DSD organizes the 1st UNCCD Scientific Conference

22-24 September 2009, Buenos Aires, Argentina

More than 200 scientists, members of national delegations, international agencies and organisations, and CSOs attended the 1st Scientific Conference entitled "Biophysical and socio-economic monitoring and assessment of desertification and land degradation, to support decision-making in land and water management" which took place at the COP-9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina (21 September - 2 October 2009).

The Opening Session on 22 September comprised keynote speeches by Dr. Mahmoud Solh, Director General of ICARDA, and Dr. Elena Abraham, Director of the IADIZA. On the following days, each Working Group led a session to present the main findings and recommendations which emerged from the White Papers.

The Working Group 3 Session was co-organised by UNU-INWEH and DesertNet International, and focused on Knowledge Management, Institutions and Economics in the context of Monitoring and Assessment of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought. The session was chaired by Martin Bwalya, NEPAD and discussion was facilitated by Bertus Kruger of the Namibian Agricultural Union. Presentations were given by:

• Mary Seely, Associate of DRFN on "Vertical and Horizontal Knowledge Management: Implications at the Local, National, Regional and Global Levels"
• Mark Reed, University of Aberdeen and DESIRE project on "Knowledge Management for Monitoring and Assessment of Desertification, Land Degradation, Drought and Sustainable Land Management" (download PDF, 3.5 MB)
• Pamela Chasek, IISD and Manhattan College on "Monitoring and Assessment: Challenges at the National and International Levels" (download PDF, 600 KB)
• Stefan Sperlich, University of Göttingen on "Economic Aspects and Social Drivers" (download PDF, 440 KB)

Overall, the 1st Scientific Conference was seen as a success and an historic event. At various plenary discussions of the Conference and the CST, the importance of science to combat desertification and promote sustainable land management was repeatedly stressed.

When considering the impacts of the Scientific Conference on the Convention's process, intense negotiations led to several important decisions related to the Scientific Conference:

• The CST Bureau has been requested to review the outcomes of the 1st Scientific Conference together with the Parties and Regional Groups; in the meantime, the scientists involved are encouraged to publish their findings (Decision ICCD/COP(9)/L.37
• The next Scientific Conference will take place at a special session of the CST in 2012 with the theme of "Economic assessment of desertification, SLM and resilience" (Decision ICCD/COP(9)/L.27
• In line with the 1st Scientific Conference Recommendations, the CST is requested to conduct an assessment on how to organise international, interdisciplinary advice and how to channel it through to the Convention's process (Decision ICCD/COP(9)/L.38

A compendium of decisions adopted at the COP-9 can be found on the UNCCD website.

For further information on the DSD, please visit www.drylandscience.org.

Last updated: 5 March 2010