Evaluating strategies

Evaluation of strategies: guidelines

2007-11-12T18:05:01Z

The evaluation of the strategies suggested in Stakeholder Workshop 1 followed guidelines developed by the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE). These are based on experiences from the "Learning for sustainability (L4S)" (link expired) methodology and the WOCAT methodology.

The evaluation involves the use of two questionnaires, one on sustainable land management technologies (QT) and the other on sustainable land management approaches (QA).

A sustainable land management technology

A sustainable land management approach

consists of one or more conservation measures belonging to the following categories:

agronomic (eg intercropping, contour cultivation, mulching),
vegetative (eg tree planting, hedge barriers, grass strips),
structural (eg graded banks or bunds, level bench terrace),
management (eg land use change, area closure, rotational grazing).

Combinations of above measures which are complimentary and thus enhance each other are part of a Technology.

consists of the following elements:

All participants (policy-makers, administrators, experts, technicians, land users, i.e. actors at all levels),
inputs and means (financial, material, legislative, etc.), and
know-how (technical, scientific, practical).

An Approach may include different levels of intervention, from the individual farm, through the community level, the extension / advisory system, the regional or national administration, or the policy level, to the international framework. Besides conservation activities introduced through projects or programmes, indigenous conservation measures and spontaneous adoptions or adaptations of Technologies are also included.

The questionnaires ask: (i) what are the specifications of the technology, and where is it used (natural and human environment), what impact does it have and (ii) how implementation of the approach was achieved and who achieved it. Each consists of three main parts:

general information;
specification of Technology/Approach;
analysis of Technology/Approach.

There are eight steps in the procedure that should be followed to enable a standardised and comprehensive evaluation of the existing and potential prevention and mitigation strategies.

Step 1: Get familiar with the questionnaires
Step 2. Define technologies and approaches
Step 3: Identify resource persons and documents
Step 4. Fill in the questionnaire
Step 5: Enter the data into the database
Step 6: Review
Step 7: Quality assurance
Step 8: Provide English version to DESIRE

Experience has shown that certain questions tend to cause confusion or difficulty and careful questionning and checking in the Review step is needed to ensure that the information collected is reliable. Description of strategies following a standardised format has enabled a database of approaches and techniques to be developed from sites world-wide. The DESIRE strategies have been added to that database.

More details ... download the guidelines, questionnaires and supporting documents
	WP3.2 Guidelines for evaluation of strategies [1.83 MB]
	English WP3.2 Technology questionnaire [1.44 MB] Türkçe WP3.2 Technology questionnaire_TR [0.93 MB) Português WP3.2 Technology questionnaire_PT [0.86 MB] Español WP3.2 Technology questionnaire_ES [0.59 MB] Français WP3.2 Technology questionnaire_FR [0.73 MB] Chinese WP3.2 Technology questionnaire_CN [0.91MB]
	English WP3.2 Approach questionnaire [0.35 MB] Türkçe WP3.2 Approach questionnaire_TR [0.68 MB] Português WP3.2 Approach Questionnaire_PT [0.30 MB] Español WP3.2 Approach Questionnaire_ES [0.18 MB] Français WP3.2 Approach Questionnaire_FR [0.19 MB] Chinese WP3.2 Approach questionnaire_CN [0.30MB]
	WP3.2 Review process (469.36 kB)
	WP3.2 Format for description of strategies (10.39 kB)

Database of evaluated strategies from all study sites

2008-11-19T08:52:05Z

Stakeholder Workshop 1 identified a number of existing or potential strategies to combat desertification and land degradation in the each of the study sites. In the months following the workshop these strategies (technologies or approaches) were documented and evaluated in a structured and standardised way and their descriptions were entered in the WOCAT Technologies and Approaches databases in order to share the information with other DESIRE sites as well as globally.

For details of all Technologies and Approaches documented in the WOCAT Database (from the DESIRE study sites and from other sites worldwide), see

A total of 42 sustainable land management technologies and 20 sustainable land management approaches have been evaluated and documented by the DESIRE study sites. Click on the Name of technology or Name of approach to go directly to those descriptions in the database.

