by Linda Straker
- Workshop in collaboration with Global Soil Partnership, Food and Agriculture Organisation and Global Environment Facility
- Regional training supports Caribbean nations in advancing Land Degradation Neutrality Targets
Scientists, land use officers, lab technicians as well as several others who work directly or indirectly in soil organic carbon sequestration will gather in Grenada this mid-February.
Several regional experts and stakeholders are scheduled to gather in Grenada for a one-week workshop where they will increase their knowledge and, at the same time, be provided with the tools needed to better understand and model soil organic carbon sequestration, a critical component in addressing land degradation.
A news release from the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM) office said the participants are expected to explore and compare carbon gaps, correlate them to their country’s potential and strengthen their awareness of the recommended management strategies. “Participants will also receive hands-on training on using tools, software and methods to calculate carbon stocks considering factors such as land use and soil types and generate maps showing carbon sequestration for each project country.”
Trevor Thompson, Project Manager for the Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) multicountry soil management initiative for Integrated Landscape Restoration and climate-resilient food systems (CSIDS SOILCARE), said this training is a key component of ongoing effort to support Caribbean nations in advancing their Land Degradation Neutrality Targets.
The release quotes him as saying, “We hope that this training will equip regional practitioners with essential knowledge and practical skills relating to soil carbon and be able to make the connection as they look to effectively manage their resources — particularly it will help them to report to the UNCCD Convention on meeting their 2030 targets on carbon sequestration. It will also support Climate Change action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions using soils.”
The training will be facilitated by Isabel Luotto, expert in Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration modelling of the Global Soil Partnership. She will share her expertise and help participants develop their own national SOC Sequestration maps, using data made available from the national soil sampling surveys which were undertaken under the SOILCARE Project.
It will help them provide recommendations for consideration when making decisions relating to land use and soil type. The participants in the training will learn how to calculate the increases in SOC stocks that can be achieved under 4 different management scenarios, including projections under business-as-usual and under 3 different sustainable soil management strategies.
This regional training will run from 11–15 February 2025 at the Grenada Radisson Hotel. It is held in collaboration with the Global Soil Partnership through support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
