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Gudrun Schwilch - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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economic benefits and costs of Sustainable Land Management technologies an analysis of wocat s global data
Land Degradation & Development, 2018Co-Authors: Markus Giger, Hanspeter Liniger, Caspar Sauter, Gudrun SchwilchAbstract:Perceived profitability is a key factor in explaining farmers' decision to adopt or not adopt Sustainable Land Management (SLM) technologies. Despite this importance, relatively little is known about the economics of SLM. This paper contributes to the literature by analysing data on costs and perceived cost/benefit ratios of SLM technologies. Data are taken from the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies technology database and cover 363 case studies conducted in a variety of countries between 1990 and 2012. Based on an in-depth descriptive analysis, we determine what costs accrue to local stakeholders and assess perceived short-term and long-term cost/benefit ratios. Our results show that a large majority of the technologies in our sample are perceived as being profitable: 73% were perceived to have a positive or at least neutral cost/benefit ratio in the short term, while 97% were perceived to have a positive or very positive cost/benefit ratio in the long term. An additional empirical analysis confirms that economic factors are key determinants of Land users' decisions to adopt or not adopt SLM technologies. We conclude that a wide range of existing SLM practices generate considerable benefits not only for Land users, but for other stakeholders as well. High initial investment costs associated with some practices may, however, constitute a barrier to their adoption; short-term support for Land users can help to promote these practices where appropriate.
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Sustainable Land Management slm practices in dryLands how do they address desertification threats
Environmental Management, 2014Co-Authors: Gudrun Schwilch, Hanspeter Liniger, Hans HurniAbstract:Managing Land sustainably is a huge challenge, especially under harsh climatic conditions such as those found in dryLands. The socio-economic situation can also pose challenges, as dryLand regions are often characterized by remoteness, marginality, low-productive farming, weak institutions, and even conflict. With threats from climate change, disputes over water, competing claims on Land, and migration increasing worldwide, the demands for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) measures will only increase in the future. Within the EU-funded DESIRE project, researchers and stakeholders jointly identified existing SLM technologies and approaches in 17 dryLand study sites located in the Mediterranean and around the world. In order to evaluate and share this valuable SLM experience, local researchers documented the SLM technologies and approaches in collaboration with Land users, utilizing the internationally recognized WOCAT questionnaires. This article provides an analysis of 30 technologies and 8 approaches, enabling an initial evaluation of how SLM addresses prevalent dryLand threats, such as water scarcity, soil degradation, vegetation degradation and low production, climate change, resource use conflicts, and migration. Among the impacts attributed to the documented technologies, those mentioned most were diversified and enhanced production and better Management of water and soil degradation, whether through water harvesting, improving soil moisture, or reducing runoff. Favorable local-scale cost–benefit relationships were mainly found when considered over the long term. Nevertheless, SLM was found to improve people’s livelihoods and prevent further outmigration. More field research is needed to reinforce expert assessments of SLM impacts and provide the necessary evidence-based rationale for investing in SLM.
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Sustainable Land Management slm practices in dryLands how do they address desertification threats
Environmental Management, 2014Co-Authors: Gudrun Schwilch, Hanspeter Liniger, Hans HurniAbstract:Managing Land sustainably is a huge challenge, especially under harsh climatic conditions such as those found in dryLands. The socio-economic situation can also pose challenges, as dryLand regions are often characterized by remoteness, marginality, low-productive farming, weak institutions, and even conflict. With threats from climate change, disputes over water, competing claims on Land, and migration increasing worldwide, the demands for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) measures will only increase in the future. Within the EU-funded DESIRE project, researchers and stakeholders jointly identified existing SLM technologies and approaches in 17 dryLand study sites located in the Mediterranean and around the world. In order to evaluate and share this valuable SLM experience, local researchers documented the SLM technologies and approaches in collaboration with Land users, utilizing the internationally recognized WOCAT questionnaires. This article provides an analysis of 30 technologies and 8 approaches, enabling an initial evaluation of how SLM addresses prevalent dryLand threats, such as water scarcity, soil degradation, vegetation degradation and low production, climate change, resource use conflicts, and migration. Among the impacts attributed to the documented technologies, those mentioned most were diversified and enhanced production and better Management of water and soil degradation, whether through water harvesting, improving soil moisture, or reducing runoff. Favorable local-scale cost–benefit relationships were mainly found when considered over the long term. Nevertheless, SLM was found to improve people’s livelihoods and prevent further outmigration. More field research is needed to reinforce expert assessments of SLM impacts and provide the necessary evidence-based rationale for investing in SLM.
