WOCAT - World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies

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WOCAT - World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies

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WOCAT's vision is that land and livelihoods are improved through sharing and enhancing knowledge about SLM.

WOCAT (World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies) is the global network on Sustainable Land Management supporting knowledge management and decision support for SLM. WOCAT supports innovation and decision-making processes in SLM by: 1) building up and coordinating a global network of SLM experts, 2) developing standardized tools and methods for knowledge management and decision support, 3) managing a global knowledge base on SLM and presenting the information through different media, and 4) enhancing capacity of involved actors (research, training and education).

24/10/2026

How do we drive sustainable development in global land restoration?

𝗪𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹.

🌍 Today on World Development Information Day, we celebrate the power of open-access information in achieving Sustainable Land Management.

By standardizing and sharing field-tested agricultural and soil conservation practices worldwide, we support:

✅ Local innovators turn field experience into global solutions

✅ Policymakers making decisions informed by field tested practices

✅ Countries work toward Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)

👉 Discover, share, or document a good practice today: https://wocat.net/en/database/list/

Photo from the practice: حصاد مياه الأمطار باستخدام الحفر نصف الدائرية (قوس هلالي) لزراعة اشجار المرخ بين الكثبان الرملية [Saudi Arabia]

22/10/2026

🌿 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱.

As part of our EbA funded project, "Policy Mechanisms for Gender-Transformative Action," WeCaN members Mailes Zulu, Kuku Z. Tarkwia, and Nancy Marangu are present at C*D COP17, together with FAO Lucia Gerbaldo.

Here is what they are calling on global decision-makers to do:

🔑 1. Rights over Land and Forests

Promote women's land rights: Secure land and resource rights for women are a prerequisite for biodiversity stewardship.

Forests and women's livelihoods are inseparable: Forests and women’s lives and livelihoods are deeply interconnected. Biodiversity decision-making must take this into account.

🤝 2. Direct Finance & Fair Benefit-Sharing

ABS & DSI benefit-sharing under the Cali Fund (COP15 Decision 15/9): Benefit-sharing must reach Indigenous peoples and rural women. Access to and benefits arising from genetic resources from drylands must go directly to Indigenous peoples and local communities.

No conservation without communities: Direct climate and biodiversity finance straight to producers and local communities.

🌾 3. Locally Led Adaptation & Dryland Resilience

Biosafety, EbA, and dryland crop diversity: The Cartagena Protocol (CP-MOP) must be strengthened through participatory and ecosystem-based approaches (EbA) in drylands.

KMGBF Global Review as an equity mechanism: The first Global Review must accelerate implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework with drylands-specific evidence, Indigenous knowledge, and locally led EbA.

🏛️ 4. Equal Participation in Governance

Rural women's equal participation in C*D processes: CSO engagement rules must proactively include rural and Indigenous women's organizations.

Are you at COP and pushing in the same direction? Meet Mailes, Kuku, and Nancy to join forces 💪

👉 Discover our Gender-Responsive SLM Questionnaire and project details: https://lnkd.in/de9SAnry

*DCOP

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Ellyn Uram Kaschak Institute for Social Justice For Women and Girls

21/10/2026

❔ How can we bridge the gap between frontline community action in drylands and international climate policy?

👉 Dive into the experience of remarkable women leaders at at UNCCD COP17: 🔗 https://globalebafund.org/news/from-drylands-to-global-decisions-women-bringing-local-knowledge-to-unccd-cop17/

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) CDE - Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern Ellyn Uram Kaschak Institute for Social Justice For Women and Girls

20/10/2026

𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗟𝗠 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗕𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗣𝟭𝟳

🌎 At the C*D COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, dedicated 2nd Conference on Gender & Environment Data, FAO Lucia Gerbaldo presented the joint UNCCD-WOCAT initiative on Gender-responsive SLM.

🌱 Since 2020, this effort has worked to fill a major evidence gap: showcasing the role of women and men in SLM practices and promoting those that are women-friendly and have a positive impact on women and their households.

