Civil Engineering August 2022 | Vol 30 No 7

12 August 2022 Civil Engineering T he GLO considered the complex factors around land degradation in Southern Africa, and the region’s responses. “We were also asked to highlight the cross-sectoral linkages of land-water-energy (LWE) systems or nexus points that can be used to leverage progress towards achieving land degrada- tion neutrality (LDN),” says Kilian. To deliver these insights in a practical format that engaged with SADC member countries’ institutions and commit- ments, the study team examined a vast range of documentation on policies and conventions. These ranged from desertification and biodiversity to climate change, and covered global, regional and national protocols. “We needed a detailed understanding of the vision and plans for the region, to map out the landscape of where it was currently and where it wanted to get to. We also needed to reflect what progress was being made towards these goals, so referred back to documents like the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030, which has a 10-year roadmap,” Kilian explains. This allowed the various opportuni- ties for LDN to be further explored and emphasised, including the harnessing of aspects like water, renewable energy and land. Challenges to progress included maintaining the condition of land, pre- serving the ecosystems on which people rely, and accessing funds to harness renewable energy to achieve better energy access. “We worked closely with a reference committee headed by the UNCCD Secretariat, which included the SADC Secretariat. In addition to providing guidance, this group was able to offer information that augmented our other data platforms.” Kilian highlights the task of the team as being to synthesise the vast volume of information and to make it accessible – through data-rich infographics, for example, that reflect the current state of affairs in progress toward LDN. “We also conducted one-on-one interviews with stakeholders in the different regions,” he said. “After our initial research into the key strategic documentation, we hosted a workshop to which we invited about 80 stakeholders and partners in the region.” PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS Presenting its initial research to the stakeholders, and proposing an outline for the GLO, SRK was able to gain valu- able feedback in terms of case studies. This allowed the report to be well populated with real-life examples of initiatives from around Southern Africa. These provided insights into how well implementation was working in different socio-cultural, environmental and po- litical conditions. “This was important, as the docu- ment will be used by policymakers and senior officials in government – who are responsible for areas like water and land management. To be useful, the regional focus needed to be brought down to national and sub-national level too; case studies help to do this, so that readers can see their own situation in the examples of others,” says Kilian. This, he notes, could lead to ‘aha’ moments – where decision makers see successful interventions in other SADC countries that bear relevance and value. However, he stresses that the GLO report is not intended to be prescriptive in terms of how SADC countries responded. Darryll Kilian Environmental Consultant & Partner SRK Consulting Land outlook study presents insights for SADC Conducted for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), a Global Land Outlook (GLO) study was published earlier this year. The UNCCD appointed SRK partner and environmental consultant Darryll Kilian to lead the study, entitled the Regional Thematic Report for Southern Africa: Leveraging the Land, Water and Energy Nexus in SADC . The report outlines the challenges in accessing funds to harness renewable energy