NbS4LD+ Launches Its First Interactive Workshop on Land Degradation

On 20 April 2026, the NbS4LD+ consortium successfully held its first Interactive Workshop online, bringing together trainers and representatives from all partner institutions. Organized by the General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion (GDCDE), the workshop marked the beginning of the project’s international training programme and focused on Land Degradation.

The workshop opened with an introduction to the training programme and welcomed both project partners and prospective trainers. Throughout the session, experts from the consortium delivered presentations covering the scientific foundations, monitoring methods, and sustainable management of land degradation.

Prof. Miraç Aydın (Kastamonu University) introduced the fundamental concepts of land degradation, explaining the relationships between land, soil, ecosystems, and ecosystem services while providing an overview of different forms of degradation.

The session on the drivers of land degradation was presented by Eda Akdemir, who examined the major factors contributing to land degradation, including unsustainable agricultural practices, overgrazing, deforestation, mining activities, urbanization, and climate change. This presentation was followed by Hakan Metehan Yarma (General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion), who discussed the environmental and socio-economic impacts of land degradation, highlighting its effects on ecosystem services, biodiversity, soil productivity, water resources, food security, and human well-being.

Assoc. Prof. Emre Aktürk presented modern approaches for the measurement and monitoring of land degradation, demonstrating the use of remote sensing technologies, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), vegetation indices such as NDVI and EVI, and field-based monitoring techniques for assessing land conditions.

The workshop concluded with a presentation by Dr. Ahmet Şenyaz, who introduced the principles of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). His presentation also covered the objectives of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and practical challenges related to policy implementation, institutional capacity, and stakeholder engagement.

The interactive discussions enabled partners to exchange experiences from their respective countries, evaluate methodological approaches, and coordinate preparations for the upcoming workshop series. The meeting concluded with the agreement to continue refining the training materials and to proceed with the next sessions according to the project training schedule.

Date: 20 April, 2026

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#NbS4LD #ErasmusPlus #NbS4LD #NatureBasedSolutions #GreenSkills #VET #LandDegradation #InteractiveWorkshops