🛠 Today, project planners, implementers, and evaluators can use our Gender-responsive SLM tool to collect gender-disaggregated data, ensuring SLM efforts are equitable and effective.

Together with the FAO WeCaN community and the Ellyn Uram Kaschak Institute for Social Justice For Women and Girls, we continue to support women land users and advocates across dryland regions to carry their local knowledge to global policy processes.

Interested in applying a gender lens to your land management projects?

👉 Check out the WOCAT Gender-responsive SLM Questionnaire and related resources: https://shorturl.at/eQoG3

*D

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

16/10/2026

🌏 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗡𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄.

Do you know what it needs to transform a monocrop farm into a food forest?

That's how Valluvan did with his coconut farm in India:

𝟭) 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
Trenches were dug throughout the farm to retain rainwater, prevent runoff, and improve soil moisture. This was critical given the limited rainfall in the region. A drip irrigation system was installed for efficient watering.

𝟮) 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆
Various crops were introduced. Nutmeg, intercropped among coconut trees, provides 3 - 4 times the income of coconuts after 15 to 20 years. Timber trees extract micronutrients from deeper soil layers via deep tap roots. Micronutrients are concentrated in the leaves which are used as mulch to enrich the soil nutrient profile. Banana and papaya provided early income, shade for plants, and added biomass. This diversity also ensures a steady income, reducing dependency on external markets.

𝟯) 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
Fast-growing crops were planted to generate additional biomass. Leaves were pruned and added to the water-retaining trenches as mulch. Nitrogen-fixing plants were cultivated extensively to improve soil fertility, eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers.

𝟰) 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗼-𝗶𝗻𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Mulch in the trenches was decomposed by the bio-inputs from Cows applied via drip lines. This creates soil organic matter through enhanced microbial decomposition. The irrigation and sprinklers were used judiciously to achieve soil moisture rather than over-watering, as trees primarily needed stable moisture conditions.

𝟱) 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵
After establishing this system, the farm required minimal maintenance. There was no need for tilling, weeding, or other intensive practices. Just monitoring of, and maintaining, moisture levels. This reduces farmers’ workloads and improves quality of life.

𝟲) 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
The increased biodiversity fostered brought in earthworms, birds, and beneficial insects for natural pest management.

👉 Read the full story: https://wocat.net/en/database/technologies/7366/

World Food Day 2026 highlights the power of combining modern science, technology, and innovation with traditional knowledge.

The global WOCAT Sustainable Land Management Database brings this vision to life—connecting you with field-proven practices from around the world, grounded in local traditional wisdom and backed by scientific innovation.

👉 Check out the good practices from your country: https://wocat.net/en/database/list/

🙏 Thank you CONSCIOUS PLANET for facilitating the documentation of this good practice and for the photo. Thank you Valluvan for transforming your farm and for sharing your story.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

15/10/2026

𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

The theme of this year’s International Day of Rural Women honours the work rural women do every day: 🌱 conserving seeds, 🐝 protecting biodiversity, 💧 managing water, and restoring degraded land. They feed communities, sustain livelihoods, and safeguard the natural resources on which we all depend.

Today we celebrate their leadership with an inspiring practice from Tajikistan:

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁-𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀

High-quality, drought-resistant fruit saplings are vital for building climate resilience in the arid agrolandscapes of Southern Tajikistan.
Beyond providing food and income, trees like almond, apricot, and peach help combat desertification by stabilizing slopes and preventing soil erosion when integrated into agroforestry plots.

To strengthen local capacity, season-long training workshops were conducted for women-led farmer groups, guiding them through selecting resilient, high-yielding crop varieties.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁: Farmer groups members established nurseries directly in their kitchen gardens of 200-300 m² and each square metre produces 20-30 grafted seedlings!

👉 Discover the full story on the WOCAT database: https://wocat.net/en/database/technologies/6165/

👏 Special thanks go to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Tajikistan for facilitating the documentation of this practice and to Daler Domullodzhanov for the photo.