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a structured multi stakeholder learning process for Sustainable Land Management
Journal of Environmental Management, 2012Co-Authors: Gudrun Schwilch, Felicitas Bachmann, Sandra Valente, C O A Coelho, Jorge Moreira, Abdellah Laouina, Miloud Chaker, Mohamed Aderghal, Patricia Santos, Mark ReedAbstract:Abstract There are many, often competing, options for Sustainable Land Management (SLM). Each must be assessed – and sometimes negotiated – prior to implementation. Participatory, multi-stakeholder approaches to identification and selection of SLM options are increasingly popular, often motivated by social learning and empowerment goals. Yet there are few practical tools for facilitating processes in which Land managers may share, select, and decide on the most appropriate SLM options. The research presented here aims to close the gap between the theory and the practice of stakeholder participation/learning in SLM decision-making processes. The paper describes a three-part participatory methodology for selecting SLM options that was tested in 14 desertification-prone study sites within the EU-DESIRE project. Cross-site analysis and in-depth evaluation of the Moroccan and Portuguese sites were used to evaluate how well the proposed process facilitated stakeholder learning and selection of appropriate SLM options for local implementation. The structured nature of the process – starting with SLM goal setting – was found to facilitate mutual understanding and collaboration between stakeholders. The deliberation process led to a high degree of consensus over the outcome and, though not an initial aim, it fostered social learning in many cases. This solution-oriented methodology is applicable in a wide range of contexts and may be implemented with limited time and resources.
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desire for greener Land options for Sustainable Land Management in dryLands
2012Co-Authors: Gudrun Schwilch, Rudi Hessel, Simone VerzandvoortAbstract:Desire for Greener Land compiles options for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in dryLands. It is a result of the integrated research project DESIRE (Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land - A Global Approach for Local Solutions). Lasting five years (2007–2012) and funded within the EU’s Sixth Framework Programme, DESIRE brought together the expertise of 26 international research institutes and non-governmental organisations. The DESIRE project aimed to establish promising alternative Land use and Management strategies in 17 degradation and desertification sites around the world, relying on close collaboration between scientists and local stakeholder groups. The study sites provided a global laboratory in which researchers could apply, test, and identify new and innovative approaches to combatting desertification. The resulting SLM strategies are local- to regional-scale interventions designed to increase productivity, preserve natural resource bases, and improve people’s livelihoods. These were documented and mapped using the internationally recognised WOCAT (World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies) methodological framework, which formed an integral part of the DESIRE project. The DESIRE approach offers an integrated multidisciplinary way of working together from the beginning to the end of a project; it enables scientists, local stakeholders and policy makers to jointly find solutions to desertification. This book describes the DESIRE approach and WOCAT methodology for a range of audiences, from local agricultural advisors to scientists and policymakers. Links are provided to manuals and online materials, enabling application of the various tools and methods in similar projects. The book also includes an analysis of the current context of degradation and SLM in the study sites, in addition to analysis of the SLM technologies and approaches trialled in the DESIRE project. Thirty SLM technologies, eight SLM approaches, and several degradation and SLM maps from all the DESIRE study sites are compiled in a concise and well-illustrated format, following the style of this volume’s forerunner where the Land is greener (WOCAT 2007). Finally, conclusions and policy points are presented on behalf of decision makers, the private sector, civil society, donors, and the research community. These are intended to support people’s efforts to invest wisely in the Sustainable Management of Land – enabling greener dryLands to become a reality, not just a desire.
