From 20 to 22 July 2026, MONALISA partners participated in the First International Conference on Land Degradation and Restoration, held at the Faculty of Geography and History of the Universitat de València in Valencia, Spain.
The international event brought together researchers and practitioners working across a wide range of topics related to land degradation, desertification, soil health, ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management. Its scientific programme combined plenary lectures, thematic sessions, oral presentations and poster discussions, creating opportunities to exchange methods, research findings and practical experience.
A strong MONALISA presence
MONALISA was represented by Audrey Lambiel, Mercedes Ibáñez, Mohamed Elarbi Brick, Fatima-Ezzahrae Imam, Vicenç Carabassa, Pasquale Borrelli and Daniela Smiraglia.
Through oral presentations, scientific posters and discussions with the wider research community, the partners shared work connected to several core areas of the MONALISA project, including:
- monitoring and assessment of land degradation and desertification;
- remote sensing and spatial analysis;
- land-cover and land-productivity dynamics;
- soil erosion and desertification susceptibility;
- soil carbon and agroforestry systems;
- restoration of degraded soils; and
- the connection between scientific evidence and policy.
The breadth of these contributions reflected MONALISA’s integrated approach to understanding land degradation and identifying effective, locally adapted prevention and restoration solutions.
Sharing knowledge across different scales
The conference provided MONALISA researchers with an opportunity to present approaches covering different spatial scales, from detailed assessments in individual case-study areas to wider European frameworks for monitoring land degradation and desertification.
Among the oral contributors, Fatima-Ezzahrae Imam (UNISS) presented work examining knowledge, experience and remaining gaps in European land degradation and desertification monitoring. Pasquale Borrelli (University of Basel) shared research related to soil erosion and approaches for assessing desertification susceptibility across Europe.
Other MONALISA contributions explored the use of Earth observation and land-cover data, organic amendments for soil restoration, soil carbon in Mediterranean agroforestry systems and methods for developing more harmonised and policy-relevant land-degradation assessments. The conference programme included dedicated sessions on remote sensing, digital soil mapping, nature-based solutions, soil restoration, erosion and sustainable land management.
Strengthening scientific exchange and collaboration
Participation in the conference enabled MONALISA partners to discuss their work with researchers from different countries and disciplines, receive feedback and learn from restoration experiences in a wide range of environmental contexts.
The event also provided space to identify shared research interests and possible synergies around monitoring methods, restoration assessment, soil-health indicators and the translation of scientific findings into practical and policy-oriented action.
By contributing to international exchanges such as this one, MONALISA continues to strengthen the scientific foundation of its work while supporting wider efforts to monitor, prevent and reverse land degradation in Europe and beyond.
