The webinar of the FAO technical Division on Land and Water will discuss current knowledge concerning the engagement of youth and young professionals who play a key role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The session will deliver lightning talks from young professionals on how youth and innovation go hand in hand to deliver solutions, on land, soil, and water resources management and restoration for a sustainable tomorrow. 

Today's youth hold the capital of innovative and scalable solutions and ideas. In the context of COVID-19 pandemic, intergenerational exchange and cooperation are even more crucial to bridge past experiences with innovative ideas, driving the creation of holistic solutions, and addressing how youth can engage in ecosystem restoration.

The objectives of the webinar are as follows:

•  Highlight innovative projects and approaches for sustainable land, soil, and water management.

•  Provide successful examples of the role of youth as key actors in international development.

• Explore ways to further include youth in decision-making and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The program of the webinar includes:

Opening Remarks: Mr. Maximo Torero, Chief Economist and Assistant Director-General for Economic and Social Development, FAO (TBC)

Lightning Talks: 

• Communicating WaPOR data uses water accounting  
  Ms Alyne Spencer Gonçalves, FAO
• Genetic Forensics in Water Quality & Food Safety 
  Mr. Omar Elhassan, FAO 
• SMART Irrigation SMART WaSH  
  Ms. Eva Pek, FAO 
• Geospatial Mapping for Resilience 
  Ms Ritu Saimunnahar, FAO 
• The Soil Doctors Programme 
  Ms. Zineb Bazza, Global Soil Partnership, FAO 
• Youth engagement towards the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 
  Ms. Michelle Stitz, Generation Climate Europe - UN Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY) 

Closing Remarks: Ms. Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General of Natural Resources and Sustainable Production Stream, FAO 

Moderator: Ms. Sasha Koo Oshima, Deputy Director, Land, and Water Division.