Turkey’s General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion invites participants from the eligible countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia to take part in the International Training Course on Combating Desertification, which will take place on 22-26 May 2017 in Konya-Mersin, Turkey. The course is open to two representatives per country and is aimed at related decision makers, forest engineers and NGO’s involved in the management of environmental problems related to desertification, land degradation, afforestation, erosion control and forestry.

As a predominantly arid and semi-arid country, Turkey has become a leader in land management, especially in areas vulnerable to drought. The country has invested heavily in rehabilitating a wide variety of terrestrial ecosystems, with national activities often planned at the watershed scale. Success can be attributed to an integrated, participatory approach that strengthens the engagement and capacity of local people. Land governance has evolved to create the necessary conditions  and legal environment for the widespread implementation of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices. Turkey has also established itself as a leader in capacity building by investing in the training and skills development of civil society and local authorities, particularly in Africa, Central Asia and the Eastern Europe.

The training course is conducted under the Ankara Initiative, which has been launched to strengthen the implementation of the UNCCD from 2016 to 2019. The Initiative supports the global sustainable development agenda and leverages the lessons learned from Turkey’s past experience and approaches to land management.

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