A proposed national consultancy supporting Pakistan’s UNCCD 2026 reporting through satellite land monitoring, GIS mapping, and PRAIS4 integration.
Satellite Land Monitoring and GIS Mapping for Pakistan’s UNCCD National Report 2026
Proposed Project | Trend Nova World (Private) Limited
Project Overview
This proposed consultancy supports the Government of Pakistan in the preparation of its 2026 National Report to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Submitted by Trend Nova World (TNW), the project focuses on delivering a comprehensive satellite-based land monitoring and GIS mapping system aligned with UNCCD reporting requirements and the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) framework.
The assignment is designed to provide a turnkey, end-to-end solution from acquisition and processing of multi-source satellite imagery to final integration of validated datasets into the UNCCD PRAIS4 reporting platform. By combining advanced geospatial science with deep institutional knowledge of Pakistan’s climate and land governance landscape, the project aims to strengthen the country’s evidence base for international environmental reporting.
Strategic Context and Rationale
Land degradation, drought, and declining soil productivity pose significant risks to food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience in Pakistan. As a Party to the UNCCD, Pakistan is required to periodically report on progress against SDG Indicator 15.3.1, covering land cover change, land productivity, and soil organic carbon stocks.
Preparing a high-quality national report requires:
- Consistent, scientifically robust spatial datasets
- Alignment with UNCCD Good Practice Guidance (GPG)
- Institutional capacity to manage and update geospatial information
- Accurate and transparent reporting through the PRAIS4 system
This consultancy responds to these requirements by introducing standardized, reproducible, and policy-relevant geospatial workflows, ensuring that Pakistan’s 2026 submission meets international quality benchmarks and supports long-term land management decision-making.
Institutional Value and Technical Strength
Trend Nova World brings together policy leadership, geospatial expertise, and operational readiness for national-level environmental reporting.
As outlined in the proposal, TNW has established a dedicated PhD-led technical cell for this assignment, comprising specialists in:
- Remote sensing and satellite time-series analysis
- Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) assessment
- Drought modeling and spatial data integration
- UN-standard environmental reporting and documentation
The team combines advanced use of Google Earth Engine, Trends.Earth, and internationally accepted indicators with practical experience supporting government institutions and multilateral reporting processes Technical Proposal.
Project Objectives
The proposed consultancy aims to:
- Develop national baseline datasets for SDG 15.3.1 sub-indicators
- Assess land degradation, drought trends, and carbon stocks using satellite data
- Generate validated spatial maps covering all provinces and regions
- Strengthen institutional capacity within the Ministry of Climate Change
- Ensure accurate and timely submission of Pakistan’s UNCCD 2026 report via PRAIS4
Technical Approach and Methodology
The methodology strictly follows the UNCCD Good Practice Guidance (GPG) for the 2026 reporting cycle, ensuring consistency, transparency, and comparability across reporting periods.
Phase 1: Data Acquisition and Baseline Development
High-resolution satellite datasets are acquired and processed to establish national baselines for:
- Land cover and land cover change
- Land productivity (trajectory, state, and performance)
- Soil organic carbon stocks
Primary data sources include Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8/9, processed through Google Earth Engine to ensure scalability and reproducibility Technical Proposal.
Phase 2: Technical Analysis and LDN Mapping
Using the Trends.Earth analytical framework, the project conducts:
- National and sub-national LDN assessments
- Drought analysis using standardized precipitation indices
- Identification of land degradation hotspots and brightspots
Outputs include harmonized spatial layers illustrating degradation trends and resilience patterns across ecological zones.
Phase 3: Stakeholder Validation and Capacity Building
To ensure institutional ownership and data credibility, the project includes:
- Technical validation workshops with government stakeholders
- Hands-on training for Ministry of Climate Change staff
- Capacity building on geospatial data interpretation and NFMS portal management
This phase ensures that national counterparts are equipped to use, update, and interpret the datasets beyond the reporting cycle.
Phase 4: Final Reporting and PRAIS4 Integration
The final phase focuses on:
- Compilation of the national narrative report
- Formatting and uploading spatial and tabular datasets
- Full integration into the UNCCD PRAIS4 platform
All outputs are prepared in accordance with UNCCD reporting templates and quality assurance standards.
Geographic Scope
The consultancy covers all provinces and regions of Pakistan, including provincial territories and special administrative areas, ensuring full national coverage and consistency across datasets.
Cross-Cutting Principles
The project integrates several cross-cutting priorities:
- Scientific rigor and transparency
- Institutional capacity strengthening
- Digital innovation and cloud-based analytics
- Policy relevance and international comparability
- Sustainability of national data systems
Expected Outcomes
Upon completion, the project is expected to deliver:
- A scientifically robust national land degradation baseline
- High-quality spatial datasets aligned with UNCCD standards
- Strengthened government capacity in geospatial reporting
- A credible and evidence-based UNCCD National Report 2026
- Enhanced positioning of Pakistan in international environmental reporting
Project Status
This initiative has been formally submitted as a proposed national consultancy and is currently positioned within Trend Nova World’s Project Pipeline as a flagship geospatial analytics, land governance, and international environmental reporting assignment.
