Sharing the science

From framework to action: the DESIRE approach to combat desertification

2012-05-11T11:45:35Z

R. Hessel (1), C. Ritsema (1), M. Reed (2), G. van Lynden (3), C. Karavitis (4), G. Schwilch (5), V. Jetten (6), N. Geeson (7), E. van den Elsen (1), and S. Verzandvoort (1)

(1) Alterra, Soil Science Centre, Wageningen, Netherlands (rudi.hessel@wur.nl), (2) Aberdeen University, (3) ISRIC, (4) Agriculatural University of Athens, (5) CDE, (6) ITC, (7) MEDES

It has become increasingly clear that desertification can only be tackled through a multi-disciplinary approach that not only involves scientists but also stakeholders. In the DESIRE project such an approach was taken. As a first step, a conceptual framework was developed in which the processes that cause desertification where described and in which the processes where identified that could be influenced by DESIRE. This could be done through 2 loops, namely the sustainable management loop and the policy loop. Next, a methodological framework was developed in which the methodological steps taken in the DESIRE approach were listed and their logic and sequence were explained. The last step was to develop a concrete working plan to put the project into action, describing the tasks and actions to be undertaken by the different project partners, and involving stakeholders throughout the process. This 3 step approach can be a blueprint for other projects that aim to reduce land degradation.

Using internet technology to inform researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders about sustainable land management in drylands: experience from a large interdisciplinary and international project

2012-05-15T07:17:59Z

N. Geeson (1), E. van den Elsen (2), J. Brandt (1), G. Quaranta (1), and R. Salvia (1)

(1) MEDES, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, Potenza 85100, Italy, (2) Alterra, Soil Science Centre, Wageningen, Netherlands

In the last twenty years the advent of the internet has made it much easier to share the results of scientific research with a wider range of audiences. Where once there were only scientific journals and books, it is now possible to deliver messages and dissemination products instantly, by email or other media, to huge circulation lists; thereby also addressing non-scientific audiences. Most scientific projects now host a website, but until recently few have exploited the communication possibilities to maximum advantage. DESIRE has been a large interdisciplinary and international project working to mitigate desertification by selecting and trialling sustainable land management practices with stakeholders. Therefore it has been very important to use a general project website, and a separate Harmonised Information System, to ensure that partners and stakeholders are able to understand the sustainable options and learn from one another. The project website has included many useful features, such as general project and partner information, a schedule of future meetings, and repositories of publicly (and project only) downloadable documents. Lessons have been learned about communication preferences between groups with different interests. For example, an on-line forum seemed a good way of allowing project partners to have their say on various topics. However it was not well-used and it was concluded that partners preferred to communicate just by email, a medium that they access most days for many uses. Whereas the project website focuses on the latest news, the Harmonised Information System has been used to document the history of the project, stage by stage, filling in each section as results became available. Information can be accessed from the perspective of both the research aims and each study site. Interactive tools and drop-down menus are among the features that are used to make the information as attractive and as accessible as possible. Although English is the language of scientists, material must be presented in local languages for local people, of which at least 9 are implemented in DESIRE. Of course, not everyone can use a computer or view the internet, so some dissemination products do also have to be downloaded and printed and distributed by hand. The DESIRE website can be accessed at http://www.desire-project.eu/, and the DESIRE Harmonised Information System at http://www.desire-his.eu/

How knowledge influences a MCDM analysis: WOCAT Portuguese experience on prevention of forest fires

2012-05-11T11:51:43Z

M. Carreiras (1), A.J.D. Ferreira (1), J. Moreira (1), T.C.J. Esteves (1), S. Valente (2), J. Soares (2), C.O.A. Coelho (2), G. Schwilch (3), and F. Bachmann (3)

(1) Cernas, Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra; Bencanta; 3040-316 Coimbra; Portugal, (2) Universidade Aveiro – CESAM - Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810 – 193 Aveiro, Portugal, (3) Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 10, 3012 Bern, Switzerland

