Objective

The Latin American School of Soil Science or ELAFIS contributes to capacity building of young professionals and early-career scientists on topics related to soil and water management, in order to enhance resilience of natural and agricultural systems to drought and desertification.

Expected outcomes

The expected outcomes of the ELAFIS are to:

Provide technical and professional training to more than 60 professionals in the region on how to manage soils to mitigate droughts

Improve the capacities on soil management of researchers and technicians associated with the Latin American and Caribbean Drought Network to mitigate droughts

Prepare a soil management method guideline to mitigate droughts

ELAFIS 2015 - Ayacucho, Peru

The 2015 version of ELAFIS had focus specifically on “Applications for precision agriculture, land degradation and extreme climate events (drought, frost) assessment", and the specific focus were:

• Teledetection: remote sensing
• Land use
• Land degradation: degradation of biodiversity, soil degradation
• Climate change: climate impact
• Soil Physical properties and processes

Access the ELAFIS 2015 page

ELAFIS 2012 - Medellin, Colombia

The ELAFIS workshop was held on “Prevention of disasters and rational management of the natural environment through soil physics and hydrology”, from 9-20 July 2012 in Medellin, Colombia.

Dedicated training sessions were given to 44 professionals from 9 different countries from Latin America, specifically related to soil water management, conservation agriculture, hydrographical information systems, climate change, organic manuring to reduce drought stress, soil degradation and remediation.

Access the ELAFIS 2012 page

ELAFIS Publications

Lobo D.; Gabriels D.; Soto G. 2005. Evaluación de parámetros y procesos hidrológicos en el suelo. Compendio de los trabajos presentados en la VII Escuela Latinoamericana de Física de Suelos. Tema: Hidrología de suelos. La Serena, Chile 2-14 Noviembre de 2003. Programa Hidrológico Internacional (UNESCO - París). PHI-VI. Documentos Técnicos en Hidrología Nº 71. 141p. (ISBN 92-9089-090-8).

Lobo D.; D. Gabriels; J. L. Oropeza M.; J. D. Ríos B. 2008. Física y Conservación de Suelos para la Planificación de Cuencas Hidrográficas. Compendio de los trabajos presentados en la VIII Escuela Latinoamericana de Física de Suelos, realizada en el Colegio de Postgraduados, Montecillo, Texcoco, México, del 07 al 18 de Noviembre del 2005. International Centre for Eremology (ICE) con la UNESCO Chair of Eremology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. I.C.E. Special Report N° 5. 82p. (ISBN 978-90-5989-198-2)

Lobo D.; Gabriels D.; Cisneros F.; Cisneros P. 2010. Física de Suelos y el Manejo de la Tierra y el Agua en Zonas de Ladera Compendio de los trabajos presentados en la IX Escuela Latinoamericana de Física de Suelos, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador. 01 – 10 Octubre de 2007. International Centre for Eremology (ICE) con la UNESCO Chair of Eremology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. I.C.E. Special Report N° 6. 89p. (ISBN 978-90-5989-198-2)

Lobo D. Gabriels D. y Dias M. 2011. Física de Suelos clave para el manejo sostenible de los recursos agua y suelos. Compendio de los trabajos presentados en la IX Escuela Latinoamericana de Física de Suelos, Universidad de Lavras, Brasil. 01 – 10 Octubre de 2009. I.C.E. Special Report N° 7. 177p. (ISBN 978-90-5989-198-2)