International FAO Soil Biodiversity Training Course Held at DCV
On 29–30 May, the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Coimbra (DCV-UC) hosted the international training course “Soil Biodiversity Measurements and Capacity-Building”, promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Coimbra.
The course brought together FAO technical staff and participants from Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize, Canada, and Uzbekistan, who engaged in practical training focused on the measurement of key indicators to assess soil health and biodiversity. This initiative is part of the FAO’s global efforts to support the implementation of national soil health monitoring programmes.
The biological component of the course was led by José Paulo Sousa (DCV-UC), with the support of PhD students Fernanda Santo, Filipa Reis, Sara Mendes, Ricardo Leitão, and Márcia Bessa Silva, who were responsible for demonstrating and training participants in biological soil health indicators.
This international training highlights the DCV’s commitment to scientific capacity-building, global collaboration, and the promotion of science-based environmental sustainability.
