17 June 2026
From 11:00 to 13:30 CEST
To celebrate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2026, the AgroTech Hub Cluster is organising a free webinar dedicated to exploring how innovation can help drylands and drought-affected regions become more resilient.
As climate change intensifies, soil degradation, water scarcity and desertification are becoming increasingly urgent challenges. This webinar will bring together several projects from the AgroTech Hub Cluster to present social, technological and nature-based solutions that support soil restoration, sustainable land use and data-driven decision-making.
The first session: “Recognize & Respect”
It will focus on understanding soil degradation while showcasing practical solutions developed by different projects. Representatives from TERRASAFE, MONALISA, LandShift, Nemesis, AfroGrow and EARTHONE will share their approaches, including community compost hubs, regenerative land use, soil health living labs, agroforestry, nature-based solutions and digital tools for resilient land systems.
EARTHONE will be represented by Giancarlo Renella from the University of Padova, who will present how data-driven decision-making can support more resilient land systems and help stakeholders respond to climate and land-use challenges.
The second session: “Restore & Scale”
It will take the form of a Café Talk moderated by Francesca Assennato from ISPRA/MONALISA and Ioannis Varvaris from the Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence/Nemesis. The discussion will explore how to move from individual solutions to broader resilient systems that can be adapted, scaled and applied across different territories.
By connecting complementary projects and expertise, this AgroTech Hub cluster activity aims to highlight the importance of collaboration in tackling desertification and drought, while supporting healthier soils, stronger communities and more resilient landscapes.
Join us for this free webinar and discover how different projects are working together to combat desertification and drought.