## 4.6. Resourcing the Science Assessment Body

Funding is a potentially overriding constraint, given the current state of the global economy, the resistance of donors to establishing new institutions and the fact that in 2009 a significant portion of resources that might be available for the UNCCD and other MEAs are being channelled towards climate change.

To put this in perspective, the total estimated budget requirements over the coming six years for the IPCC to prepare its fifth assessment report are approximately CHF 36 million, resulting in expected annual expenditures of approximately CHF 6 million. This is within the range of the expenditures during the fourth assessment period.<fnref n="5" />

The proposed budget for the IPBES for four years is US$ 18,435,000. The initial four-year period is intended to involve what could be termed a relatively "light touch". The aim is to prove the value of the platform to stakeholders, and the estimated costs are the minimum required to do this effectively. In all cases, estimated costs depend on the number of specific activities involved and the intensity of work in each activity. It is assumed that there will be two sub-global assessments at the national level in years one and three and one regional (transboundary) sub-global assessment in years two and four. National sub-global assessments are assumed to be 50% funded by national governments and 50% funded by IPBES. International sub-global assessments are assumed to be entirely funded by the platform.<fnref n="6" /> These figures could be reflective of a start-up process for a scientific body on land degradation and desertification.

Potential sources of funding include UN and related agencies (UNEP, UNDP, FAO, IFAD) and international financial institutions, including the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility and the regional development banks. International, regional and national scientific and non-governmental organizations, foundations and national governments may also be in a position to contribute.

## 4.7. Outlook for a Recommendation to Form a Scientific Assessment Body to Assist the UNCCD

This proposal for the establishment of a new scientific body to support the work of the UNCCD recognizes that there may not be universal support for its establishment.

Some may argue that such a scientific body could duplicate the work of existing regional projects. According to Bauer and Stringer (2008), a scientific body that could conduct assessments would have to evaluate the LADA project and other existing projects such as the EC-funded DESIRE to avoid overlaps and benefit from any lessons learned. LADA seeks to provide insights on the status and trends of the world's drylands and is being implemented through a partnership of UN agencies, international agricultural research centres, farmers' associations, universities, and other civil society organizations (UNEP, 2006). Duplication could be avoided if a new scientific body collaborates or otherwise works closely with existing research organizations, as well as with the IPCC and IPBES due to the linkages between climate change, biodiversity and desertification.

<footnote n="5">⁵ See http://www.ipcc.ch/meetings/session29/doc3.pdf.</footnote>

<footnote n="6">⁶ See http://www.ipbes.net/Documents/work_programme_en.doc.</footnote>
Some may argue that such a scientific body would be too expensive and that no new institutions should be established when existing institutions could do the necessary work. With this in mind, some may argue that since the IPCC is so well-established and accepted it may be worthwhile considering if the IPCC should simply be expanded to cover land degradation and desertification by establishing a new working group (Rasmussen, 2007). Some may even say that the IPBES should support all of the ecosystem-based MEAs, not just the CBD. However, if such a body were established and housed within an existing organization that could provide logistical support, there would not be any new large bureaucracies established. If an existing body, like the IPCC or IPBES (IPBES has yet to be established yet; it is under discussion under the UNEP umbrella) is used, desertification and land degradation would not receive the attention that it deserves since climate change and biodiversity issues would tend to take priority. Nevertheless, the new body should not operate in isolation. If some of the scientific bodies across MEAs could have joint meetings, or if some MEAs could share scientific bodies, this could cultivate integrated scientific discourse and build scientific capacity, especially in developing countries and at regional levels (Najam et al., 2006).

Some may be concerned that the CST would be replaced by this new body. The new body would actually support the work of the CST and provide useful scientific assessments for the CST to consider in its deliberations. This would also follow the models of the IPCC and the proposed IPBES, which have not replaced the relevant subsidiary bodies under the UNFCCC and CBD.

It is also worth noting that if the UNCCD is truly a “bottom-up” Convention that should rely on the co-production of knowledge, then a top-down scientific body may not be in line with the Convention’s needs. The creation of national scientific bodies, whose work would feed into the international scientific body, addresses these concerns and ensures that scientific input is “bottom-up”.

## 5. A Scientific Research Body Aligned with the Needs of the UNCCD

As explained in the beginning of this Annex, desertification and land degradation research is highly diverse and highly dispersed at present. Therefore, a science assessment effort needs to be enabled by interlinking, catalyzing and strategically coordinating the large number of research scientists, scientific networks, institutions, and programmes relevant to the UNCCD's goals. The scientists would need to be drawn from the realms of biophysical, social, economic and political sciences.

