World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is marked on 17 June. Promoted by the United Nations, this date aims to raise awareness of land degradation, the loss of ecosystem productivity, and water scarcity — challenges that are increasingly relevant in the context of climate change.
In 2026, the observance is held under the theme “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore.”, highlighting natural grasslands and other grazing systems for their importance to climate resilience, food and water security, biodiversity conservation, and the communities that depend on them.
At CESAM — Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, research in this area spans different scientific domains, including ecology, soil biology, environmental chemistry, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, water management, waste valorisation, risk assessment, and community engagement. This transdisciplinary approach contributes to understanding, monitoring, preventing, and mitigating soil degradation, supporting territories that are more resilient to drought, desertification, and climate change.
This work is aligned with CESAM’s Thematic Lines: Climate Change, Adaptation and Mitigation; Environmental Management, Pollution and Modelling; and Socio-Ecological Systems and Resources. Among the Research Clusters, RC2 — Soil Functions, Agriculture and Forestry, and RC5 — Environmental Monitoring, Health and Risk Assessment stand out.
Among the ongoing projects, TERRASAFE.PT develops solutions to reduce soil degradation and increase water availability in vulnerable inland territories; Soil@INT combines field data, remote sensing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to support the early monitoring of soil degradation; CURIOSOIL promotes soil literacy and brings society closer to this essential resource; and SOILSPONGE studies agroecological solutions, including the use of biochar, to strengthen the soil’s capacity to store water.
In a country with regions vulnerable to aridity, erosion, loss of organic matter, water scarcity, and declining soil productivity, the research developed at CESAM reinforces the role of science in building sustainable responses. Protecting soils means protecting water, biodiversity, food production, ecosystem services, and the capacity of territories to face the effects of climate change.
On this World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, CESAM highlights the urgency of recognising the value of soils and investing in knowledge, innovation, monitoring, and cooperation with local stakeholders to restore ecosystems, prevent degradation, and promote more resilient territories.