Improving soil health and resilience in UNESCO designated sites

Expected impact: global soil health and resilience to climate change is improved.

Expected outcomes:

• soil health and soil resilience to climate change are improved in UNESCO designated sites through innovative and sustainable soil management practices;
• new knowledge and FAIR[[Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable.]] data on soil health are generated, shared and made available, in particular in and among UNESCO designated sites;
• national soil policies supporting sustainable land management practices are strengthened;
• general awareness on the importance of soil health and resilience, as well as soil literacy are increased.

Scope: This indirectly managed action contributes to the implementation of the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, by strengthening its international dimension, as well as to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 15 – life on land, SDG 2 – zero hunger, and SDG 13 – climate action.

Considering its unique and powerful role in promoting sustainable development through science, education, culture, and knowledge sharing across the world, its recently launched Soil Initiative: Soil Sentinel Sites for land degradation, climate and biodiversity action, as well as its activities under the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme aimed at improving human livelihoods and safeguarding natural and managed ecosystems, which include soils, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is the designated beneficiary of this indirectly managed action.

The aim of this indirectly managed action is to improve global soil health and resilience through research, monitoring and capacity building in UNESCO designated sites.

UNESCO should:

• pilot, monitor and evaluate innovative and sustainable land management initiatives aimed at improving soil health and resilience in at least ten UNESCO designated-sites, while contributing to foster sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and climate mitigation and adaptation;
• generate new knowledge and FAIR data on soils, soil health and soil biodiversity. Information should be shared among UNESCO networks and made accessible to the general public, including the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO);
• create a multi-stakeholder expert group to engage the necessary expertise and mobilise relevant organisations to contribute to the achievement of the expected outcomes;
• engage with a representative number of UNESCO Member States (at least one for each global region) to strengthen national policies for the protection and restoration of soil health;
• provide policy advise, guidelines and capacity building activities to encourage policymakers across the world to adopt policies aimed at supporting sustainable land management practices;
• organise training, peer-to-peer learning, and capacity building activities to share knowledge and sustainable land management practices among UNESCO site leaders and communities;
• develop and monitor the effectiveness of awareness-raising campaigns and educational materials on the importance of soil, encouraging actions for the protection and restoration of soil health and resilience.

UNESCO should collaborate with the Mission Soil Secretariat. It should also consider dedicated activities and appropriate resources for coordination and joint measures with relevant Horizon Europe projects and initiatives funded under the Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”, including engagement in relevant clustering processes.

UNESCO should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability and interoperability of knowledge and outputs through close collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory and SoilWise.

Because the action requires UNESCO’s mandate and stewardship of designated sites (Soil Sentinel Sites, Global Geoparks, Biosphere Reserves), it is awarded via a non-competitive approach.

The evaluation committee will be composed partially by representatives of EU institutions.

This action supports the follow-up to the July 2023 Communication on EU Missions assessment.