WOCAT Technologies Database

Country	Code	Name of technology	Author
Botswana	BOT04	»Roof rainwater harvesting system	Atlhopheng Julius, University of Botswana
Botswana	BOT05	»Biogas	Sebego Reuben, University of Botswana
Botswana	BOT06	»Solar Cooker	Mulale Kutlwano, University of Botswana
Botswana	BOT07	»Game Ranching	Mphinyane Wanda N, University of Botswana
Chile	CHL01	»No tillage preceded by subsoiling	Carlos Ruíz, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA)
China	CHN51	»Bench terraces on loess soil	Wang Fei, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, CAS and MWR
China	CHN52	»Check dam for land	Wang Fei, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, CAS and MWR
China	CHN53	»Progressive bench terrace	Wang Fei, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, CAS and MWR
Cape Verde	CPV01	Dams	Bentub Jailson, INIDA
Cape Verde	CPV02	Muret	Bentub Jailson, INIDA
Cape Verde	CPV03	»Afforestation	Varela Larissa, INIDA
Cape Verde	CPV04	Terraços reforçados por murros de pedra	Varela Larissa, INIDA
Cape Verde	CPV05	Barreiras Vivas de Leucaena	Varela Larissa, INIDA
Cape Verde	CPV06	»Barrières végétales d’Aloe vera »Aloe vera living barriers	Varela Larissa, INIDA
Greece	GRE01	»Olive groves under no-tillage operations	Kosmas Costas, Agricultural University of Athens
Greece	GRE02	»Application of water by drip irrigation	Kosmas Costas, Agricultural University of Athens
Greece	GRE03	»No tillage operations, plastic nets permanently on the soil surface	Kosmas Costas, Agricultural University of Athens
Greece	GRE04	»Land terracing in olive groves	Kosmas Costas, Agricultural University of Athens
Greece	GRE05	»Transport of freshwater from local streams	Diamantis Vasileios, Democritus University of Thrace
Italy	ITA01	»Controlled grazing in deciduous woods as an alternate to grazing on rangeland	Borselli Lorenzo, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Ricerca per la Protezione Idrogeologica
Morocco	MOR11	Rotation culturale céréales/légumineuses alimentaires	Aderghal Mohamed, Université Med V-Agdal, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Chaire Unesco-GN
Morocco	MOR12	»Crops rotation: cereals / fodder legumes (lupin) »Rotation culturale: céréales/légumineuses fourragères (lupin)	Al karkouri Jamal, Chaire Unesco Environnement. Université Mohamed V. Faculté des Lettres et de Sciences humaines
Morocco	MOR13	»Assisted cork oak regeneration »Régénération assistée de chêne-liège	Chaker Miloud, Université Med V, FLSH, Rabat
Morocco	MOR14	»Olive tree plantations with intercropping »Plantations d'olivier avec cultures intercalaires	Nafaa Rachida, Université Med V-Agdal, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Chaire Unesco-GN
Morocco	MOR15	»Gully control by plantation of Atriplex »Restauration de versants ravinés par la plantation d'Atriplex	Laouina Abdellah, Chaire Unesco-GN, Faculté des Lettres et des Scie
Portugal	POR01	»Primary strip network system for fuel management	Coelho Celeste, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies - University of Aveiro
Portugal	POR02	»Prescribed fire	Palheiro Pedro, Autoridade Florestal Nacional
Russia	RUS01	»Drip irrigation	Zeyliger Anatoly, Moscow State University of Environmental Engineering
Spain	SPA01	»Reduced contour tillage of cereals in semi-arid environments	de Vente Joris, Estación Experimental de Zonas Aridas (EEZA-CSIC)
Spain	SPA02	»Vegetated earth-banked terraces	de Vente Joris, Estación Experimental de Zonas Aridas (EEZA-CSIC)
Spain	SPA03	»Organic mulch under almond trees	Solé Benet Albert, Estación Experimental de Zonas Aridas (EEZA-CSIC)
Spain	SPA04	»Water harvesting from concentrated runoff for irrigation purposes	de Vente Joris, Estación Experimental de Zonas Aridas (EEZA-CSIC)
Spain	SPA05	»Ecological production of almonds and olives using green manure	de Vente Joris, Estación Experimental de Zonas Aridas (EEZA-CSIC)
Tunisia	TUN09	»Jessour	Ben Zaied Mongi, Institut des Regions Arides (IRA)
Tunisia	TUN10	»Gabion check dam	Chniter Mongi, Commissariat Régional au Développement Agricole (CRDA)
Tunisia	TUN11	»Rangelands resting	Ouled Belgacem Azaiez, Institut des Régions Arides (IRA)
Tunisia	TUN12	»Tabia	Ouessar Mohamed, Institut des Régions Arides (IRA)
Tunisia	TUN13	»Cistern	Ouessar Mohamed, Institut des Régions Arides (IRA)
Tunisia	TUN14	»Recharge well	Ouessar Mohamed, Institut des Régions Arides (IRA)
Turkey	TUR01	»Rotational grazing	Zengin Mehmet, University of Selcuk, Faculty of Agriculture
Turkey	TUR02	»Strip farming	Zengin Mehmet, University of Selcuk, Faculty of Agriculture
Turkey	TUR03	»Drip irrigation	Zengin Mehmet, Univ. of Selcuk, Faculty of agriculture, Dept. Of Soil Science
Turkey	TUR04	»Fodder crop production	Tolay Inci, Eskisehi Osmangazi University, Faculty of Agriculture

