495 research outputs found
Water harvesting: guidelines to good practice
No full textThese guidelines provide an overview of proven good practice in water harvesting from all over the world. They form a practical reference guide while providing support and specific technical expertise for the integration of water harvesting technologies into the planning and design of projects. Thus existing information and experience is strengthened. On a broader scale, the guidelines’ objective is to facilitate, share and upscale good practice in water harvesting given the state of current knowledge. Targeted end users include local and regional planners / advisors, rural development consultants, rainwater harvesting networks and communitiesof- practice, project managers, extension agents and other implementing staff. Through informing these professionals, the aim is to stimulate discussion and new thinking about improved water management in general, and water harvesting in particular, within rainfed agriculture, particularly in the drylands. The ultimate goal is to contribute to lifting 80 million rural people out of poverty by 2015: water security is a prerequisite to achieve food security for these people
Sustainable rangeland management in Sub-Saharan Africa-Guidelines to good practice (conference edition)
No full textLa collecte de l'eau: directives pour de bonnes pratiques
No full textLa collecte de l’eau est réalisée avec succès depuis des millénaires dans les régions du monde entier – certaines interventions récentes ont également eu un impact local significatif. Pourtant, le potentiel de cette technique reste largement inconnu, non reconnu et non apprécié.
Il est temps de transposer à plus grande échelle les « bonnes pratiques » de collecte de l’eau, celles qui ont survécu au temps ou qui ont émergé des nouvelles expériences, après des décennies de focalisation presque exclusive sur la maîtrise des flux d’eau douce dans les rivières et les lacs grâce à des investissements dans des infrastructures d’irrigation.La collecte de l’eau offre des opportunités sous-exploitées pour les systèmes principalement d’exploitation pluviale des zones arides dans le monde en développement. Celle-ci fonctionne mieux précisément dans les zones où la pauvreté rurale est la pire. Quand elle est bien réalisée, son impact est à la fois de réduire la faim et de lutter contre la pauvreté, tout en améliorant la résilience de l’environnement.
Ces connaissances sur les technologies de collecte d’eau et sur les milieux dans lesquels elles ont tendance à donner de meilleurs résultats, représentent une véritable richesse cachée. Pour la première fois, ces connaissances sont traitées, rassemblées et rendues disponibles à travers un tel outil organisé, illustré et instructif reliant les technologies aux réseaux des connaissances, outil qui servira aux utilisateurs présumés de ces directives pratiques pour mieux comprendre et mettre en oeuvre leurs choi
15th Share Fair and International Workshop and Steering Meeting Proceedings: Progress, Methods, Outputs, Plan of Action, Organisation, 15th WWSM, Bishkek and Naryn, Kyrgyzstan, 21-27 June 2011, WOCAT, Bern, Switzerland
No full text16th Share Fair and International Workshop and Steering Meeting Proceedings: Progress, Methods, Outputs, Plan of Action, Organisation, 16th WWSM, Pretoria, South Africa, 27 May - 1 June 2013, WOCAT, Bern, Switzerland
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Knowledge Management and Decision Support for Sustainable Land Management: A common global Knowledge Management (KM) platform for up-scaling of Sustainable Land Management (SLM)
No full textDesertification mitigation and water harvesting based on sustainable land management
No full textTraditionally, desertification research has focused on degradation assessments, whereas prevention and mitigation strategies have not sufficiently been emphasised, although the concept of sustainable land management (SLM) is increasingly being acknowledged. SLM strategies are interventions at the local to regional scale aiming at increasing productivity, protecting the natural resource base, and improving livelihoods. The global WOCAT initiative and its partners have developed harmonized frameworks to compile, evaluate and analyse the impact of SLM practices around the globe.
Recent studies within the EU research project DESIRE developed a methodological framework that combines a collective learning and decision-making approach with use of best practices from the WOCAT database. In-depth assessment of 30 technologies and 8 approaches from 17 desertification sites enabled an evaluation of how SLM addresses prevalent dryland threats such as water scarcity, soil and vegetation degradation, 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.
Water harvesting offers under-exploited opportunities for the drylands and the predominantly rainfed farming systems of the developing world. Recently compiled guidelines introduce the concepts behind water harvesting and propose a harmonised classification system, followed by an assessment of suitability, adoption and up-scaling of practices. Case studies go from large-scale floodwater spreading that make alluvial plains cultivable, to systems that boost cereal production in small farms, as well as practices that collect and store water from household compounds. Once contextualized and set in appropriate institutional frameworks, they can form part of an overall adaptation strategy for land users.
More field research is needed to reinforce expert assessments of SLM impacts and provide the necessary evidence-based rationale for investing in SLM. This includes developing methods to quantify and value ecosystem services, both on-site and off-site, and assess the resilience of SLM practices, as currently aimed at within the new EU CASCADE project
Where the land is greener: Case studies and analysis of soil and water conservation initiatives worldwide
No full text‘where the land is greener’ looks at soil and water conservation from a global perspective. In total, 42 soil and water conservation technologies and 28 approaches are described – each fully illustrated with photographs, graphs and line drawings – as applied in case studies in more than 20 countries around the world. This unique presentation of case studies draws on WOCAT’s extensive database, gathered in over 12 years of field experience.
The book is intended as a prototype for national and regional compilations of sustainable land management practices a practical – instrument for making field knowledge available to decision makers.
Various land use categories are covered, from crop farming to grazing and forestry. The technologies presented range from terrace-building to agroforestry systems; from rehabilitation of common pastures to conservation agriculture; from Vermiculture to water harvesting. Several of these technologies are already well-established successes – others are innovative, relatively unknown, but full of promise. Descriptions of the various technologies are complemented by studies of the ‘approaches’ that have underpinned their development and dissemination. Some of these approaches were developed specifically for individual projects; others developed and spread spontaneously in fascinating processes that offer a new perspective for development policy.
In addition to the case studies, the book includes two analytical sections on the technologies and approaches under study. By identifying common elements of success, these analyses offer hope for productive conservation efforts at the local level with simultaneous global environmental benefits. Policy pointers for decision makers and donors offer a new impetus for further investment – to make the land greener
Sustainable Land Management in Practice: Guidelines and Best Practices for Sub-Saharan Africa, FAO, Rome, Italy
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