UN Women

13/10/2026

𝘼𝙣𝙮 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙
𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙪𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚.

Today's International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction reminds us that proactive, systematic efforts of prevention can reduce the impact of natural hazards.

Often the absence or overwhelming presence of is part of natural hazards. Therefore, local water management is key for .

💧In Mongolia a natural spring is being protected from livestock trampling and contamination. The protected area supports natural vegetation recovery and provides livestock with safer and more reliable access to water.

👉 Learn how local pastoralists benefit from the sustainable water management: https://youtu.be/Acmzi5jheuA

👉 Take a deep dive into the implementation and the impacts of the protected spring: https://wocat.net/en/database/technologies/7837/

Thank you UNDP in Mongolia - НҮБ-ын Хөгжлийн хөтөлбөр for facilitating the documentation of the SLM technology "Protection and Sustainable Management of Khoovor Spring".

International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists UNESCO

08/10/2026

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙙

🌿 Liquid compost is an organic solution made by mixing chopped insect-repellent plants, fresh animal dung, and water. It serves as an eco-friendly substitute for chemical fertilizers and pesticide sprays and is ideal for market gardens and general crop farming.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮?

⚖️ While both men and women contribute to agricultural work, the liquid compost process involves mostly men. Men are more involved in purchasing equipment, gathering biomass, and chopping materials that require heavy physical labor. Furthermore, men maintain primary control over large livestock like cattle and benefit from unequal customary land inheritance, while domestic responsibilities like family planning remain strictly with women.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨?

📍 Differences in liquid compost labour are not perceived locally as a problem. Meanwhile, addressing general community gender disparities requires identifying barriers to women and youth regarding land, training, and credit access, alongside strengthening their decision-making participation. Because farmers understand their own reality best, implementing these activities at the local level ensures solutions remain tailored to their context.

👉 Read the full documentation: https://wocat.net/en/database/gender/23/

This technology has been registered with the WOCAT- United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

gender tool and highlighted as part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) . The documentation has been facilitated by GIZ,German International Cooperation and the ProSo(i)l project.

Photo by Andrianavalonarivo Rakotovao

05/10/2026

🎉 It's Monday Member Announcement!

🌐 The WOCAT Network is happy to announce that Beta Gamma RD Mali (https://bgrd.ml) has joined as the newest Organizational Member!

🌱 We look forward to develop, share and scale Sustainable LandManagement solutions together.

📬 The invitation to become 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 of the WOCAT Network is open! https://bit.ly/46NTQZV 👈

🎯 International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas - ICARDA | ISRIC - World Soil Information | Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT | Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) | Swiss Development & Cooperation | United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) | GIZ,German International Cooperation | ICIMOD

29/09/2026

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Professor Hans Hurni, a visionary in Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and the founder of WOCAT, has passed away.

In 1992, he initiated WOCAT to advance knowledge of SLM. What began as a project idea evolved into an international programme, a global network and eventually an institution connecting knowledge and experience from around the world.

Hans always looked beyond the institution itself. He envisioned WOCAT growing further into an international standard for SLM with an impact visible through improved practices on farms across the globe.

For Hans, knowledge was never an end in itself. He believed that the experiences of farmers and communities should be documented, shared and transformed into better practices. He also saw SLM as a contribution to addressing larger challenges such as land degradation, climate change, water, biodiversity and poverty.

His legacy continues with WOCAT’s engagement that is still following Hans' vision: to connect knowledge with action and global challenges with local solutions. His work continues wherever people learn from experience, care for their land and put SLM knowledge into practice.

Many of us had the privilege of learning from him. He mentored generations of researchers and practitioners, in Switzerland, Ethiopia and far beyond, with patience, curiosity and genuine respect for local knowledge. We are deeply saddened by the loss of a mentor, colleague, and pioneer whose passion, kindness, and vision touched so many of us across the world.

Our heartfelt condolences go to his family and friends.

Photo: WOCAT workshop and steering meeting Gwatt, Switzerland, 2008

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Website

https://www.wocat.net/

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