Forest management is a major concern for land managers due to its impact on biomass production, surface water quality or landscape beauty. Pursuing the development of a holistic view of the issue (considering economic, environmental and social aspects), an appreciation of the variety policies and techniques is considered essential due to its importance in the context of sustainability. It this context, MCDM could be an important tool on the establishment for the use of the forest. It could be used for exploiting the preferences of decision-makers, stakeholders, or environmental experts obtaining economic values for impacts whose monetization remains problematic. WOCAT has developed a framework for Sustainable Land Management knowledge, covering all steps from data collection, database implementation and decision support. WOCAT methodology allows the environmental risks knowledge and also stakeholder’s participation and involvement. It leads to the discussion of issues of the territory and through a participatory, integrative, holistic and impartial process, it identifies environmental problems. In the end guidelines / actions for the territory are settled based on the problems identified. Having an active participatory nature, this process reveals itself as an excellent public participation process. The methodology also brings the territory’s decision-makers in contact with the stakeholders. The procedure for identification, assessment and selection of strategies has been developed by the EU project DESIRE in collaboration with WOCAT. The methodology was tested by DESIRE in 16 study sites around the world.

As an outcome of the procedure, the methodology may serve as a basis for prioritizing land-use policies, conservation measures and research at a national level. It integrates several exercises for prioritizing land-use policies, conservation measures and research at a regional and national level.

In Portugal, forest fires are one of the major factors of land degradation processes. Affecting large areas every year, they also have serious human, socio-economic and psychological impacts. Under the DESIRE project two Portuguese study sites were selected – Góis e Mação. Both study sites are located in Central Portugal and are frequently affected by forest fires. Nowadays different types of solutions applied at the local level are related with the prevention, combat and mitigation of forest fires. At a higher level of analysis the main solution is related with the diversification of the soil uses, mainly by the mixture of cropland, pastures and forest areas. But the selection of the technique isn’t so far an open, participative and effective process, and the interests of land users are not represented most of the time.

This paper aims to present WOCAT approach and results to forest fire prevention in Portugal considering stakeholder’s perspectives and policy recommendations and it’s evolution based on an increased of knowledge.

WOCAT mapping, GIS and the Góis municipality

2012-05-11T11:56:24Z

T.C.J. Esteves (1), J.A.A. Soares (2), A.J.D. Ferreira (1), C.O.A. Coelho (2), M.A. Carreiras (1), and G.V. Lynden (3)

(1) Department of Environment, IPC - Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra, Coimbra, 3040-316, Portugal, (2) Department of Environment and Planning, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal, (3) ISRIC - Wageningen University and Research Centre, NL-6701 AJ Wageningen, Netherlands

In the scope of the goals of the association “The World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies” (WOCAT), the established methodology intends to support the sustainable development of new techniques and the process of decision making in Sustainable Soil Management (SSM). Its main goal is to promote the co-existence with nature, in order to assure the wellbeing of upcoming generations. SSM is defined as the use of terrestrial resources, including soil, water, fauna, flora, for the production of goods that fulfill human needs, guaranteeing simultaneously a long-term productive potential for these resources, as well as the maintenance of their environmental functions. The EU-funded DESIRE (Desertification Mitigation & Remediation of Land: a global approach for local solutions) project is centered on SSM, having as a main goal the development and study of promising conservation, soil use and management strategies, therefore contributing for the protection of arid and semi-arid vulnerable areas. In Portugal, one of the main soil degradation and desertification agents are wildfires. There is consequently an urgent need to establish integrated conservation measures to reduce or prevent these occurrences. To do so, and for the DESIRE project, theWOCAT methodology was implemented, where it could be foreseen as 3 major questionnaires for: technologies (WOCAT Technologies), approaches (WOCAT Approaches) and mapping (WOCAT Mapping).

The established methodology for WOCAT Mapping was created in order to attend the questions associated to the soil and water degradation, emphasizing the direct and socio-economic causes of this degradation. It evaluates what type of soil degradation is occurring, where, why and what actions are in practice in what respects to SSM. The association of this questionnaire to Geographical Information Systems (GIS) allows not only to produce maps, but also to calculate areas, taking into account several aspects of soil degradation and conservation. The map database and their outputs give a comprehensive and powerful tool to obtain a global vision of the degradation state of a given territory, at the desired local or regional scale.