Hans Hurni - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Sustainable Land Management slm practices in dryLands how do they address desertification threats
Environmental Management, 2014Co-Authors: Gudrun Schwilch, Hanspeter Liniger, Hans HurniAbstract:Managing Land sustainably is a huge challenge, especially under harsh climatic conditions such as those found in dryLands. The socio-economic situation can also pose challenges, as dryLand regions are often characterized by remoteness, marginality, low-productive farming, weak institutions, and even conflict. With threats from climate change, disputes over water, competing claims on Land, and migration increasing worldwide, the demands for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) measures will only increase in the future. Within the EU-funded DESIRE project, researchers and stakeholders jointly identified existing SLM technologies and approaches in 17 dryLand study sites located in the Mediterranean and around the world. In order to evaluate and share this valuable SLM experience, local researchers documented the SLM technologies and approaches in collaboration with Land users, utilizing the internationally recognized WOCAT questionnaires. This article provides an analysis of 30 technologies and 8 approaches, enabling an initial evaluation of how SLM addresses prevalent dryLand threats, such as water scarcity, soil degradation, vegetation degradation and low production, climate change, resource use conflicts, and migration. Among the impacts attributed to the documented technologies, those mentioned most were diversified and enhanced production and better Management of water and soil degradation, whether through water harvesting, improving soil moisture, or reducing runoff. Favorable local-scale cost–benefit relationships were mainly found when considered over the long term. Nevertheless, SLM was found to improve people’s livelihoods and prevent further outmigration. More field research is needed to reinforce expert assessments of SLM impacts and provide the necessary evidence-based rationale for investing in SLM.
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Sustainable Land Management slm practices in dryLands how do they address desertification threats
Environmental Management, 2014Co-Authors: Gudrun Schwilch, Hanspeter Liniger, Hans HurniAbstract:Managing Land sustainably is a huge challenge, especially under harsh climatic conditions such as those found in dryLands. The socio-economic situation can also pose challenges, as dryLand regions are often characterized by remoteness, marginality, low-productive farming, weak institutions, and even conflict. With threats from climate change, disputes over water, competing claims on Land, and migration increasing worldwide, the demands for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) measures will only increase in the future. Within the EU-funded DESIRE project, researchers and stakeholders jointly identified existing SLM technologies and approaches in 17 dryLand study sites located in the Mediterranean and around the world. In order to evaluate and share this valuable SLM experience, local researchers documented the SLM technologies and approaches in collaboration with Land users, utilizing the internationally recognized WOCAT questionnaires. This article provides an analysis of 30 technologies and 8 approaches, enabling an initial evaluation of how SLM addresses prevalent dryLand threats, such as water scarcity, soil degradation, vegetation degradation and low production, climate change, resource use conflicts, and migration. Among the impacts attributed to the documented technologies, those mentioned most were diversified and enhanced production and better Management of water and soil degradation, whether through water harvesting, improving soil moisture, or reducing runoff. Favorable local-scale cost–benefit relationships were mainly found when considered over the long term. Nevertheless, SLM was found to improve people’s livelihoods and prevent further outmigration. More field research is needed to reinforce expert assessments of SLM impacts and provide the necessary evidence-based rationale for investing in SLM.
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assessing Sustainable Land Management slm
Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 2000Co-Authors: Hans HurniAbstract:Abstract The term ‘Sustainable development’ and its component ‘Sustainable Land Management (SLM)’ have been receiving increasing attention in development co-operation and at the global level. However, practical tools which can help local users and multi-disciplinary teams to work together and apply these general concepts at the local to regional levels have emerged only very recently. Some of these tools, as well as programme support services are presented in this paper. The author argues that only a comprehensive, participatory approach involving stakeholders at all levels will have the potential to develop locally useful solutions within a favourable, i.e. ‘enabling’ institutional environment. Assessment tools will require transdisciplinary methods that involve natural, social, and political sciences as well as local knowledge systems. Support services for SLM activities will have to include monitoring and impact assessment, experimentation with innovative ideas, resource assessment, information, and training. Examples from different parts of the globe have shown that the proposed tools are now receiving greater attention and may fulfil the requirements set forth by the concept of SLM.
