Kevin Mwenda (Brown University) - Integrating earth observations and socioeconomic datasets to quantify and assess human-environment dimensions of land degradation

Abstract: Land degradation – the loss of the productive potential of land – is a global challenge that increases the vulnerability of people already at risk of impacts from climate variability and change. This lecture highlights some open-source resources for monitoring land degradation and discusses plans to integrate with gridded population and sub-national livelihood datasets. In so doing, I demonstrate how UN member nations can implement a standardized framework towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 15.3.1, improving the livelihoods of those most affected, and build resilience to safeguard against the most extreme effects of climate change. 

Speaker: Kevin Mwenda, Assistant Professor of Population Studies, Brown University