WOCAT Approaches Database

Country	Code	Name of approach	Author
Chile	CHL01	»Zero Tillage	Ruiz Carlos, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias
Chile	CKL02	»Dissemination of soil conservation technologies in dryland areas	Carlos Ovalle, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias
Cape Verde	CPV01	»Formation, Information et Sensibilisation	Tavares Jacques, Instituto Nacional de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Agrário (INIDA)
Cape Verde	CPV02	»Protection des versants	Tavares Jacques, Instituto Nacional de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Agrário (INIDA)
Cape Verde	CPV03	»Arborisation	Tavares Jacques, INIDA
Greece	GRE01	»Sustainable development of olive groves I	Kosmas Costas, Agricultural University of Athens
Greece	GRE02	»Sustainable use of water	Kosmas Costas, Agricultural University of Athens
Greece	GRE03	»Sustainable development of olive groves II	Kosmas Costas, Agricultural University of Athens
Greece	GRE04	»Sustainable development of olive groves III	Kosmas Costas, Agricultural University of Athens
Greece	GRE05	»Combating soil salinization	Giougis Ioannis, Democritus University of Thrace
Morocco	MOR11	»Rotation culturale céréales/légumineuses alimentaires ou fourragères	Al Karkouri Jamal, Chaire Unesco Environnement. Université Mohamed V. Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences humaines
Morocco	MOR13	»Régénération assistée du chêne liège	Chaker Miloud, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Département de Géographie
Morocco	MOR14	»Mise en valeur des terres en Bour »Development of rainfed agriculture	Nafaa Rachida, Université Mohammed V Agdal, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines, Chaire Unesco-GN
Portugal	POR01	»Forest Intervention Area	Coelho Celeste, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies - University of Aveiro
Russian Federation	RUS01	»Concerted thinking on common problems of water scarcity	Zeyliger Anatoly, Moscow State University of Environmental Engineering
Spain	SPA01	»Regional rural development programme	de Vente Joris, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC)
Tunisia	TUN01	»Dryland watershed management approach	Mahdhi Naceur, Institut des Régions Arides de Médenine
Turkey	TUR01	»Pasture management	Zengin Mehmet, Univ. of Selcuk, Faculty of Agriculture
Turkey	TUR02	»Crop production	Zengin Mehmet, Univ. of Selcuk, Fac. of Agric., Dept. of Soil Sci.
Turkey	TUR03	»Minimum water use	Zengin Mehmet, Univ. of Selcuk, Faulty of Agric. Dept. of Soil Sci.
Turkey	TUR04	»Fodder crops production	Tolay Inci, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Agriculture

More details ... download the full report
	WP3.2 Database with evaluated and successful or promising strategies [0.73 MB]

TUR01

»Rotational Grazing