OSS supports Tunisia in preparing its 2026 national report to the UNCCD

1-2 October 2026, Zarzis

The Sahara and Sahel Observatory, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment of Tunisia, organized a regional information and training workshop on 1 and 2 October 2026 in Zarzis, dedicated to the preparation of Tunisia’s 2026 national report to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Organized within the framework of the UMBRELLA-2 Project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with technical support from OSS, the workshop brought together representatives from several national and regional institutions. It aimed to share available methodologies and results, compare data with field realities, and contribute to improving the quality of information used to monitor land degradation and drought.

Participants reviewed the UNCCD reporting requirements, as well as the initial mapping results related to the main indicators of the Convention’s Strategic Objective 1. Particular attention was given to the three sub-indicators of SDG indicator 15.3.1: land cover change, land productivity and soil organic carbon.

The group work that followed provided an opportunity to compare these results with the knowledge and field experience of stakeholders working in the areas concerned. Discussions focused on the main areas affected by land degradation, the factors influencing them, restoration areas, as well as discrepancies identified between the maps and field observations, including false positives and false negatives.

This joint review also helped clarify the data available, the information that still needs to be completed, and the contributions expected from the various institutions for the national report. It highlighted the value of combining Earth Observation data with field knowledge to better characterize land degradation dynamics.

As the first in a series of regional workshops to be organized in southern, central and northern Tunisia, the workshop marked the beginning of a shared working process among institutions involved in monitoring land degradation and drought.

Through this support, OSS contributes to facilitating the mobilization of the data, geospatial tools and national expertise required to prepare Tunisia’s 2026 national report and monitor the country’s progress towards land degradation neutrality.