However for the selected study area, the Portuguese Góis Municipality, there was no base information prepared to be readily inserted in the geographical database. It was necessary to create the requested mapping units, so that the WOCAT Mapping questionnaire could be used.As a result, municipal cartography with 39 mapping units was obtained, and for each one, an exhaustive field work was made, allowing to characterize them in detail and answer the required information by WOCAT Mapping. These answers allowed creating a clearer image of what is happening in the territory in what respects to the used techniques, degradation degree and conservation measures applied. The all-important contact with the municipalities main stakeholders is an important aspect to refer, once they are the ones to help validate the obtained results for theWOCAT Mapping methodology, due to their extensive knowledge of the territory.

Soil and water conservation strategies and impact on sustainable livelihood in Cape Verde – case study of Ribeira Seca watershed

2012-05-11T12:10:51Z

I. Baptista (1), A.D. Ferreira (2), J. Tavares (1), A.L.E. Querido (3), AE. A. Reis (1), V. Geissen (4), C. Ritsema (4), and A. Varela (5)

(1) Instituto Nacional de Investigacao e desenvolvimento Agrario (INIDA), Praia, Cape Verde (issaurinda.baptista@wur.nl), (2) Escola Superior Agraria de Coimbra (ESAC), Portugal, (3) Office of the United Nations, Praia, Cape Verde, (4) Alterra, Wageningen University (WUR), The Netherlands, (5) Universidade de Cabo Verde (UniCV), Praia

Cape Verde, located off the coast of Senegal in western Africa, is a volcanic archipelago where a combination of human, climatic, geomorphologic and pedologic factors has led to extensive degradation of the soils. Like other Sahelian countries, Cape Verde has suffered the effects of desertification through the years, threatening the livelihood of the islands population and its fragile environment. In fact, the steep slopes in the ore agricultural islands, together with semi-arid and arid environments, characterized by an irregular and poorly distributed rainy season, with high intensity rainfall events, make dryland production a challenge. To survive in these fragile conditions, the stabilization of the farming systems and the maintenance of sustainable yields have become absolute priorities, making the islands an erosion control laboratory. Soil and water conservation strategies have been a centerpiece of the government0s agricultural policies for the last half century. Aiming to maintain the soil in place and the water inside the soil, the successive governments of Cape Verde have implemented a number of soil and water conservation techniques, the most common ones being terraces, half moons, live barriers, contour rock walls, contour furrows and microcatchments, check dams and reforestation with drought resistant species. The soil and water conservation techniques implemented have contributed to the improvement of the economical and environmental conditions of the treated landscape, making crop production possible, consequently, improving the livelihood of the people living on the islands. In this paper, we survey the existing soil and water conservation techniques, analyze their impact on the livelihood condition of the population through a thorough literature review and field monitoring using a semi-quantitative methodology and evaluate their effectiveness and impact on crop yield in the Ribeira Seca watershed. A brief discussion is given on the cost and effectiveness of the techniques to reduce soil erosion and to promote rainfall infiltration. Finally, we discuss the critical governance factors that lead to the successful implementation of such strategy in a country with scarce natural resources.

Hillslope evolution in Tabernas badlands (SE Spain) since 1995. Erosion pins and laser scanner measurements

2012-05-14T08:12:02Z

A. Afana (1), Y Cantón (2), and A Solé-Benet (1)

(1) EEZA-CSIC, Desertification and GeoEcology, Almería, Spain, (2) University of Almería, Dept. Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Almería, Spain