Such a body, for example, could be formed by tapping the Earth Science System Partnership (ESSP) that already contributes substantially to the knowledge bases of sister environmental Conventions through the IPCC and the CBD. The “Global Land Project” is a recently-formed ESSP initiative which includes many prominent scientists associated with desertification and land degradation issues.<fnref n="7" />

Active involvement of scientific societies needs to be encouraged to bring together the numerous disciplines involved in DLD. These societies have generally been rather quiet on suggesting the need for better networking of networks. In this respect, key nodal persons that can think and collaborate across disciplines need to be identified

<footnote n="7">⁷ See: http://www.globallandproject.org/index.shtml.</footnote>
and encouraged to pursue greater linkages. These key persons might sit on more than
one Convention subsidiary body, for example, to facilitate greater exchange and
interaction.

It is suggested that an international scientific committee be formed to define the dimensions and critical issues of the research needed to support the UNCCD and its interface with related issues (climate change, biodiversity, etc.). The two bodies proposed in this document should be interlinked so that they benefit from each other. A cost analysis should also be undertaken in order to provide donors with an estimate of the amount of resources needed for such an initiative. Furthermore, stakeholders relevant to such scientific research bodies will be interested in finding out how they can link with them and what kind of impact they can have on them.

A scientific e-forum has been organised by DesertNet International and UNU-INWEH in the first half of 2010 in order to discuss the needs, usefulness and options of an independent, international, interdisciplinary scientific advisory body on land degradation/desertification and to explore more options on a way forward for such a body to scientifically advise the Convention in decision-making for combating land degradation and for achieving sustainable development in drylands<fnref n="8" />.

References

Bauer S. and L.C. Stringer, 2009. "The Role of Science in the Global Governance of Desertification" in *Journal of Environment and Development* 18: 248-267.

IPCC, 2009. About IPCC. Available at: http://www.ipcc.ch/about/index.htm.

Koetz, T., P. Bridgewater, S.V.D. Hove, B. Siebenhuner, 2008. "The role of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to the Convention on Biological Diversity as science–policy interface" in *Environmental Science and Policy* 11:505-516.

Leemans, R., 2008. "Personal experiences with the governance of the policy-relevant IPCC and Millennium Ecosystem Assessments" in *Global Environmental Change* 18: 12-17.

MA, 2005. History of the Millennium Assessment. Available at: http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/History.aspx.

Najam, A., M. Papa and N. Taiyab, 2006. *Global Environmental Governance: A Reform Agenda*. International Institute for Sustainable Development, Winnipeg.

Ozone Secretariat, 2004. *Assessment Panels. Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer*. Available at: http://ozone.unep.org/Assessment_Panels.

Rasmussen, Kjeld, 2007. *Strategy for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification*. Paper prepared for the Danish Development Research Network. http://www.ddrn.dk/filer/forum/File/KR_commments_on_UNCCD-210807.pdf.

Vlek, P.L.G., 2005. *Nothing Begets Nothing: The Creeping Disaster of Land Degradation*. Interdisciplinary Security Connections Publication Series No. 1. United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, Bonn, Germany.

UNEP, 2006. *Global Deserts Outlook*. UNEP, Nairobi. Available at: http://www.unep.org/geo/gdoutlook/.

<footnote n="8">⁸ See: http://www.desertnet-international.org/.</footnote>
Watson, R.T., 2005. "Turning science into policy: challenges and experiences from the science-policy interface" In *Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B* 360: 471-477.
List of Acronyms

