Study site descriptions
A template for Study Site Descriptions was sent to all study sites with specific headings for which information needed to be supplied. The information was finally received from all sites and after editing and reviewing made available to the HIS by WB6. The individual Study site reports have also been compiled into a single document. A separate subject that was also studied is the availability of data for all the study sites. A questionnaire listing all required data was sent to all study sites, with the request to indicate whether these data were available. The results (see Annex 3 for details) indicate that although there are differences between sites, a significant amount of data was already available at the start of the DESIRE project.
The sections below list the main conclusions that could be drawn from the study site descriptions, for each of the six headings that were used in the template for study site descriptions.
General information
General conclusions: The DESIRE Study sites represent various locations across the world and vary largely in size from less than 100 kmē to several thousand kmē, but the majority is in the the order of a few hundred kmē. The main reasons for selecting the sites are among other things: presence of previous research, representativeness, "hot spot" of desertification/degradation problems and occurrence and/or potential for successful implementation of mitigation and preventive strategies.
A data availability questionnaire was filled in by all study sites and shows that a wealth of relevant data is available, though in widely varying formats and scales.
Bio-physical description
General conclusions: Available natural resources vary greatly in the different study sites, as can be expected with their geographical distribution. Precipitation is, also predictably, rather low and especially unequally distributed and in several sites irrigation is practiced. Major land uses are permanent and semi-permanent agriculture, and grazing. The strength of many of these practices is that they are well established, traditional systems that have proved to work under the prevailing conditions. However, these are under increasing pressure by population growth, market pressures, urbanisation, and agricultural intensification / overgrazing (though sometimes land abandonment and agricultural extensification are causing degradation as well). The major degradation problems listed are erosion by water and wind, salinization and wildfires.
Socio-economic description
General conclusions: Age distribution is uneven in many sites due to ex-migration of younger people. Also general depopulation in rural areas leads to land abandonment, which starts a vicious cycle of more degradation (e.g. lack of maintenance of conservation measures), which again results in more land abandonment. More dependence on off-farm income also leads to lower investments in agriculture and sustainable land management. Land fragmentation is also a problem in several sites.
Institutional and political setting
General conclusions: In most sites local or national laws exist but implementation is often ineffective. The EU Common Agricultural Policy has some positive impacts, but also promotes the cultivation of unsuitable land in other places. A lack of cross-sectoral planning and collaboration is a very common problem. Weak extension services and low presence of govt. institutions are mentioned for several sites, but sometimes these gaps are filled by NGO's.
Relevant end-users / stakeholder groups (at all levels)
General conclusions: Among the major stakeholders listed for the study sites are NRM Institutions, land users, NGO's, policy makers. Their interests however are sometimes conflicting.
Past and on-going projects
General conclusions: In most if not all sites various projects focusing on desertification, land degradation and/or sustainable land management have been taking place or are still ongoing. These range from specific research activities to larger application-oriented projects. Various sites have been involved in other major global or regional desertification projects such as MEDALUS or DESERTLINKS.