While soil erosion has been widely quantified at hillslope scale, advents in measurement techniques still provide new highlights on micro-topographical behaviour and effect on soil erosion and sedimentation. To know how erosion processes affect microtopography of two contrasted (aspect and plant cover) hillslopes in badlands in SE Spain, erosion pins and laser scanner monitoring techniques are being used since 1995. Historical records revealed that subjectivity and worker experience may introduce considerable uncertainties related to the form of measurements besides the continuous damage produced in the crusted microtopography. In a bare hillslope of SW aspect, 81 erosion pins have been monitored and measured annually till 2007 using a digital calliper and since 2008 with a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS). In a sparsely vegetated, NE hillslope, 72 erosion pins are only measured with the digital calliper. Continuous, on-site meteorological data, provide precipitation magnitude and intensity. After 16 years of monitoring in NE hillslope only 2 mm of average sedimentation have been recorded though 21.47 mm of maximum erosion and 55 mm of deposition. However, in SW hillslope, where average erosion is recorded, maximum erosion has been 86 mm and maximum deposition 25 mm. At both hillslopes only a few erosion pins show significant relationships between their erosion or deposition values with either rainfall magnitude and maximum rainfall intensities from the measurement intervals. The rill or inter-rill position of every pin within each hillslope explains its specific and average behaviour with regards rainfall events: erosive, sedimentary or unvariable micro-topography. However, these specific behaviours seem to change at random along the years. Consequently prediction for single pins (or micro-topographical units) is not possible, but only for larger topographic units and after long-term records. These results confirm that in badlands the topographic behaviour at channel heads is unpredictable as can be controlled by complex local factors (micro-lithology and then micro-relief). Laser scanners avoid in-situ measurements of fragile environments and associated errors, though erosion pins are still an option where irregular patchy vegetation masks micro-topography.

The use of PESERA modelling to guide the choice of Soil and Water Conservation strategies

2012-05-11T12:16:34Z

M.J. Kirkby and B.J. Irvine

University of Leeds, Geography, Leeds, United Kingdom

The 18 DESIRE study sites represent a very wide range of climatic conditions, and the climate exerts the strongest single constraint on what are appropriate remedial technologies. Under the various climatic conditions, the greatest constraints on sustainable land use may be through wind or water erosion, water scarcity, wildfires or frost damage, and the choice of appropriate technologies for mitigation of desertification therefore differ between sites, strongly related to the climate associated with their geographical location, but also to local conditions of soil and topography and to deliberate land use choices.

The PESERA model is a physically based, coarse scale model designed to estimate runoff and erosion from the land. It also has the secondary capability to estimate the biomass or crop yield, and the level of organic matter in the soil. These are often of greater economic importance to the farmer than either the on-site or off-site rates of runoff and erosion. The model is driven explicitly by meteorological data, land use and management practices, and by soil type and local relief. In this way it provides a tool for what-if analyses of alternative strategies and scenarios, as well as indicating areas of physical suitability for different land use strategies. Here a simplified version of the PESERA model has been applied to show the dominant types of desertification that constrain agriculture at a regional scale, based on the differences in climate that are the primary drivers of difference.

The balance of dominant risks between sites is compared, both on a map basis and through the level of risk relative to the maximum observed. There is, of course, some additional variation within any area; for example the risks for erosion and overgrazing depend on local relief, so that the hillier parts of any area show increased risks along these axes.

PESERA model application in the Portuguese study areas: Góis and Mação

2012-05-14T08:03:49Z

T.C.J. Esteves (1), M.J. Kirkby (3), R.A. Shakesby (4), A.J.D. Ferreira (1), J.A.A. Soares (2), C.S.S. Ferreira (1), C.O.A. Coelho (2), C.P.M. Bento (1), and M.A. Carreiras (1)

(1) Department of Environment, IPC - Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra, Coimbra, 3040-316, Portugal, (3) School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom, (4) Department of Geography, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, United Kingdom, (2) Department of Environment and Planning, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal

