National Soil Laboratory Networks
The success and impact of the Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) strongly relies on the work and commitment of its member laboratories and on their ability to up and downscale GLOSOLAN activities and harmonized protocols. Regional Soil Laboratory Networks (RESOLANs) facilitate downscaling at the regional level. However, only the establishment of National Soil Laboratory Networks (NASOLANs) able to break down language and cultural barriers can make a difference at the country level.
Each NASOLAN represents the lowest network level of GLOSOLAN. They allow all soil laboratories in a country to interact with each other, overcome common challenges and help each other to build their capacity in soil analysis. Their tasks are described in NASOLAN's Terms of Reference (AR|EN|ES|FR|RU).
It is the responsibility of each National Reference Laboratory (see Terms of Reference (AR|EN|ES|FR|RU) to lead the establishment of their NASOLAN and to coordinate the implementation of GLOSOLAN activities at the country level. To assist the National Reference Laboratories in this task, GLOSOLAN has prepared Guidelines on how to establish a National Soil Laboratory Network including case studies, and has created a NASOLAN webpage for each country.
Each webpage contains the following information:
- Status of the establishment of the network. Established/under establishment/not established
- Name of the network and number of members in the network
- Brief history of the network with a focus on the steps taken by the laboratories to establish it, the obstacles faced and potential supporters.
- Information on the activities implemented and meetings organized by the network. In this section, meetings material and outcome documents of the activities implemented by the NASOLAN will be published.
- Main needs and challenges of the network
- Main needs and challenges of the network’s laboratories
- Information on the National Reference Laboratory
- Information on the soil laboratories belonging to the NASOLAN
- A map showing the geographic distribution of soil laboratories within each country
