ELD AMBASSADORS

The role and tasks of the ELD Ambassadors

Although their role as ELD ambassador is a voluntary assignment not including any form of salary, all ELD ambassadors show a very high commitment to the ELD vision and mission. They play a crucial role in the coordination of ELD activities on national level and represent the Initiative in their respective country.

In their function as ambassadors, they help:

  • to establish linkages between research institutions and the policy sector to motivate and facilitate science-policy dialogues regarding the need for a shift of policies towards the promotion of sustainable land management practices;
  • to lobby for holistic economic valuation in the research and policy community, taking into account the value of ecosystem services;
  • to disseminate results of ELD studies on national and international level in order to attract attention to the economic dimension of land degradation and benefits of sustainable land management.

The majority of the ELD ambassadors have a scientific background in research and teaching. The ELD Initiative provides them with new ideas, inspirations, tools as well as opportunities in regard to interaction with decision makers. They become an integral part of the ELD network and thereby acquire further knowledge, skills and experiences.