Ephraim Nkonya - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Synopsis, Economics of Land degradation and improvement: A global assessment for Sustainable development
Washington D.C., 2020Co-Authors: Ephraim Nkonya, Http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9348-6561 Nkonya EphraimAbstract:The costs of doing nothing about Land degradation are several times higher than the costs of taking action to reverse it. Despite the crucial role Land plays in human welfare and development, investments in Sustainable Land Management are low, especially in developing countries. These findings come from the book, Economics of Land Degradation and Improvement—A Global Assessment for Sustainable Development, which examines the costs of Land degradation and what needs to be done to reverse it. The book reveals the cost of Land degradation in case studies for 12 countries, analyzes the drivers, and identifies strategies for Sustainable Land Management. It focuses on two kinds of Land degradation: long-term loss of value of Land ecosystem services due to Land use and cover change (LUCC) and the use of Land-degrading Management practices on cropLand and grazing Lands that do not undergo LUCC. Six major biomes that accounted for about 86 percent of global Land area in 2001 are covered, including forest, shrub Lands, grassLands, cropLand, barren Land, and woodLands. Thirty-three percent of grassLands, 25 percent of cropLands, and 23 percent of forests experienced degradation over the last three decades.PRIFPRI1; A Ensuring Sustainable food production; A.2 Sustainable Natural Resource Policies; Land Resource Management for Poverty ReductionEPTD; PIMCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM
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economics of Land degradation and improvement a global assessment for Sustainable development
Issue briefs, 2016Co-Authors: Ephraim Nkonya, Alisher Mirzabaev, Joachim Von BraunAbstract:The costs of doing nothing about Land degradation are several times higher than the costs of taking action to reverse it. Despite the crucial role Land plays in human welfare and development, investments in Sustainable Land Management are low, especially in developing countries. These findings come from the book, Economics of Land Degradation and Improvement—A Global Assessment for Sustainable Development, which examines the costs of Land degradation and what needs to be done to reverse it. The book reveals the cost of Land degradation in case studies for 12 countries, analyzes the drivers, and identifies strategies for Sustainable Land Management. It focuses on two kinds of Land degradation: long-term loss of value of Land ecosystem services due to Land use and cover change (LUCC) and the use of Land-degrading Management practices on cropLand and grazing Lands that do not undergo LUCC. Six major biomes that accounted for about 86 percent of global Land area in 2001 are covered, including forest, shrub Lands, grassLands, cropLand, barren Land, and woodLands. Thirty-three percent of grassLands, 25 percent of cropLands, and 23 percent of forests experienced degradation over the last three decades.
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economics of Land degradation and improvement a global assessment for Sustainable development
Issue briefs, 2016Co-Authors: Ephraim Nkonya, Alisher Mirzabaev, Joachim Von BraunAbstract:The costs of doing nothing about Land degradation are several times higher than the costs of taking action to reverse it. Despite the crucial role Land plays in human welfare and development, investments in Sustainable Land Management are low, especially in developing countries. These findings come from the book, Economics of Land Degradation and Improvement—A Global Assessment for Sustainable Development, which examines the costs of Land degradation and what needs to be done to reverse it. The book reveals the cost of Land degradation in case studies for 12 countries, analyzes the drivers, and identifies strategies for Sustainable Land Management. It focuses on two kinds of Land degradation: long-term loss of value of Land ecosystem services due to Land use and cover change (LUCC) and the use of Land-degrading Management practices on cropLand and grazing Lands that do not undergo LUCC. Six major biomes that accounted for about 86 percent of global Land area in 2001 are covered, including forest, shrub Lands, grassLands, cropLand, barren Land, and woodLands. Thirty-three percent of grassLands, 25 percent of cropLands, and 23 percent of forests experienced degradation over the last three decades.
