The aim of this course is to develop skills in soil carbon (SC) estimation and Soil Carbon Sequestration (SCS) methods/techniques to reduce GHG emissions for sustainable crop production systems.

Peatlands cover only 3–4% of the Earth’s surface, but they store nearly 30% of global soil carbon stock. This significant carbon store is under threat as peatlands continue to be degraded at alarming rates around the world. It has prompted countries worldwide to establish regulations to conserve and reduce emissions from this carbon rich ecosystem. For example, the EU has implemented new rules that mandate sustainable management of peatlands, critical to reaching the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Rivers are the arteries of human civilisation and culture, providing essential goods and services that underpin water and food security, socio-economic development and climate resilience. They also support an extraordinary diversity of biological life. Human appropriation of land and water together with changes in climate have jointly driven rapid declines in river health and biodiversity worldwide, stimulating calls for an Emergency Recovery Plan for freshwater ecosystems.

The expansion of agroforestry could provide substantial climate change mitigation (up to 0.31 Pg C yr−1), comparable to other prominent natural climate solutions such as reforestation. Yet, climate-focused agroforestry efforts grapple with ambiguity about which agroforestry actions provide mitigation, uncertainty about the magnitude of that mitigation and inability to reliably track progress.

Through its Work Package 4 “Real-Time Monitoring of Food Systems”, the CGIAR Research Initiative on Digital Innovation and Transformation seeks to improve real time monitoring of food system dynamics to inform multiple stakeholders who make time critical decisions to respond to variation and shocks, improve the flow of information for a better understanding of the food systems, and enhance digital data streams for improving decision making by food system actors.

In this chapter, we propose a framework of market-based incentive mechanisms for the adoption and scaling of sustainable production standards throughout rice value chains and review evidence of two mechanisms that have been piloted in Vietnam: “internalizing” and “embodying.” The evidence suggests that sustainable production standards can be successfully “internalized” in rice value chains through policies (public governance) that provide an enabling environment for vertical coordination and private governance of standards (e.g., through contract farming).

Land degradation is one of the most pressing environmental challenges due to its effect on the people and ecosystem. Early detection of land degradation could help to avoid further deterioration and work on reversing the trend. This would require an integrated approach combining indicators such as vegetation condition, soil health (i.e., soil salinity), and soil exposure (i.e., albedo) to characterize land degradation comprehensively.

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, questions arose as to whether the pandemic would amplify or pacify tropical deforestation. Early reports warned of increased deforestation rates; however, these studies were limited to a few months in 2020 or to selected regions.

Citizen Science (CS) is increasingly being integrated into advanced scientific approaches to address complex problems and produce real-time evidence-based information for decision-making. The CS approach has also been used as a tool to foster community-based monitoring and learning, particularly on the sustainability of productive landscapes/watersheds.

To avoid wetland degradation and promote sustainable wetlands use, decision-makers and managing institutions need quantified and spatially explicit information on wetland ecosystem condition for policy development and wetland management. Remote sensing holds a significant potential for wetland mapping, inventorying, and monitoring.

Effective rangeland management relies on precise monitoring and assessment of natural resources, offering insights into ecosystem structure and function. Standardized methods, consistently applied over time and space, are crucial for ensuring data quality across various applications. Achieving successful rangeland monitoring necessitates significant investments in time and human resources, emphasizing comprehensive training. This proficiency extends beyond professionals to academics, playing a pivotal role in education.

â–ª The Greater Horn of Africa (GHoA) is one of the world's most negatively impacted regions by climatic extremes and changes affecting millions, including farmers and livestock keepers.
â–ª Addressing the impacts of devastating extreme weather events, climate variabilities, and changes in GHoA require, among other things, strengthening Climate Information Services (CIS), including in terms of Anticipatory Action, Early Warning Systems (EWS), and preparedness and early action for climate-resilient development.