Agenda Item 2: Items resulting from the work programme of the Science-Policy Interface for the biennium 2018–2019 14th Session of the Committee on Science and Technology New Delhi, India 3 September 2019

1. 1
Refined guidance for implementation of land
degradation neutrality, under objective 1
(ICCD/COP(14)/CST/2)
Agenda Item 2: Items resulting from the work programme of
the Science-Policy Interface for the biennium 2018–2019
14th Session of the CommiOee on Science and Technology
New Delhi, India
3 September 2019

2. Provide advice on the design and implementa3on of LDN-
related policies and ini2a2ves that bring about mul2ple
environmental and development benefits and synergies
with other Rio conven3ons, in par3cular for climate change
adapta3on and mi3ga3on ac3ons.
Background – Policy context
SPI addressed soil organic carbon, as a pivotal
factor contributing to multiple environmental
and development benefits
with the biggest gaps in measuring and
monitoring

3. SPI sub-objective 1.1
• Soil organic carbon gives life to soil

4. SPI sub-objective 1.1
• Soil organic carbon gives life to soil
• Soil organic carbon (SOC) is pivotal to multifunctional benefits
from sustainable land management (SLM)

5. SPI sub-objec-ve 1.1
• Soil organic carbon gives life to soil
• Soil organic carbon (SOC) is pivotal to
mul-func-onal benefits from
sustainable land management (SLM)

6. SPI sub-objective 1.1
• Soil organic carbon gives life to soil
• Soil organic carbon (SOC) is pivotal to
multifunctional benefits from
sustainable land management (SLM)

7. SPI sub-objective 1.1
• Soil organic carbon gives life to soil
• Soil organic carbon (SOC) is pivotal to
multifunctional benefits from
sustainable land management (SLM)

8. SPI sub-objective 1.1
• Soil organic carbon gives life to soil
• Soil organic carbon (SOC) is pivotal to
multifunctional benefits from
sustainable land management (SLM)

9. SPI sub-objec-ve 1.1
• Soil organic carbon gives life to soil
• Soil organic carbon (SOC) is pivotal to
mul-func-onal benefits from
sustainable land management (SLM)

10. SPI sub-objective 1.1
• Soil organic carbon gives life to soil
• Soil organic carbon (SOC) is pivotal to
multifunctional benefits from
sustainable land management (SLM)
è Can be achieved through (SLM)
if the management works on the
land where it is used

11. SPI sub-objective 1.1
• Soil organic carbon gives life to soil
• Soil organic carbon (SOC) is pivotal to
multifunctional benefits from
sustainable land management (SLM)
the right thing at the right place
è Can be achieved through (SLM)
if the management works on the
land where it is used

12. SPI sub-objec-ve 1.1
Doing the right thing at the right place requires good
information
• What SLM practice is feasible and appropriate?
• What SLM will maximize increases or avoid loss in SOC?
• What SLM will maximize multiple benefits?

13. SPI sub-objective 1.1
Doing the right thing at the right place requires good
information
• What SLM practice is feasible and appropriate?
• What SLM will maximize increases or avoid loss in SOC?
• What SLM will maximize multiple benefits?
The technical report addressed
• Where SOC is a priority indicator for LDN
• and the above quesCons

14. Assessment approach – Pathway
External reviewers: Herintsitohaina Razakamanarivo, Nopmanee Suvannang,
Hamid Čustović, Fernando Garcia Préchac, Joris de Vente, David Lobb, MarEal
Bernoux
Internal reviewers: Barron Joseph Orr, Mariam Akhtar-Schuster, Omer Muhammad
Raja, Johns Muleso Kharika, Jonathan Davies, Corinna Voigt, Erkan Guler, Eduardo
Mansur, Thomas Hamond, Maarten Kappelle
Contribu<ng authors: AnneQe Cowie, Eleanor Campbell, Paul Vlek, RaQan Lal,
Marijana Kapović-Solomun, Graham Paul von MalEtz, German Kust, Nichole Barger,
Ronald Vargas, Stefanie Gastrow
Lead authors: Jean-Luc Chotte and Ermias Aynekulu

15. • Background paper by expert consultants
– Survey of literature for SLM impacts on SOC
– Survey of literature to target investments in SOC management and monitoring
– Resource cards on seven global-scale SOC assessment tools
• assessment of current capacity for LDN assessments
• Interview with 9 software specialists
• Technical report developed using a background paper
• The technical report underwent an international, independent review,
which included domain-knowledge experts from each region, selected by
the co-chairs of the SPI
• A summary of the technical report was provided by the Chair of the CST and
reviewed by the Bureau of the COP
Assessment approach

