The kick-off meeting for the HORIZON project MONitoring and Assessing prevention and restoration soLutIons to combat deSertificAtion – MONALISA was successfully held in the city of Sassari, Sardinia, from October 1–3. This inaugural meeting of the partners was organized by the project coordinator, Università degli Studi di Sassari and included preparatory work as well as the first field visit by the project team to the Berchidda-Monti area, one of the six case studies of the project.
The project focuses on promoting innovative and region-specific solutions for the prevention and reversal of land degradation and desertification. In this context, emphasis was placed on collaboration with other desertification-related projects, such as TERRASAFE and SALAM-MED, whose scientific coordinators attended the second day of the meeting and presented their activities.
On the first day, the project team exchanged views on management challenges and the multi-level organization required for this complex project, which involves a large number of partners. The agenda included presentations of the six work packages (WPs) by the leaders of the respective teams responsible for their implementation. Each WP’s objectives and tasks were presented and described, with particular focus on the interactions among the different teams and the necessity of coordinating their actions.
The second day followed the discussions of the first, where initial timelines, actions to be implemented, and their objectives were set.
Despite the rain, the third day was a unique experience for all participants, as the planned field visit offered a new perspective on the discussions of the previous days. Current practices of the region’s agroforestry system were demonstrated, creating a valuable feedback loop for the sustainable management, use, and development of soil resources.
