After two years of organizing the LAND-at-scale Exchange in Utrecht, the third LAND-at-scale exchange took place from June 9th to June 13th in Uganda, hosted by LAS partner UN-Habitat/ Global Land Tool Network. Nearly 60 LAS country and knowledge partners came together in Kampala to exchange lessons learned and explore common challenges. As of 2024, twelve country projects are being implemented under the LAS program, namely Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Colombia, Egypt, Iraq, Mali, Mozambique, the Palestinian Territories, Somalia, Rwanda and Uganda.

The International Conference on Eco-Health Nexus (ICEN 2023) aimed to promote interdisciplinary dialogues and solutions surrounding cascade ecology and human well-being. Cascade ecology refers to the study of ecological interactions in connected networks of tanks, streams and wetlands that exchange water, nutrients, and organisms.

Accurate estimates of habitat extent and rates of change are crucial inputs for the global, regional, and national assessments that guide policy-making and prioritize strategies. This can contribute to an understanding of ecosystems in the landscape for their use, management, and preservation. Mangroves are one of the types of ecosystems in which estimation discrepancies have been analyzed to determine the impacts of data quality on conservation and policy-making.

Context and backgroundThe Macta wetland is a coveted and fragile area with a biodiversity hot-spot on the Algerian western coast and the southern shore of the Mediterranean. This rural area is affected by the increase of human activity linking, mainly, agricultural and pastoral practices.

In Cameroon, the pressure on wetlands, which cover nearly 70% of the national territory, appears to be increasing, whether for subsistence needs, firewood, grazing, logging or expansion of development projects. Currently, in terms of land use, forest has decreased by 619 km² and cultivated land has increased by 321 km². The surface area of degraded forests and land is estimated at around 12 million hectares, with a general trend towards an increase in the phenomenon due to both natural and anthropogenic factors.

Land degradation and discontinuation of ecosystem services (ES) are a common phe nomenon that causes socio-economic and environmental problems in Ethiopia. However, a dearth of information is known about how ES are changing from the past to the future with regard to land use land cover (LULC) changes. This study aimed at estimating the values of ES based on the past and future LULC changes in central Ethiopia.

Indicator 15.1.2: Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered  by protected areas, by ecosystem type

Peatlands are the “kidneys” of river basins. However, intensification of agriculture and forestry in Europe has resulted in the degradation of peatlands and their biodiversity (i.e., species, habitats and processes in ecosystems), thus impairing water retention, nutrient filtration, and carbon capture. Restoration of peatlands requires assessment of patterns and processes, and spatial planning. To support strategic planning of protection, management, and restoration of peatlands, we assessed the conservation status of three peatland types within the trans-border Neman River basin.

This study analyzed and evaluated the changes that occurred in two coastal wetlands, characterized by complex and fragmented landscape patterns, in Southern Italy, which were monitored over a period of seven years from 2007 to 2014. Furthermore, the performances of two Land Cover (LC) and habitat taxonomies, compared for their suitability in mapping the identified changes, were assessed. A post-mapping method was adopted to detect the habitat/LC changes that occurred in the study period.

Rangelands can be described as land on which the vegetation
is predominantly grasses, grass-like plants, forbs or shrubs,
and often with trees that are grazed or have the potential to be
grazed by livestock and wildlife. They are diverse in their vegetation
driven by highly fluctuating rainfall, temperature and other climate
phenomena, and habitat for a wide range of wildlife, many species
of which are found nowhere else. Rangelands store vast amounts of
carbon and either originate or serve as freshwater catchment areas for