MONALISA: Empowering communities and experts for sustainable soil
On Thursday, March 27, 2025, the MONALISA Community of Knowledge Core Group and the TERRASAFE Community of Practice came together for their first joint meeting, marking a key step in strengthening cooperation on land degradation and desertification (LDD) in Mediterranean and European contexts. This meeting provided a platform to connect experts, exchange knowledge, and define shared priorities for future collaboration.
In the opening presentations, both MONALISA and TERRASAFE projects were presented by their coordinators. Giovanna Seddaiu from University of Sassari, Italy, introduced the MONALISA project, outlining its framework for monitoring and addressing LDD. Jacob Keizer from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, emphasized a multi-actor approach, testing and certifying innovations in five pilot areas representing different desertification threats in TERRASAFE project. Both projects are developing digital tools and methodologies to monitor and assess desertification risks, with the goal of creating lasting impact through implementation and adoption beyond the project scope.
Community Structures & Objectives
Francesca Assennato (ISPRA) explained how both projects engage their communities through a multi-level structure, ensuring broad participation and impact, while Claudia Delfini (ISPRA) led an interactive survey to gather insights on participant expectations and key topics for knowledge groups and joint initiatives. This was followed by an open discussion to refine focus areas. Adriana Bruggeman (The Cyprus Institute) facilitated a survey to identify important conferences where the communities can share insights and promote joint research.
MONALISA’s biannual Café Talks were introduced as a space for knowledge-sharing, research presentations, and community discussions.
The Annual Open Call for Young Researchers was presented, offering emerging experts opportunities to contribute to LDD research.
Final Discussion & Next Steps
The meeting concluded with a discussion on future collaborations, activities, and opportunities for deeper engagement.
This first joint meeting set the foundation for ongoing collaboration between the two communities.
Key next steps include:
- Organizing joint conference sessions and thematic events
- Developing research proposals and policy briefs to inform decision-making
- Facilitating working groups to drive knowledge-sharing and innovation
- Engaging young researchers in land restoration and desertification solutions
