Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon (GSOC17)

Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon (GSOC17) -

unlocking the potential of mitigating and adapting to a changing climate

FAO is hosting a Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon (GSOC17) at its Headquarters in Rome, Italy on 21 – 23 March 2017. This Symposium, jointly organized by the Global Soil Partnership (GSP), the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and its Science-Policy Interface and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), will welcome over 400 participants.

The Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon will bring together international experts with the aim of reviewing the role of soils and soil organic carbon (SOC) in the context of climate change and sustainable development. It will also build scientific evidence that could be assessed in the regular IPCC Assessment Reports (ARs), starting with the AR6 report and other reports to be produced during the 6th assessment cycle, as well as reporting to UNFCCC, UNCCD and on the SDGs.

The Symposium will be opened by Mr. José Graziano Da Silva (Director-General of FAO), H.E. Jioji Konousi Konrote (President of the Republic of Fiji), Ms. Monique Barbut (Executive Secretary UNCCD), Ms. Patricia Espinosa (UNFCCC Executive Secretary) and Abdalah Mokssit (IPCC Secretary), along with two video messages from Ms. Elena Manaenkova (Deputy Secretary-General, WMO) and Mr. Kamernu Vella (EU Commissioner for Environment). During the first day of the Symposium, the opening and plenary sessions will be interpreted into the 6 FAO languages, while the parallel sessions and side events will be held in English only.

During the Symposium more than 100 oral presentations will be given and 30 poster presentations displayed under three main themes:

Das Bild wurde vom Absender entfernt.
    

THEME 1 | Measuring, mapping, monitoring and reporting SOC
    

THEME 2 | Maintaining and/or increasing SOC stocks (fostering SOC sequestration) for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and Land Degradation Neutrality
    

THEME 3 | Managing SOC in soils a) with high SOC - peatlands, permafrost, and black soils b) grasslands, and livestock production systems and c) in dryland soils.