The pressure on land is projected to increase in many regions of the world according to a recent policy report by PBL (Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency), prepared for the Global Land Outlook of the UNCCD, to which ISRIC contributed.

Launch! ISRIC hosts Soil Data Facility for the Global Soil Partnership

30 August, The Spot Bar, Orion, Wageningen Campus

ISRIC - World Soil Information and the International Soil Carbon Network (ISCN) signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at synergistic collaboration and sharing of quality-assessed soil carbon data.

We envision an open, shared network for use by a wide range of user communities as well as policy makers; the collaboration can help solving climate change and land sustainability related issues.

On 20th June 2017 the Plenary Assembly of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) assigned ISRIC — World Soil Information as the institution to host the Soil Data Facility that will be built in Pillar 4 of the partnership. This means that ISRIC, as member of the Pillar 4 Working Group will: (i) contribute to the design of the Global Soil Information System, (ii) participate in capacity building programs, and (iii) provide a system that integrates the national facilities into a global soil information system.

ISRIC staff participated in the kickoff meeting for a World Bank funded project on 'Land Use Planning for Enhanced Resilience of Landscapes' (LAUREL; 6-13 May 2017, Antananarivo, Madagascar).

The objectives of the mission were to:

The World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies programme (WOCAT) celebrated its 25^th anniversary at CIAT in Cali, Colombia from 13-18 June. WOCAT  is a global network of Sustainable Landscape Management (SLM) specialists, supporting innovation and decision-making processes in SLM by sharing and enhancing knowledge. ISRIC  has actively contributed to the programme since its inception in 1992. 

The Executive Board of Wageningen University & Research has appointed Gerard Heuvelink as professor by special  appointment in ‘Pedometrics and Digital Soil Mapping’ as of 1 June 2017. The professorship by special  appointment is funded by ISRIC - World Soil Information and is positioned within the Soil Geography and Landscape chairgroup led by Jakob Wallinga. This appointment further strengthens the research and teaching collaboration between ISRIC and Wageningen University.

Within the framework of regional capacity training in support of the ‘Global Soil Organic Carbon’  (GSOC) Map, FAO/GSP (Global Soil Partnership) and ISRIC – World Soil Information are hosting a training session in Wageningen (6  to 23 June 2017).

ISRIC - World Soil Information serves the international community with a wide array of tailor-made courses and lectures. From 15-19 May 2017,  we organized the fifth edition of the ISRIC Spring School on 'Mapping, classification and assessment of soils'. 

Site-specific fertilizer recommendations for major food crops in West Africa have been updated and mapped by ISRIC in collaboration with the International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) and experts from the NARs of Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana. The project was carried out within the context of the West Africa Fertilizer Program (USAID WAFP) which IFDC has implemented over last five years in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).