MENA regional consultation preparatory to the UNCCD 3rd
Scientific Conference
The main objective of this questionnaire, launched by the Sahara and Sahel Observatory
(OSS), is to bring about a member countries and partners vision at the UNCCD’s third
Scientific Conference on the main challenges of land degradation and restoration.
The questionnaire is structured around a set of different issues in accordance with the
conference’s major themes:
 General questions
 Diagnosis and characterization of ecosystems in facing climate hazards and
global change
 Best solutions for combating desertification and land degradation
 Transfer and assessment of these solutions
 Capacitiy Building
This questionnaire is destined to the different stakeholders involved in land degradation
and restoration (regional and international scientists, managers, decision-makers, NGOs,
civil society, local and indigenous communities, private sector…).
The questionnaire’s feedback will allow the elaboration of a report summarizing the
main results obtained and recommendations expressed by all contributors and will
reflect their vision and major expectations. The report will be the basic document for
OSS side-event to be organized at the UNCCD Third Scientific Conference in March 2015.
You do not have to answer all the questions of the questionnaire; you can only respond
to those related to your area of intervention and expertise.
You can contact OSS on the following address questionnaire @ oss.org.tn. may you need
any further clarification or help responding to the questionnaire’s questions.
Assistance by phone is also possible.
In order to valorize each one’s effort, all contributors to the questionnaire will be
mentioned in the summary report and any other related document.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
OSS-November 2014
PRESENTATION
First Name:
Last name:
Institution:
Country :
E-mail:
OSS-November 2014
THEME I – General Question
Question 1
Do you think that the environmental challenges to be presented at the UNCCD’s 3rd SC
reflect the general situation in the region?
YES– NO
Question 2
In your opinion, what are the major challenges and problems faced by arid, semi-arid
and dry sub-humid regions?
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Extreme climate events
Population growth
Rural exodus and immigration
Land and Eco-system services degradation
Natural resources use conflicts
Food crisis
Peace and stability
Locust invasion
Pandemics
Other, precise
Question 3
In your opinion, in which areas do we face a serious lack of knowledge?
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Desertification and degradation diagnosis
Methods for the combat against degradation and desertification (technical,
organizational…)
Alternative methods for natural resources use and income generation
Monitoring the efficiency of these methods and transfer of knowledge
Question 4
In your opinion, what complementarities exist between climate change adaptation
measures and actions on the one hand and actions for combatting land degradation on
the other?
Question 5
Are you up-to-date with the new concepts related to land degradation: climate smart
agriculture, land degradation neutrality?
YES- NO
OSS-November 2014
Question 6
Does the emergence of these new concepts represent :
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an obstacle to the development of solutions
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a source of enrichment
Question 7
Land degradation neutrality (slowing the degradation rate and restoration measures) is
a new topic tackled by the UNCCD and the Sustainable Development Objectives.
Do you think that the Sahel countries will be able to achieve land degradation neutrality
in the medium-term (10-15 years)?
YES – NO
OSS-November 2014
THEME II understanding and identification of the vulnerability of eco-systems and
populations affected by land degradation and desertification
Question 8
In your opinion, what are the main tools and means for monitoring and analyzing
ecosystems and societies’ vulnerability and their functioning?
Question9
What initiatives related to this topic (research or development
international/national/local initiatives…) are you familiar with?
projects,
Question 10
What factors could enhance the resilience of the region’s agro-systems that could have
been subject to diverse and successive crises?
(Ex: important biological diversity, financial support, technical support…)
OSS-November 2014
THEME III Stop the degradation process and enhance land restoration
Question 11
What are the currently existing solutions, techniques, technologies, traditional knowhow, and regulation measures that you know capable of stopping the degradation
process and enhancing land restoration?
Question 12
Is their implementation process adapted to the region’s context?
YES / NO
Question 13
In your opinion, what are the reasons for the success of these solutions?
Question 14
What are the difficulties and obstacles encountered at their utilization and
dissemination (technical, social…)?
Question 15
Have these solutions been replicated/generalized at a larger scale? If no, why (cost,
regulation aspects, political conviction, social acceptance, technical and financial
partners mobilization,)
Question 16
What kind of interaction do you know of between the local knowledge and the academic
knowledge?
Question 17
Do you have any example of local knowledge valorization in the research and
development programs?
OSS-November 2014
THEME IV Assessment and Transfer
Question 18
What assessment tools of land degradation measures do you know?
Question 19
To what extent do these measures enable the assessment of the short term and long
term effects of land degradation?
Question 20
Who, do you think, should carry out the assessment?
Question 21
How to integrate the results of these assessments in CD and SLM actions planning
actions (CD-Combat against desertification and SLM- Sustainable Land management)
Question 22
What tools/channels do you use (or that would be developed in the region) (multistakeholders solutions forum??) to valorise, share, disseminate knowledge and best
practices? (Multi-stakeholders platform, forums, radio, theatrical performances…)
Question 23
Can the new information and communications technologies ensure this dissemination/
generalization? Give examples.
Question 24
What are the obstacles for a larger dissemination (technical constraints…) or for
stakeholders’ cooperative work on land degradation and restoration-related questions?
OSS-November 2014
THEME V Capacities and technical Constraints
Question 25
What structures / services / organisations do you know in the region working on land
degradation and restoration-related questions: (ONGs, research and intervention offices,
farmers, technical and administrative services, research stations)?
Question 26
What are, in your opinion, the main actions to be developed to strengthen the capacities
of these structures (trainings, internships, exchange programs …)?
Question 27
What are, in your opinion, the scientific obstacles and hence the priority research
themes to be tackled in terms of land degradation (monitoring through remote sensing, biotechnical knowledge …).
OSS-November 2014