brazil, Bosnia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mongolia, Iraq, Benin, Ethiopia, Colombia, Armenia, and Peru. Exchanging experiences on national challenges was considered highly valuable by all teams.
Objectives of the Online Support Sessions
The sessions aim to support partner countries in:
- Accessing and using geodata, tools, and algorithms for evidence-based decision-making to achieve or exceed LDN.
- Improving reporting and monitoring of SDG indicator 15.3.1 to UNCCD.
- Strengthening (sub)national implementation of LDN.
They also provide a channel for countries to give feedback on available geodata and tools, enabling the continuous improvement of the LDN Toolbox based on user needs. This increases the visibility of national efforts in using geospatial data for LDN and amplifies countries’ voices in the UNCCD reporting process.
A Platform for Exchange and Support
As one of several support formats offered by GEO-LDN, the Online Support Sessions allow country teams to share their progress and challenges in roadmap implementation. These can be addressed directly to a broad network of international LDN and geospatial experts for peer-to-peer and South-South exchange.
Countries also benefit from technical support through the GEO-LDN Helpdesk, hosted at the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD).
The first session successfully brought the intersectoral teams together, reinvigorating their commitment to reaching LDN targets and the associated SDGs.
Next Steps
In the coming months, countries will reconnect in smaller, clustered sessions to receive more detailed support and discuss specific issues related to their individual use cases.
For more information on GEO-LDN support formats, contact us at info@geo-ldn.org.
