On 24 August 2026, MONALISA was represented at UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, during the side event “From Observation to Action: Innovations, Challenges and Opportunities for Monitoring Land Degradation and Desertification.” The session took place in the COP17 Blue Zone and brought together experts and organisations working on land degradation monitoring, restoration and climate resilience.
Organised by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, the event explored how Earth observation technologies and innovative environmental monitoring systems can help detect environmental change, assess degradation risks and support more effective restoration efforts.
A central question guided the discussion: How can better data lead to better action against land degradation and desertification?
The programme highlighted the importance of connecting new monitoring technologies with field-based experience and local knowledge. Moving beyond measurement alone, these approaches can provide practical information for decision-making, resilience building and climate action, helping translate observations into targeted interventions for healthier soils and ecosystems.
Presenting the MONALISA approach
During the side event, Anna Luise from ISPRA, Italy’s Science and Technology Correspondent to UNCCD, presented “MONALISA project: a framework for assessing and monitoring desertification risk across Europe.”
The presentation introduced approaches currently being developed within MONALISA WP3 and WP4, highlighting the project’s work on observing, assessing and monitoring land degradation and desertification processes.
The event also provided an opportunity to introduce the MONALISA Community of Knowledge, inviting participants to become part of the project’s wider network for exchanging knowledge, experience and practices related to land degradation, desertification and sustainable land management.
The session brought together policymakers and decision-makers, representatives of national and international organisations, environmental and biodiversity stakeholders, and members of the scientific and academic community.
Connecting monitoring, knowledge and action
MONALISA was presented alongside experiences addressing satellite-based monitoring in the Sahel, soil restoration and climate resilience, and the integration of local knowledge into land degradation monitoring. The programme included contributions from the UNCCD, the World Food Programme, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Participation in UNCCD COP17 offered MONALISA an opportunity to share its developing approaches within an international policy and scientific forum and to connect with organisations working towards better monitoring, restoration and sustainable management of degraded land.
Join the MONALISA Community of Knowledge:
https://monalisa4land.eu/community/
