Rewarding leadership for sustainable land management
Applications for the 2012 Land for Life Award are now open.
The award will go to inspiring initiatives which secure the health
and productivity of soil for the well-being of present and future
generations.
The prize will be awarded to those efforts which reduce land
degradation through sustainable land management, or are outstanding
examples of political leadership, policy, business, advocacy campaigns
or scientific research.
SELECTION CRITERIA
In selecting the winner, the Jury will consider the following:
Innovation: fresh thinking and practical solutions to the problems of land degradation
Inspiration: shows leadership and inspires others to change behavior
Impact: measurable improvements to the land, soils and livelihoods
Replicability: lessons learned for sustainable land management can be reproduced by others
Applications should demonstrate results in any of the following areas:
Technical implementation
- Outstanding sustainable land management practices
- Enhancement or regeneration of lands leading to improved soil health, fertility and yield
- Reduction or mitigation of land degradation and the negative effects of drought
Policy Measures and Leadership
- Creative policy measures fostering sustainable land management, soil regeneration, or drought mitigation through soils enhancement
- Policy incentives for the private sector that facilitate improved sustainable land management and/or direct enhancement of soils
- International cooperation for combating desertification, land degradation and drought
Business Practices
- Business practices that regenerate and preserve soil health, fertility, and human livelihood in the drylands
- Business practices which lower energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in land and soils related processes
- Business practices which enhance the concentration of soil organic matter and increase soil capacity to act as a carbon sink in the drylands
Advocacy, Education and Empowerment
- Community mobilization for sustainable land management
- Advocacy, communication or information initiatives which focus attention on people in the drylands
- Advocacy, communication or information initiatives which generate heightened awareness about the global benefits of soil regeneration and protection as an opportunity and as an imperative of our time
- Advocacy, communication or information initiatives which promote better understanding about the situation in the drylands, making the public and decision-makers aware that dryland areas are not a global liability but an asset and a potential solution to some of today's most pressing global problems
- Educational activities which increase understanding and knowledge of desertification and land degradation, as well as drought, and heighten knowledge of effective sustainable land management practices
Scientific Finding and Knowledge Sharing
- Scientific research or innovations which contribute to improving the health of soils and land management, and generate biological, environmental, social and economic benefits in the drylands, with possible effects in other parts of the world as well.
The Jury
particularly welcomes nominations of candidates whose work is:
innovative, collaborative, achieved in partnership across sectors,
supports free knowledge sharing and capacity building, empowers
vulnerable and marginalized groups, and fosters gender equality,
cultural diversity and social inclusion.
Three awards will be granted in 2012 from a total prize fund of up to USD 100,000.
The deadline for applications is 29 February 2012.
Nominations are welcome from:
- individuals
- institutions
- non-governmental organizations and civil society
- private sector
- academic and research organizations
- policy makers
- journalists and media.
Winners will be announced on the World Day to Combat Desertification,17 June 2012.
Moreinfo: http://www.unccd.int/land4life/menu.php