16. • Managing land to increase or avoid SOC loss requires good
informa7on
• Technical report aims to provide guidance to assist countries in:
Assessment approach
Best use of exis+ng informa+on
to iden+fy suitable SLM prac+ces and
approaches for maintaining or
enhancing SOC stocks
Iden+fying gaps in informa+on
that are necessary and valuable to fill
to support management of SOC for
LDN
Filling gaps in informa+on
through SOC measurement and
monitoring

17. Assessment results
• SOC is lost faster than it can be added or regained.
• SLM can be used to avoid these detrimental ac5ons as well as counter or
compensate for their effect.
• Change in SOC stocks is far more challenging to manage and monitor on a large
scale than the other two indicators of LDN – land cover change and land
produc5vity dynamics –
– because it is not readily quan5fied by remote sensing.
• To establish the rela5onship between SOC and SLM, the net rate of SOC storage
for site-specific SLM needs to be determined.
– This can be done through the monitoring of effects of SLM on SOC stocks in long-term
benchmark sites.

18. Decision tree 1 (pg 31) provides overall guidance, supported by decision trees 2 - 5
“guidance on where investment in
soil organic carbon (SOC)
assessment and monitoring are
recommended to track the impact
of sustainable land management
(SLM) implementation and to
support monitoring of LDN
achievement in terms of SOC
change in 2030.”
Assessment results – Decision trees

19. Best use of exis+ng informa+on
to iden+fy suitable SLM prac+ces and
approaches for maintaining or
enhancing SOC stocks
Iden+fying gaps in informa+on
that are necessary and valuable to fill
to support management of SOC for
LDN
Filling gaps in informa+on
through SOC measurement and
monitoring
Assessment results – Decision trees
Together, the decision trees provide guidance on:

20. Best use of existing information
to identify suitable SLM practices
and approaches for maintaining or
enhancing SOC stocks
Identifying gaps in information
that are necessary and valuable to fill
to support management of SOC for
LDN
Filling gaps in information
through SOC measurement and
monitoring
Assessment results – Decision trees
Together, the decision trees provide guidance on:
Decision tree 3 (pg 55-56)
Decision tree 1 (pg 31)
Decision tree 3 (pg 55-56)
Decision tree 4 (pg 67)
Decision tree 2 (pg 46)
Decision tree 5 (pg 81)

21. From technical reports to official document CST2
ICCD/COP(14)/CST/2https://knowledge.unccd.int/publication/realising-
carbon-benefits-sustainable-land-management-
practices-guidelines-estimation
https://knowledge.unccd.int/sites/defa
ult/files/2019-
08/UNCCD_SPI_2019_PB_1-
1_WEB.pdf
SPI sub-objective 1.1

22. SPI sub-objective 1.1
Based on the science-based assessments, recommendations by
Secretariat are proposed for your consideration
From technical reports to official document CST2

23. 1. Encourages Par/es to:
• employ SLM technologies and approaches that are designed to maintain or
increase SOC with the aim of achieving mul/ple benefits;
• use SOC as in indicator to monitor sustainable land management-based land
degrada=on neutrality interven=ons to support the achievement of land
degrada=on neutrality;
• align SOC stock monitoring to na=onal land degrada=on neutrality monitoring;
and
• share the guidance for land managers at na=onal and subna=onal level
SPI sub-objec/ve 1.1

24. 2. Encourages Parties in collaboration with relevant technical and financial
partners to:
• strengthen national-level coordination and capacity for soil organic carbon
measurement and monitoring by
– strengthening capacities of technical institutions and human resources by providing
guidance on estimating and monitoring soil organic carbon for land-use planning, land
degradation neutrality monitoring and other applications;
– developing/reinforcing skills for designing soil sampling strategies and implementing
measurement and monitoring programmes;
– developing/enhancing processes for quality assurance, sample storage and data retention
to support the development of tools/models for soil organic carbon estimation;
Policy proposals

25. 3. Invite technical partners specializing in sustainable land management to:
• support investment decisions,
• focus interventions on zones at risk and support the selection of locally
appropriate sustainable land management technologies and approaches;
4. Invite relevant technical partners in SOC stock assessment to:
• develop/refine soil organic carbon estimation tools/models for application
in land degradation neutrality assessment on sites where detailed
measurements of soil organic carbon are not required;
Policy proposals

26. 5. Urges Parties and other stakeholders to:
• integrate gender-responsive actions to promote gender equality and female
empowerment through the gender-inclusive design of preliminary land
degradation neutrality assessments recommended by the scientific
conceptual framework for land degradation neutrality;
• develop gender-responsive land degradation neutrality interventions based
on women’s participation in decision-making for enabling inclusive land
governance;
• include gender dimensions in land-use planning and in the design of
interventions towards achieving land degradation neutrality
Policy proposals

27. Thank you!
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