Fourth Working Session of the International Network of Soil Information Institutions (INSII) 6-8 November 2018 | FAO HQ – German Room, Rome, Italy

1. Global Symposium on
Soil Erosion
Lucrezia Caon

2. “Soil erosion is defined as the removal
of soil from the land surface through
three major pathways: tillage, water
and wind.
Water erosion occurs mainly when
overland flow transports soil particles
detached by drop impact or runoff, often
leading to clearly defined channels such
as rills or gullies.
Wind erosion occurs when dry, loose,
bare soil is subjected to strong winds and
soil particles are detached from the soil
surface and transported elsewhere.
Tillage erosion is the direct down-slope
movement of soil by tillage implements
and results in soil redistribution within a
field.”

3. FAO and ITPS, 2015

4. 6th GSP Plenary Assembly
11-13 June 2018, FAO HQ, Rome

5. 2.3.3 Proposals for further
global symposiums in 2019
and 2020
“The PA agreed with the
proposals to organize further
Global Symposiums …
Therefore, it was agreed to
organize the symposium on
“Soil Erosion” in 2019, on “Soil
Biodiversity” in 2020 and on
“Sustainable soil management
for nutrition‐sensitive
agriculture (soil fertility)” in
2021. …”

6. Global Symposium on Soil Erosion 2019
(GSOE19)
13-17 May 2019

7. Broad objectives
• A critical step toward implementing the VGSSM in
terms of minimizing the soil erosion risk.
• To bring science and policy together to review the
status and challenges of soil erosion control.
• Highlight and discuss the link between soil erosion
control and the achievement of the SDGs
concrete examples of effective and ineffective SSM practices, techniques,
instruments and mechanisms, which would ultimately expose challenges such
as scientific, technological and legislative gaps, will be provided

8. 1. Identify options to consolidate, generate and harmonize soil erosion
data and assessment tools for promoting their use in decision making at
all levels;
2. Review and discuss existing national and international policies,
agreements and frameworks addressing soil erosion prevention,
management and remediation in order to assess their effectiveness and
propose ways to improve them;
3. Critically reflect on the economics of soil erosion paying attention to
which SSM practices are cost effective and which others not and why,
investigating options for measures that do not give a short/medium
term financial benefit.
4. Advocate for an agenda for action to prevent, mitigate and monitor soil
erosion
Specific objectives

9. The symposia organized by the
GSP are action oriented!!
Symposia outputs are translated into
concreate actions to implement under the
framework of the Global Soil Partnership

10. Symposium’s outcomes should provide scientific
and policy evidence to support decisions and
actions to minimize soil erosion for increased food
security, ecosystem services, and promote the
restoration of eroded sites.

11. The Symposium output will
be an outcome document
highlighting the scientific
evidence on the status of
soil erosion, its impacts and
an agenda for action in the
framework of achieving the
SDGs.

12. The document will also
provide recommendations for
developing sound
environmental policies and
programmes to encourage the
use of sustainable soil erosion
control practices

13. Theme 1: Use of data and assessment
tools in soil erosion control
This Theme will discuss ways to consolidate soil erosion
data and assessment tools for the purpose of promoting
their use in decision making at all levels. The baseline for
developing a global soil erosion map will be discussed.

14. 1. Is there still a gap on available and reliable methods/models for
assessing/mapping soil erosion?
2. What soil erosion assessment data and decision-making tools for soil
erosion control are available and how can these be improved keeping
into consideration the issue of inconsistencies in methods and
uncertainties in results?
3. Is there a need for global assessment of soil erosion that can be the basis
for a monitoring system?
4. Are dedicated information such as maps and reports concretely used in
controlling soil erosion?
Theme 1: Use of data and assessment
tools in soil erosion control
Core questions:

15. Theme 1: Use of data and assessment
tools in soil erosion control
Follow-up actions:
- Development of a Global Soil Erosion map
- What else, please suggest?

16. Theme 2: Policy in action to address soil
erosion
This Theme aims to review and
discuss environmental policies with a
focus on soil erosion prevention,
management and remediation: what
is missing and what can be done to assist governments in
improving and/or developing their national policies? The
Theme will also look into lessons learnt and the contribution
that policy development and implementation could give to the
achievement of the SDGs.

17. Theme 2: Policy in action to address
soil erosion
3. Are the trans-national impacts of soil erosion taken into
consideration in national policy development?
4. To what degree can the control of soil erosion help achieve
the SDGs?
Core questions:
1. Is soil erosion still an issue impeding sustainable
development? If so, why?
2. Are government policies and programmes
effective in advancing the implementation of soil erosion control
practices by farmers and land managers? What limits the adoption
of these practices by farmers and land managers? What strategies
can be employed to improve adoption of these practices?

18. Follow-up actions:
- Development of an online platform for
national soil policy information sharing
- What else, please suggest?
Theme 2: Policy in action to address
soil erosion

19. Theme 3: The economics of soil erosion
control and restoration of eroded land
This Theme links to investment and,
more specifically, it aims at showing
which SSM practices paid back and
which others not and why.

20. Theme 3: The economics of soil erosion
control and restoration of eroded land
Core questions:
1. What are the associated costs of soil erosion for agriculture and development? What
are the direct costs in lost crop production, the indirect costs of greater input use, and
the off-site costs to the environment?
2. Are the costs of implementing soil erosion control practices offset by current and
future benefits of more or more profitable production?
3. What technologies and innovations exist to decrease the costs of implementing soil
erosion control practices compared to that of conventional soil management?
4. Could society compensate farmers for the public benefits (ecosystem services) from
the implementation of soil erosion control practices?

21. Follow-up actions:
- Writing of a booklet collecting successful and
unsuccessful case studies on the practice of
SSM
- What else, please suggest?
Theme 3: The economics of soil erosion
control and restoration of eroded land

22. 2.3.3 Proposals for further
global symposiums in 2019
and 2020
“…The PA appreciated the
involvement of other UN
organizations and panels in the
preparation of these
symposiums and
recommended the invitation
and involvement of other
bodies and stakeholder
institutions if suitable. ”

23. Organizers:
Proposed co-organizers:

24. Theme 1: Use of data and assessment
tools in soil erosion control
This Theme will discuss ways to consolidate soil erosion
data and assessment tools for the purpose of promoting
their use in decision making at all levels. The baseline for
developing a global soil erosion map will be discussed.

25. Points for reflection
• Remarks on the scope of the map
• Input data/Data availability
• Capacity

26. Process and timeline
Action/Products Deadline
Obtain the mandate to produce the
map by the GSP Plenary Assembly
Obtained in June 2018
Concept Note
- Writing
- Reviewing/finalization
November 2018
December 2018
GSP & Pillar 4 WG
ITPS & INSII
Guidelines/Technical Specifications
- Development
- Review/finalization
February 2019
March 2019
GSP & Pillar 4 WG
ITPS & INSII
Appointment of national experts ASAP after March 2019 National focal points
Capacity development (technical
documents, online support,
regional/national workshops)
From April 2019 until
delivery
GSP
Data collection and QC/QA From August to
November 2019
GSP
Endorsement of the GSOEMap October 2019 ITPS
Launch of the Global Soil Erosion
Map
5 December 2019 GSP

27. Thanks for your
attention and
contribution