2022 Désertif’Actions Summit

Dr Madina Doumbia and Dr Adama Bakayoko, from the University Felix Houphouet Boigny (UFHB), Côte d’Ivoire, recently participated in the 2022 Désertif’Actions summit, held in Montpellier from the 5th to the 8th of October. The meeting brought together NGOs, scientists, local authorities, international institutions, as well as actors from the private and public sectors to discuss land degradation through the prisms of desertification, protection of biodiversity, adaptation to climate change and its consequences in the North and in the South.

The meeting was a unique opportunity for the two young scientists to participate in a conference much broader than the academic conferences usually attended. They participated in presentations and panel discussions on the issues of desertification, agriculture, nitrogen and food security.

The associated festival Des Terres et Des Graines (Soil and Seeds), a day dedicated to sharing with the public, was held on October 8. Madina and Adama presented a poster describing the H2020 MSCA RISE Integrated Nitrogen Studies in Africa (INSA) project, and the Petit.e.s Débrouillard.e.s Science Animation Truck presented hands-on activities about nitrogen and its role in agriculture and the environment.