UNDESERT (understanding and combating desertification to mitigate its impact on ecosystem services)

 

Undesert-EU factsheets.

Undesert-EU main results and recommendations

UNDESERT aims at combating desertification and land degradation in West Africa in order to mitigate their impacts on ecosystem services and, consequently, on human livelihoods. By integrating regional information with sound field data on biodiversity and soil as well as socioeconomic and climate data, we aim to create improved understanding of the effects of desertification and degradation processes in West Africa on a local and regional scale. On this basis results have been presented to natural resource managers, politicians and organizations and decision support models and tools have been developed. UNDESERT also includes two very practical aspects, 1) restoration through tree planting, which is certified for carbon dioxide marketing as the first restoration site in West Africa and 2) management together with local communities. UNDESERT activities were implemented by employing 17 PhD students, who received training to enhance future capacities to manage risks and uncertainties in the frame of future demographic and climatic changes. The scientific results have been and will hopefully be used further to combat desertification and degradation directly in the field and in national and international programs in order to contribute to the implementation of relevant international strategies. The EU funded project (EU FP7 no. 243906) was conducted from 2010-2015 with partners from Denmark, Niger, Senegal, Germany, Burkina Faso, Benin and Scotland, U.K.

 

 


Undesert-EU main results and recommendations

 

 


 

Undesert

works to create an improved understanding of the effects of desertification and degradation processes in West Africa and to develop and implement best practices, such as carbon forestry, in close collaboration between scientists and local communities.

Financed by EU-FP7.