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economics of Sustainable Land Management
Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 2015Co-Authors: Alisher Mirzabaev, Ephraim Nkonya, Joachim Von BraunAbstract:Degradation of soil and Land resources is a critical global problem. It is widespread not only in dryLands and cropped areas, but in most agro-ecologies and biomes around the world. Unless addressed, it may undermine global food security and negatively affect the livelihoods of billions of people, especially of the poor. Addressing Land degradation requires public, community and private actions informed and supported by evidence-based research. The current paper reviews the recent economic literature on Land degradation and improvement with the purpose of highlighting major new insights and continuing gaps. Drawing conclusions from the recent research under the Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative, we find that action against Land degradation has considerably higher economic, environmental and social returns than inaction. The drivers of Land degradation are numerous and often context-specific, so addressing them requires targeting not some individual driver in isolation, but through comprehensive and mutually consistent packages of policy actions. We suggest the following conceptual, methodological and empirical areas for future research on economics of Land degradation. Firstly, more interdisciplinary conceptual frameworks are required to connect Land degradation and other intricately related issues such as climate change, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, energy and food security. In this regard, Water-Energy-Food Security (WEF) Nexus concept can be highly useful as one of such nexus platforms for future trans-disciplinary research on economics of Land degradation. Secondly, more rigorous methodologies are needed on the incorporation of the value of ecosystem services into economic calculations. Finally, there is a need for empirical studies tracing the dynamic economic and social impacts of Land degradation across scales: from household to global level.
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climate risk Management through Sustainable Land Management in sub saharan africa
Research Papers in Economics, 2015Co-Authors: Ephraim Nkonya, Edward Kato, Frank Place, Majaliwa MwanjololoAbstract:Empirical evidence has shown that farmers can adapt to climate change by using Sustainable Land and water Management (SLWM) practices that provide local mitigation benefits, reducing or offsetting the negative effects of climate change at the level of the plot, the farm, or even the Landscape. However, adaptation to climate change using SLWM practices in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains low. This study was conducted to examine the impact of government policies on adaptation to climate change.
Dagnenet Sultan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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effects of Land use and Sustainable Land Management practices on runoff and soil loss in the upper blue nile basin ethiopia
Science of The Total Environment, 2019Co-Authors: Kindiye Ebabu, Atsushi Tsunekawa, Nigussie Haregeweyn, Enyew Adgo, Mitsuru Tsubo, Dagnachew Aklog, Derege Tsegaye Meshesha, Tsugiyuki Masunaga, Dagnenet SultanAbstract:Understanding the effect of Land use and Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices on runoff and soil loss (SL) is essential for adopting suitable strategies to control soil erosion. The purpose of this study was to analyze runoff and SL from different Land use types and evaluate the effectiveness of different SLM practices through monitoring runoff and sediment from 42 runoff plots (30 m × 6 m) in different agro-ecologies of the Upper Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia. Four treatments for cropLands (control, soil bund, Fanya juu, and soil bund reinforced with grass) and three treatments for non-cropLands (control, exclosure, and exclosure with trenches) were investigated during the rainy seasons. The results showed that runoff and SL varied greatly depending on agro-ecology, Land use type, and SLM practice. Seasonal runoff ranged from 52 to 810 mm in 2015 and 37 to 898 mm in 2016, whereas SL ranged from 0.07 to 39.67 t ha-1 and 0.01 to 24.70 t ha-1. The highest rates were observed from untreated grazing Land in the midLand agro-ecology, largely because of heavy grazing and the occurrence of intense rain events. Runoff and SL were both significantly lower (P < 0.05) in SLM plots than in control plots. On average, seasonal runoff was reduced by 11% to 68%, and SL by 38% to 94% in SLM plots. Soil bund reinforced with grass in cropLands and exclosure with trenches in non-cropLands were found to be the most effective SLM practices for reducing both runoff and SL. Integrating structural and vegetative measures was therefore found to be the best way to control soil erosion and its consequences. Additional investigation is needed in consideration of ecological succession and other possible effects of these types of integrated measures, for example, the effects on soil properties, biomass, and biodiversity.
