LEDDRA Policy Conference

Research on Responses to Land Degradation and Desertification. Hotel Aquino, 17-18 March 2014, Berlin 

Land degradation is becoming a major concern in Europe and at the global level, negatively affecting soil productivity, the provision of ecosystem services, and people’s livelihoods. The most common land degradation problems include soil erosion, water stress, ecosystem fragmentation, biodiversity decline, and land desertification. Land degradation caused by unsustainable land use practices may be influenced by socio-economic factors, leading land users to make land management decisions which contribute to rather than alleviate desertification. Various types of actions are being taken to respond to land and ecosystem degradation and desertification (LEDD), seeking to address both land and ecosystem-related problems and a range of socio-economic concerns.The 2014 LEDDRA Policy Conference marks a milestone in the LEDDRA project research and also closes this research project. The primary aim of the Policy Conference is to present selected, policy-related, project findings and to discuss associated policy recommendations, as well as to develop new critical thinking to support future initiatives addressing LEDD.

The conference brings together LEDDRA researchers, policy makers from international, EU organisations, and Member States, as well as stakeholder groups and NGOs. The discussion and questions raised by the presentations and dialogue at the conference will contribute to the ongoing efforts to combat land degradation and desertification at the international, European, and national levels.

segnalato da Agostino Ferrara