February 2016: Consultations around a “zero draft” of proposed Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management, new global atlases on desertification and soil biodiversity, and a call for soil experts, are among recent initiatives aimed at supporting the implementation and monitoring of sustainable soil and land management in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) recently invited contributions towards a zero draft of new Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management (VGSSM). The draft guidelines were developed by the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) in response to a decision of the 153rd Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in December 2015. They aim to complement the principles and guidelines for sound sustainable soil management contained in the GSP’s World Soil Charter, by providing more detailed technical guidance for the sustainable management of soil resources. The draft VGSSM are modelled on the FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests, and aim to propel global efforts to establish a coherent strategy for soil protection under the framework of the SDGs.

The Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative (GSBI) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission have announced the forthcoming publication of a Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas (GSBA). Drawing on contributions from soil biodiversity experts from around the world, the Atlas contains a series of photos, maps, charts, statistics and shared information that can be used as a reference tool by scientists, educators, policy makers and non-specialists alike. The WAD is organized around eight chapters covering: the soil habitat; diversity of soil organisms; geographical and temporal distribution; ecosystem functions and services; threats; interventions; policy, education and outreach; and conclusions.

Due to be published in March 2016, the 3rd edition of the World Atlas of Desertification (WAD), titled ‘Mapping Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management Opportunities,’ combines long-term information from Earth observations with in situ observations in order to improve understanding of the site-specific impacts of changes in land use and observed land cover trends. Recognizing that individual maps cannot adequately portray the many facets of land degradation, WAD combines several datasets to identify major underlying biophysical and socioeconomic processes that result from or further exacerbate unsustainable land use and land degradation. The Atlas aims to provide decision makers, environmental managers and other stakeholders with reliable and understandable scientific information to enable them to address the complex challenges linked to land degradation.

To support governments and other stakeholders, the GSP has issued a call for experts to join their roster of soil consultants for short-term assignments. The roster is open to professionals with proven experience in, among others, sustainable soil management, soil conservation, soil restoration, soil biodiversity and soil contamination. [Online Consultation for Developing the VGSSM] [VGSSM Concept Note] [IISD RS Story on Revised World Soil Charter] [UN Convention to Combat Desertification Newsletter, February 2016] [Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas Announcement] [WAD Introductory Brochure] [GSP Roster of Soil Experts]