The Portuguese territory succumbs yearly to severe wildfires. The years 2003 and 2005 were particularly bad, with some of the worst wildfires seen in decades. They led to accelerated soil losses in these temperate subhumid ecosystems. There is the danger that these wildfires can cause land degradation. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop integrated conservation approaches to reduce or prevent these degradational impacts. This paper presents the innovative effort being made in the FP6 EU-funded DESIRE research project (Desertification Mitigation & Remediation of Land: a global approach for local solutions to try to establish alternative land use and management conservation strategies in degradation-prone areas. In this paper, we are concerned with wildfireprone areas. The aim is to describe the application of a modified Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (PESERA) model to two study areas in central Portugal, Góis and Mação, in order to predict runoff and erosion at a much larger spatial and temporal scales (regional and decadal, respectively) than is usually possible with field monitoring. Potentially, the modelling can improve land degradation predictions of water erosion. By using a 50-year historical climate time-series database, a simulation was made using the model. Management burns (every 2 years) and infrequent wildfires (100 years) applied to the model resulted in management burns leading to reduced soil erosion relative to infrequent wildfires, although the predicted soil losses for both types of fire are large compared even with measured losses obtained from small-scale field monitoring. From these results, the benefits, limitations, scope for improvement and application to future climatic scenarios of the model in a fire context will be analyzed and discussed.

Assessment and mapping of desertification sensitivity in an insular sahelian mountain region – case study of the Ribeira Seca Watershed, Cape Verde

2012-05-11T12:06:39Z

J. Tavares Cape Verde (jacques.tavares@gmail.com)

The aim of this study is to present the assessment and mapping of the environmental areas sensitive to desertification in an insular sahelian mountain region, in the catchment area of Ribeira Seca, island of Santiago, Cape Verde. Desertification is a threat for the global environment and it represents a serious ecological problem in Cape Verde. To fight both successfully, it requires an evaluation of its consequences and the building of cartography of the sensitivity for arid and semi-arid ecosystems. The model MEDALUS was the basis for this study with the use of six indicators of quality: climate, soil, vegetation, management, water runoff and social. Several sub-indicators were assigned to each indicator with weights variable between 1 (low) and 2 (high) according to the DESIRE Project (Research Theme 2). The geometric mean of each of the six indicators of quality was employed to produce the map of environmental sensitivity areas to desertification. The results of this study show that more than 50% of the watershed present obvious evidence of becoming a desertification area.

Strategy of irrigation branch in Russia

2012-05-11T12:01:57Z

A. Zeyliger and O Ermolaeva

Moscow State University for Environmental Engineering, Centre for Geo and HydroInformatics, Moscow, Russian Federation (azeiliguer@mail.ru, +7499 9764907)

At this moment, at the starting time of the program on restoration of a large irrigation in Russia till 2020, the scientific and technical community of irrigation branch does not have clear vision on how to promote a development of irrigated agriculture and without repeating of mistakes having a place in the past. In many respects absence of a vision is connected to serious backlog of a scientific and technical and informational and technological level of development of domestic irrigation branch from advanced one. Namely such level of development is necessary for the resolving of new problems in new conditions of managing, and also for adequate answers to new challenges from climate and degradation of ground & water resources, as well as a rigorous requirement from an environment.

In such important situation for irrigation branch when it is necessary quickly generate a scientific and technical politics for the current decade for maintenance of translation of irrigated agriculture in the Russian Federation on a new highly effective level of development, in our opinion, it is required to carry out open discussion of needs and requirements as well as a research for a adequate solutions.

From political point of view a framework organized in FP6 DESIRE 037046 project is an example of good practice that can serve as methodical approach how to organize and develop such processes. From technical point of view a technology of operational management of irrigation at large scale presents a prospective alternative to the current type of management based on planning.

From point of view ICT operational management demands creation of a new platform for the professional environment of activity. This platform should allow to perceive processes in real time, at their partial predictability on signals of a straight line and a feedback, within the framework of variability of decision making scenarious, at high resolution and the big ex-awning of sensor controls and the gauges supervising parameters of system, fast proper response to changes in behaviour of controlled system, and all this on a firm support on the creative professional approach of the staff to execution of the professional duties.

Development of such professional environment cannot be solved for a short time interval and within the framework of several projects, and will demand the interconnected and purposeful actions directed on extensive information - technological development of administrative and operational segments of irrigation branch. For this purpose it is necessary to develop, create and use the interconnected elements of information - technological developments shown by us in four directions and entitled: 1) Technologies; 2) Infrastructure; 3) Staff; 4) Tools. These four elements will be discussed in a contribution.