Hanspeter Liniger - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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synergizing global tools to monitor progress towards Land degradation neutrality trends earth and the world overview of conservation approaches and technologies Sustainable Land Management database
Environmental Science & Policy, 2019Co-Authors: Mariano Gonzalezroglich, Hanspeter Liniger, Alex Zvoleff, Monica Noon, Renate Fleiner, Nicole Harari, Cesar Luis GarciaAbstract:Abstract As part of the Sustainable Development Goals, countries are striving to achieve by 2030 a Land degradation neutral world. Land degradation neutrality (LDN) is the state whereby the amount and quality of Land resources remains stable or increases within specified temporal and spatial scales. Achieving this will require the uptake of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices to increase the Sustainable provision of ecosystem goods and services the human population will require. It will also require the development of systematic, robust, and validated methods for tracking progress at project, subnational and national scales. However, to date, no systematic comparison between the SLM practices and the indicators proposed for monitoring LDN has been performed. In this article, we used the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification primary recommended global Sustainable Land Management database of World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT), and an innovative tool designed to assess and monitor Land condition via changes in Land productivity, Trends.Earth, to evaluate the agreement between self-reported Sustainable Land Management technologies and indicators derived from satellite-based earth observations. We found that a combination of two primary productivity indicators derived from annual integrals of normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI), trajectory and state, were able to identify increases in primary productivity in the locations where the SLM practices are implemented in comparison to control sites where SLM practices are not known to have occurred. Moreover, different SLM practices showed unique responses in terms of proportional area which experienced increase, decrease, or remained stable terms of primary productivity. We also found that the time since establishment of the SLM technology was critical for identifying improvements in the SLM sites, as only technologies with more than 10 years since implementation show statistically significant improvements. Our results show that satellite-derived Land productivity indicators are successful at detecting the impacts of SLM practices on primary productivity, positioning them as essential elements of the monitoring and assessment tools needed to track Land condition to assure the achievement of a Land degradation neutral world.
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economic benefits and costs of Sustainable Land Management technologies an analysis of wocat s global data
Land Degradation & Development, 2018Co-Authors: Markus Giger, Hanspeter Liniger, Caspar Sauter, Gudrun SchwilchAbstract:Perceived profitability is a key factor in explaining farmers' decision to adopt or not adopt Sustainable Land Management (SLM) technologies. Despite this importance, relatively little is known about the economics of SLM. This paper contributes to the literature by analysing data on costs and perceived cost/benefit ratios of SLM technologies. Data are taken from the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies technology database and cover 363 case studies conducted in a variety of countries between 1990 and 2012. Based on an in-depth descriptive analysis, we determine what costs accrue to local stakeholders and assess perceived short-term and long-term cost/benefit ratios. Our results show that a large majority of the technologies in our sample are perceived as being profitable: 73% were perceived to have a positive or at least neutral cost/benefit ratio in the short term, while 97% were perceived to have a positive or very positive cost/benefit ratio in the long term. An additional empirical analysis confirms that economic factors are key determinants of Land users' decisions to adopt or not adopt SLM technologies. We conclude that a wide range of existing SLM practices generate considerable benefits not only for Land users, but for other stakeholders as well. High initial investment costs associated with some practices may, however, constitute a barrier to their adoption; short-term support for Land users can help to promote these practices where appropriate.
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Sustainable Land Management slm practices in dryLands how do they address desertification threats
Environmental Management, 2014Co-Authors: Gudrun Schwilch, Hanspeter Liniger, Hans HurniAbstract:Managing Land sustainably is a huge challenge, especially under harsh climatic conditions such as those found in dryLands. The socio-economic situation can also pose challenges, as dryLand regions are often characterized by remoteness, marginality, low-productive farming, weak institutions, and even conflict. With threats from climate change, disputes over water, competing claims on Land, and migration increasing worldwide, the demands for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) measures will only increase in the future. Within the EU-funded DESIRE project, researchers and stakeholders jointly identified existing SLM technologies and approaches in 17 dryLand study sites located in the Mediterranean and around the world. In order to evaluate and share this valuable SLM experience, local researchers documented the SLM technologies and approaches in collaboration with Land users, utilizing the internationally recognized WOCAT questionnaires. This article provides an analysis of 30 technologies and 8 approaches, enabling an initial evaluation of how SLM addresses prevalent dryLand threats, such as water scarcity, soil degradation, vegetation degradation and low production, climate change, resource use conflicts, and migration. Among the impacts attributed to the documented technologies, those mentioned most were diversified and enhanced production and better Management of water and soil degradation, whether through water harvesting, improving soil moisture, or reducing runoff. Favorable local-scale cost–benefit relationships were mainly found when considered over the long term. Nevertheless, SLM was found to improve people’s livelihoods and prevent further outmigration. More field research is needed to reinforce expert assessments of SLM impacts and provide the necessary evidence-based rationale for investing in SLM.
