Global Community

Dear CLP members,
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be part of this diverse global community as a co-chair. I am looking forward to working with you to contribute towards our shared goals of addressing droughts, reversing desertification and building resilience against disasters across the globe.
In this message, let me briefly introduce myself. I am working as an Associate Professor of Water Resources planning at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft the Netherlands. My educational background is multi-disciplinary, with a PhD degree in hydrology and water resource, MPhil in Water Resources Management and BSc in Agricultural Engineering. I have about 25 years of professional experience on a wide range of hydrology, water management and disaster risk issues across several countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. I am deeply committed to contribute to address global water, land and drought related challenges. I am passionate to bridge the science-policy-practice gaps, and enjoy working with transdisciplinary actors from these arenas. I am actively participating in various drought and water management related networks including IAHS network on Drought in the Anthropocene and UN-Water SDG6 Capacity Development Initiative.

At DiTA network, I am coordinating a webinar series on bridging the science-policy-practice gap. Taking this opportunity, I warmly invite you to the upcoming webinar planned on 26th June (see flyer).

Looking forward to working with you to drive the positive change!
Yours sincerely,
Ilyas Masih

🌊 Building Resilience: Insights from Nebraska's Water Conference 🌊

Discover how Nebraska is introducing innovative water management strategies to combat drought and climate challenges. The recent Nebraska Water Conference brought together experts to discuss sustainable solutions, from advanced irrigation techniques to community-led watershed projects. Dive into the key takeaways and learn how these approaches can inspire change worldwide.

🔗 Read more: https://idralliance.global/solutions/takeaways-resilience-nebraska-wate…

Hello, I hope you are well.
It is a pleasure for me to share with you the half-moon technique, a traditional method of water and soil conservation widely used in Burkina Faso, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. It involves digging semicircular basins, generally 2 to 4 meters in diameter, with the open edge facing upslope. This technique captures and retains runoff water during the rainy season, promoting its infiltration into the soil and vegetation regeneration. It is particularly effective for restoring degraded land, combating erosion, and improving soil fertility. Used in agroforestry and agricultural fields, the half-moon plays a crucial role in helping rural communities adapt to climate change and promote sustainable agriculture in Burkina Faso.
Half-moon technique file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_HGnrr8XtpmTZUewVbJFJHQMOO6v7kRE/view?…

Half-Moon technique video:

Hello everyone!
What a pleasure to be part of this inspiring community!
I'm Dieudonne Ilboudo, a water and environment specialist currently working at the General Office of Agropastoral Development and Irrigation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animals and Fisheries Resources of Burkina Faso.
My work focuses on sustainable water resource management, soil conservation, land reclamation, and environmental preservation. I have over four years of experience in community projects promoting climate change adaptation, integrated water resource management, and the development of rice-growing lowlands.
I recently led initiatives on the management of invasive aquatic plants, transforming them into valuable resources such as compost and biochar to support local agriculture and the circular economy. I am passionate about drought resilience (Zai and Half-Moon Techniques) and ethical, inclusive, and innovative approaches to natural resource governance, and I strive to integrate local knowledge and community participation into all aspects of my work.
I look forward to learning, collaborating, and contributing to this dynamic network !

I am pleased to share the summary of EOTEC DevNet’s first round of Regional Drought Working Group Meet-ups, held in April 2025. The sessions brought together experts from Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia–Oceania to exchange tools, experiences, and ideas for improving drought monitoring and resilience through Earth observation.
You can access the full summary, spotlight presentations, and meeting materials here: https://eotecdev.net/highlights-from-the-first-eotec-devnet-regional-dr…

As a next step, we invite you to contribute to the EOTEC DevNet Drought Tools Tracker—a living database of existing tools, initiatives, and training resources for drought monitoring and management. Your input will help strengthen coordination and improve access to practical solutions across regions. Submit your contribution here: https://eotecdev.net/eforms/drought-tools-tracker-contributor-form/20/

If you would like to stay involved or join the conversation, feel free to sign up for the Drought Working Group using this form: https://eotecdev.net/eforms/eotec-devnet-communications-regular-meeting…

We look forward to continuing collaboration in the next round of regional meet-ups in October.

UNCCD Consultancy Opening!

Please find below the link for the newly advertised UNCCD Consultancy Opening that is placed on UN Career site;

Senior Consultant to produce technical/policy papers on Drought resilience, GPARC Unit: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/257084?language=en

You can also find link on UNCCD website: https://www.unccd.int/about-us/vacancies/senior-consultant-produce-tech…

Interested/qualified candidates may view the job opening and apply online though UN Career site (Inspira) before deadline (01.05.2025)

Invitation: EOTEC DevNet Regional Drought Working Group Meet-ups

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to invite members of the UNCCD Community of Learning and Practice (CLP) to the upcoming EOTEC DevNet Drought Working Group regional meet-ups, taking place in April. These virtual sessions will focus on sharing insights into Earth observation-based drought monitoring tools, key initiatives, and training opportunities in each region.

We believe these sessions will be highly relevant to the CLP community and offer valuable space for knowledge sharing and collaboration across networks.

More information at:
https://eotecdev.net/join-the-eotec-devnet-drought-working-group-meetin…

We warmly welcome your participation and look forward to your contributions to advancing drought resilience through Earth observation.

Kind regards,
Martyna
On behalf of the EOTEC DevNet Secretariat