<table><tr><td>ACIA</td><td>Arctic Climate Impact Assessment</td></tr><tr><td>ACMAD</td><td>African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development</td></tr><tr><td>ACSAD</td><td>Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands</td></tr><tr><td>AFD</td><td>French Development Agency</td></tr><tr><td>AGRHYMET</td><td>Agrometeorological and hydrometeorological programme</td></tr><tr><td>AOAD</td><td>Arab Organization for Agricultural Development</td></tr><tr><td>ASEAN</td><td>Association of Southeast Asian Nations</td></tr><tr><td>CAADP</td><td>Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (of NEPAD)</td></tr><tr><td>CBA</td><td>Cost-benefit analysis</td></tr><tr><td>CBD</td><td>Convention on Biological Diversity of the United Nations</td></tr><tr><td>CBNRM</td><td>Community-based Natural Resources Management</td></tr><tr><td>CBO</td><td>Community-based organizations</td></tr><tr><td>CEB</td><td>Chief Executives Board for Coordination of the United Nations System</td></tr><tr><td>CEDARE</td><td>Centre for Environment and Development for Arab Region and Europe</td></tr><tr><td>CILSS</td><td>Comité permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel</td></tr><tr><td>CITES</td><td>Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora</td></tr><tr><td>CLEMDES</td><td>Clearing house mechanism on desertification for the northern Mediterranean region</td></tr><tr><td>CMS</td><td>Convention on Migratory Species</td></tr><tr><td>COP</td><td>Conference of Parties</td></tr><tr><td>CORAF</td><td>Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la recherche et le développement Agricoles</td></tr><tr><td>CSD</td><td>Commission on Sustainable Development of the United Nations</td></tr><tr><td>CSFD</td><td>French Scientific Committee on Desertification</td></tr><tr><td>CSO</td><td>Civil society organizations</td></tr><tr><td>CRIC</td><td>Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention</td></tr><tr><td>CST</td><td>Committee on Science and Technology of the UNCCD</td></tr><tr><td>DFID</td><td>Department for International Development (UK)</td></tr><tr><td>DIS-EISI</td><td>Desertification Information System – Environmental Information circulation and monitoring System</td></tr><tr><td>DISMED</td><td>Desertification Information Systems to Support National Action Programmes in the Mediterranean</td></tr><tr><td>DIVERSITAS</td><td>International Programme of Biodiversity Science</td></tr><tr><td>DLD</td><td>Desertification and land degradation</td></tr><tr><td>DSD</td><td>Dryland Science for Development Consortium</td></tr><tr><td>DPSIR</td><td>Driver, Pressure, State, Impact, Response framework</td></tr><tr><td>DST</td><td>Decision support tools</td></tr><tr><td>EC</td><td>European Commission</td></tr><tr><td>ECOWAS</td><td>The Economic Community of West African States</td></tr><tr><td>EMBRAPA</td><td>Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation</td></tr><tr><td>ERR</td><td>Economic Rate of Return</td></tr></table>
<table>
  <tr>
    <td>ESSP</td>
    <td>Earth Systems Science Partnership</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>ETRC</td>
    <td>Environmental Treaties Reference Centre</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>EU</td>
    <td>European Union</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>FAO</td>
    <td>Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>FARA</td>
    <td>Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>FIRM</td>
    <td>Forum for Integrated Resource Management</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>GBA</td>
    <td>Global Biodiversity Assessment</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>GEF</td>
    <td>Global Environment Facility</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>GLADA</td>
    <td>Global Assessment of Land Degradation and Improvement</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>GPS</td>
    <td>Global Positioning System</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>ICARDA</td>
    <td>International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>ICLD</td>
    <td>International Conference on Land Degradation</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>ICRISAT</td>
    <td>International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>ICSU</td>
    <td>International Council for Science</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IEPF</td>
    <td>Agence de la Francophonie/Institut de l'Energie et de l'Environnement de la Francophonie</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IFAD</td>
    <td>International Fund for Agricultural Development</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IGAD</td>
    <td>Intergovernmental Authority on Development</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IGBP</td>
    <td>International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IHDP</td>
    <td>International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IISD</td>
    <td>International Institute for Sustainable Development</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IMoSEB</td>
    <td>International Mechanism of Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>INSAH</td>
    <td>Institut du Sahel</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IPBES</td>
    <td>International Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IPCC</td>
    <td>Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IPES</td>
    <td>International payments mechanisms for environmental services</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IPFS</td>
    <td>Intergovernmental Panel on Food Security</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IPLS</td>
    <td>International Panel on Land and Soil</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IT</td>
    <td>Information Technology</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>ITTO</td>
    <td>International Tropical Timber Organization</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IUBS</td>
    <td>International Union of Biological Sciences</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IUCN</td>
    <td>World Conservation Union</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IUSS</td>
    <td>International Union of Soil Sciences</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>JWP</td>
    <td>Joint Work Programme</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>KM</td>
    <td>Knowledge management</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>LADA</td>
    <td>Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>LD</td>
    <td>Land degradation</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>LLM</td>
    <td>Local Level Monitoring System</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>M&A</td>
    <td>Monitoring and Assessment</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>M&E</td>
    <td>Monitoring and evaluation</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>MA</td>
    <td>Millennium Ecosystem Assessment</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>MAB</td>
    <td>Man and the Biosphere Programme (of UNESCO)</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>MAEE</td>
    <td>French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>MDG</td>
    <td>Millennium Development Goals</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>MDP</td>
    <td>Master's in Development Practice</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>MEA</td>
    <td>Multilateral Environmental Agreements</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>MEDRAP</td>
    <td>Northern Mediterranean Action Programme to Combat Desertification</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>MEEDDAT</td>
    <td>French Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Land Use Planning</td>
  </tr>
</table>
<table>
  <tr>
    <td>MERIS</td>
    <td>Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>MOP</td>
    <td>Meeting of the Parties</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>MODIS</td>
    <td>Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>MoU</td>
    <td>Memorandum of Understanding</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>NAP</td>
    <td>National Action Programmes</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>NASA</td>
    <td>National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA)</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>NCSA</td>
    <td>National Capacity Self Assessment</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>NDVI</td>
    <td>Normalised Difference Vegetation Index</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>NEPAD</td>
    <td>New Partnership for Africa's Development</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>NGO</td>
    <td>Non-governmental organizations</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>NICT</td>
    <td>New Information and Communication Technologies</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>NPP</td>
    <td>Net Primary Productivity</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>NRM</td>
    <td>Natural resources management</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>OECD</td>
    <td>Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>OSS</td>
    <td>Observatoire du Sahara et Sahel</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>PES</td>
    <td>Payment for Environmental Services</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>PESERA</td>
    <td>Pan European Soil Erosion Assessment</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>PRSP</td>
    <td>Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>REDD</td>
    <td>Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>SBSTA</td>
    <td>Committee on Scientific and Technological Advice of the UNFCCC</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>SBSTTA</td>
    <td>Committee on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the CBD</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>SCAPE</td>
    <td>Soil Conservation and Protection for Europe</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>SID-SISEI</td>
    <td>Desertification Information Systems – Environmental Information circulation and monitoring System on the Internet</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>SLM</td>
    <td>Sustainable Land Management</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>SMAP</td>
    <td>Short and Medium-term environmental Action Programme</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>SWC</td>
    <td>Soil and Water Conservation</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>TEMATEA</td>
    <td>Issue-based modules for coherent implementation of biodiversity related conventions</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>TGLP</td>
    <td>Tribal Grazing Lands Policy</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>TNC</td>
    <td>The Nature Conservancy</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UMA</td>
    <td>Union du Maghreb Arabe</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UN</td>
    <td>United Nations</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNAIDS</td>
    <td>The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNCCD</td>
    <td>United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNCG</td>
    <td>United Nations Communications Group</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNDP</td>
    <td>United Nations Development Programme</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNEP</td>
    <td>United Nations Environment Programme</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNESCO</td>
    <td>United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNFCCC</td>
    <td>United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNFF</td>
    <td>United Nations Forum on Forests</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNHCR</td>
    <td>United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNICEF</td>
    <td>United Nations Children's Fund</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNIFEM</td>
    <td>United nations Development Fund for Women</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNU</td>
    <td>United Nations University</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>UNU-INWEH</td>
    <td>United Nations University – Institute for Water, Environment and Health</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>USLE</td>
    <td>Universal Soil Loss Equation</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>WCED</td>
    <td>World Commission on Environment and Development</td>
  </tr>
</table>
WCMC World Conservation Monitoring Centre

