Training workshop on the SDG 15.3.1 indicator monitoring and a permanent mechanism establishment for monitoring and reporting on LDN

The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS), in partnership with the Seychelles’ Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and the Environment, is currently holding a face-to-face training workshop on the SDG 15.3.1 indicator monitoring and a permanent mechanism establishment for monitoring and reporting on Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), April 24-27, 2023 in Seychelles.

This action is actually the continuity of the ongoing technical support provided by the OSS in monitoring the area of degraded land compared to the total land area, performed under the framework of the UMBRELLA project in synergy with GMES&Africa. In fact, following the recommendations of the continental land degradation workshop held in Abidjan last October 2022 which urged that focus should be put on LD monitoring in African islands as well, the cross-fertilization between the GMES&Africa project and the UMBRELLA project conducted by the Land Department, allowed to undertake a detailed mapping of degraded land in Seychelles using higher spatial resolution datasets and the UNCCD guidelines.

This training workshop will make it possible to assess the LD mapping products developed for Seychelles that will be integrated in MISLAND-Africa, and to collect end-user feedback to support their validation. Furthermore, through the promotion of GMES&Africa in Seychelles, the event itself will contribute to increase the GMES&Africa visibility, promote its achievements, and strengthen the Joint Implementation Network (the network of African experts working on land degradation monitoring), through more active members from the islands, which will support MISLAND-Africa by giving a more accurate image of land degradation and restoration of the islands.