Introduction
FAO's office for Iraq is responsible for developing, promoting, monitoring, and implementing agreed strategies for addressing food, agriculture, and rural development priorities in Iraq. As part of its strategy, FAO implements the GCP/IRQ/003/GFF project “Sustainable Land Management for Improved Livelihoods in Degraded Areas of Iraq” funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). One of the project components aims to build capacities at the national level to strategically assess land degradation threats, support the implementation of globally proven best Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices, and monitor progress to inform government and producer decision-making.
Training Objective
A key aspect of this project is the development of a comprehensive platform, powered by a digital land use mapping system. This platform is designed to monitor land degradation and provide critical data that enhances management practices, enabling farmers, extension officers, and government agencies to make informed decisions regarding the implementation of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) best practices. Technologies such as remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are vital for land use mapping and monitoring land degradation. However, their effectiveness depends on the accurate and up-to-date collection of spatial field data. This training aims to equip government and local authority staff with the skills needed to effectively leverage advanced tools and state-of-the-art remote sensing and GIS techniques for land degradation monitoring. Upon completion, participants will be proficient in providing the land degradation platform with accurate, current spatial data, ensuring the effective use and dissemination of knowledge to national stakeholders responsible for SLM in Iraq.
Training delivery
The training modules will be delivered by Dr. Mohsen Ramadan, Natural Resources and Management Information System Specialist at FAOIQ. Ramadan holds MSc and PhD degrees in cartography, GIS, and remote sensing, with a BSc in agricultural engineering. His main work is focused on using RS and GIS in agriculture monitoring.
Training materials will include the official help guides of the software/tools that will be explored during the training, such as Map Marker, ArcGIS Pro, and Google Earth Engine. Besides, presentation slides in Arabic, derived from the officially published help guides, explain to trainees step-by-step how to use the software/tools to achieve the training objectives.
Basically, there are 2 days of on-site training in Basra on using soil and water analyzers on collecting field measures, 6 days technical training in Baghdad on the use of RS/GIS tools for LD monitoring, and 2 days platform handover at MoE office in Baghdad. These modules were designed as informed by the on-site needs assessment conducted with relevant targeted stakeholders.