WCRP World Climate Research Programme

WG Working Group

WMO World Meteorological Organization

WOCAT World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies

WP White Paper

WTA Willingness-to-accept

WTP Willingness-to-pay

WWF World Wildlife Fund
UNU Desertification Series No. 9

# Monitoring and Assessment of Desertification and Land Degradation: Knowledge Management, Institutions and Economics

## White Paper of the DSD Working Group 3

Edited by Mariam Akhtar-Schuster, Harriet Bigas and Richard Thomas

Inadequate access to data and its harmonisation and dissemination, institutional constraints, and insufficient public finances all limit local and national capacities to monitor and assess desertification and land degradation. Furthermore, monitoring and assessment is often hindered by a lack of inter-departmental and sectoral communication and insufficient information on the costs associated with prevention and reversal of land degradation.

This White Paper identifies the challenges and bottlenecks in the monitoring and assessment of desertification and land degradation in the context of knowledge management, institutions and economics. It discusses the challenges of integrating knowledge management and its practices into monitoring and assessment at various levels, and the need for doing so. It also outlines some success stories on knowledge management at the local level. This White Paper further looks at the economic and social drivers of desertification and land degradation, and how policy mechanisms are needed in order to address these issues and produce more sustainable outcomes.

The findings of this Paper were presented at the First UNCCD Scientific Conference held during the COP-9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 22-24 September, 2009.

<figure><img src="image_27.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_28.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_29.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_30.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_31.png" /></figure>

The Dryland Science for Development (DSD) is a consortium of five partner institutions:

DesertNet International

European Commission Joint Research Centre - Institute for Environment and Sustainability (JRC-IES)

International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA)

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

United Nations University - Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH)

ISBN 92-808-6014-3