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Sustainable Land Management slm practices in dryLands how do they address desertification threats
Environmental Management, 2014Co-Authors: Gudrun Schwilch, Hanspeter Liniger, Hans HurniAbstract:Managing Land sustainably is a huge challenge, especially under harsh climatic conditions such as those found in dryLands. The socio-economic situation can also pose challenges, as dryLand regions are often characterized by remoteness, marginality, low-productive farming, weak institutions, and even conflict. With threats from climate change, disputes over water, competing claims on Land, and migration increasing worldwide, the demands for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) measures will only increase in the future. Within the EU-funded DESIRE project, researchers and stakeholders jointly identified existing SLM technologies and approaches in 17 dryLand study sites located in the Mediterranean and around the world. In order to evaluate and share this valuable SLM experience, local researchers documented the SLM technologies and approaches in collaboration with Land users, utilizing the internationally recognized WOCAT questionnaires. This article provides an analysis of 30 technologies and 8 approaches, enabling an initial evaluation of how SLM addresses prevalent dryLand threats, such as water scarcity, soil degradation, vegetation degradation and low production, climate change, resource use conflicts, and migration. Among the impacts attributed to the documented technologies, those mentioned most were diversified and enhanced production and better Management of water and soil degradation, whether through water harvesting, improving soil moisture, or reducing runoff. Favorable local-scale cost–benefit relationships were mainly found when considered over the long term. Nevertheless, SLM was found to improve people’s livelihoods and prevent further outmigration. More field research is needed to reinforce expert assessments of SLM impacts and provide the necessary evidence-based rationale for investing in SLM.
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experiences in monitoring and assessment of Sustainable Land Management
Land Degradation & Development, 2011Co-Authors: Gudrun Schwilch, Hanspeter Liniger, C J Ritsema, Jeffrey E Herrick, Brandon T Bestelmeyer, Sally Bunning, W Critchley, K Kellner, Freddy Nachtergaele, B SchusterAbstract:Although Sustainable Land Management (SLM) is widely promoted to prevent and mitigate Land degradation and desertification, its monitoring and assessment (M&A) has received much less attention. This paper compiles methodological approaches which to date have been little reported in the literature. It draws lessons from these experiences and identifies common elements and future pathways as a basis for a global approach. The paper starts with local level methods where the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) framework catalogues SLM case studies. This tool has been included in the local level assessment of Land Degradation Assessment in DryLands (LADA) and in the EU-DESIRE project. Complementary site-based approaches can enhance an ecological process-based understanding of SLM variation. At national and sub-national levels, a joint WOCAT/LADA/DESIRE spatial assessment based on Land use systems identifies the status and trends of degradation and SLM, including causes, drivers and impacts on ecosystem services. Expert consultation is combined with scientific evidence and enhanced where necessary with secondary data and indicator databases. At the global level, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) knowledge from the Land (KM:Land) initiative uses indicators to demonstrate impacts of SLM investments. Key lessons learnt include the need for a multi-scale approach, making use of common indicators and a variety of information sources, including scientific data and local knowledge through participatory methods. Methodological consistencies allow cross-scale analyses, and findings are analysed and documented for use by decision-makers at various levels. Effective M&A of SLM [e.g. for United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)] requires a comprehensive methodological framework agreed by the major players.
