Эксперты «Green CA» прошли обучение по оценке экосистемных услуг

The experts of "Green CA" underwent training on the assessment of ecosystem services

The training on "Deep Analysis of Land Degradation Economics: How to Assess Ecosystem Services for Better Recognition of Nature's Value in Land Management" continued the activities of the Central Asian expert network "Green CA" and served as another step towards enhancing the potential of the regional association.

The training was organized for specialists in natural capital, land management, and natural resource management as part of the global initiative "Economics of Land Degradation" (ELD), aimed at supporting the understanding of sustainable land resource management economics.

The main goal of the training was to familiarize the experts of the "Green CA" network with the mechanisms and tools for assessing nature and its ecosystem services, providing know-how on conducting cost-benefit analysis accompanying the land degradation process. As voiced, currently, 52% of agricultural lands worldwide are moderately or severely affected by soil degradation, leading to the loss of ecosystem services crucial for human livelihoods. In this regard, the theoretical part of the seminar emphasized the participants' attention on methods and recommendations for assessing agricultural, pasture, and forest land through expert analysis. Practical sessions were structured in a group work format, during which participants discussed and proposed various scenarios and tools for research contexts.

During the discussions, experts shared information on the causes of land degradation in their countries and their experiences in combating resource deterioration. Representatives of "СAMР Alatoo" shared their practice of fencing off specific pasture areas from grazing and implementing rotational grazing methods. As a result of these measures, grass cover is restored in pastures, and the natural growth of shrubs and trees is renewed.

Another crucial aspect of the training aimed to understand how assessment results can be used for land planning. The ELD initiative is focused on identifying all underestimated benefits of land and above-ground ecosystem services, often overlooked in management and policy decisions.

The event was organized by the regional program "Integrated Land Management Considering Climate Change in Central Asia" (implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GIZ) with the support of the "Economics of Land Degradation" (ELD) initiative and the "Green CA" network.