The course will address the new and latest scientific and technical advances in land restoration with the purpose of combating desertification. It will also pay close attention on how to effectively restore degraded drylands, from project planning to the implementation and monitoring phases. Finally, the course will also introduce available tools to monitor desertification processes in the Mediterranean. Although many of the contents are of worldwide interest, the course will focus on the conditions in the Mediterranean region and will introduce participants to relevant high profile international initiatives and give them some practical work to get familiar with state-of-the-art tools.

At the end of the course participants will have learned: innovative approaches to restore degraded drylands and to monitor desertification processes; have criteria to select the most appropriate measures to restore degraded drylands, being aware of their constraints; gain experience in the practical design and implementation of participative approaches for the restoration of degraded drylands, improve skills to design monitoring programs to evaluate the success of restoration actions; and finally, exchange their own experience with scientists and practitioners of different disciplines involved in the restoration of degraded drylandsand the  monitoring of desertification processes.

The course will be held over a period of 1 week, from 5 to 10 February 2018, in morning and afternoon sessions. It is designed for 25 participants with a university degree and is aimed at professionals from public and private organizations working in topics related with the management of degraded dryland areas, who are interested in applying the most advanced knowledge to restore them and to monitor desertification processes and restoration actions.

Interested?

Candidates must apply online at the following address: http://www.admission.iamz.ciheam.org/en/ Applications must include the curriculum vitae and copy of the supporting documents most related to the subject of the course. The deadline for the submission of applications is 24 November 2017.

Applications from those candidates requiring authorization to attend the course, may be accepted provisionally. Registration fees for the course amount to 500 euro. This sum covers tuition fees only.

Candidates from Mediterranean countries and from ICARDA MENA partners may apply for scholarships covering registration fees, and for scholarships covering the cost of travel and full board accommodation in the Hall of Residence on the Aula Dei Campus.

For further information: Marcos Valderrábano