The MonLand and ML-SOIL projects from IGOT-ULisboa have been approved as part of the 2nd edition of the Science for Public Policy Studies Competition (Science4Policy), launched by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in partnership with PlanAPP – the Centre for Policy Planning and Foresight Competence in Public Administration.

Monitoring the impact on Ecosystem Services through different soil management practices to inform sustainable land use and occupation policies (MonLand)

The MonLand project, led by Eduardo Jonas Gomes (CEG/IGOT-ULisboa), has two main objectives: (i) to assess soil health by comparing different management practices across various land use types, and (ii) to quantify the impact of these practices on ecosystem services.

This project is of great importance both locally and globally, aligning with national, European, and global strategies for biodiversity conservation and sustainable soil management. It represents a fundamental step towards promoting a balanced coexistence between human activities and ecological integrity.

The MonLand project (2024.00129.S4P24) will last 12 months, with a planned start date in late 2024. The CEG team consists of researchers Eduardo Jonas Gomes (coordinator), Carlos Neto, Cláudia Morais Viana, Eduarda Marques da Costa, Jorge Rocha, and Patrícia Abrantes, with the collaboration of ICNF.

Co-participative Modelling of Soil Districts based on Machine Learning (ML-SOIL)

The ML-SOIL project, led by Jorge Rocha (CEG/IGOT-ULisboa), combines the use of innovative machine learning algorithms with public participation methods for sustainable soil management, addressing the challenges of the EU Soil Monitoring Directive (SMD).

ML-SOIL (2024.00178.S4P24) proposes a dynamic and collaborative methodology that integrates soil quality assessment and stakeholder engagement, aiming to define Soil Units (SU) considering the national diversity of soil, climate variations, and agricultural practices. The goal is to advance sustainable soil management practices, promoting agricultural sustainability and rural development in the European Union.

The project will run for 12 months, starting on 1 November 2024. The CEG team includes Jorge Rocha (coordination), Cláudia Viana (co-coordination), António Lopes, César Capinha, Eduardo Gomes, Ricardo Garcia, and Sérgio Oliveira, with the collaboration of Mykolas Romeris University and the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

These two projects, both part of the Climate Transition and Resource Sustainability thematic area, reflect CEG/IGOT-ULisboa's commitment to promoting scientific knowledge applied to public policy, in line with the priorities of the Portugal 2030 Strategy and the global challenges of sustainability and environmental management.