Manual for describing land degradation indicators

Table of Contents

1. Editor
2. Introduction
3. Classification of indicators
4. Land degradation indicators
5. Evaluation and short-list of indicators
6. Explanations for filling the information sheets
   1. General information
   2. Climate indicators
   3. Water indicators
   4. Soil indicators
   5. Vegetation indicators
   6. Water runoff indicators
   7. Forest fires indicators
   8. Agricultural indicators
   9. Cultivation indicators
   10. Husbandry indicators
   11. Land management indicators
   12. Land use indicators
   13. Water use indicators
   14. Tourism indicators
   15. Social indicators
   16. Institutional indicators
7. Farm survey research
8. Focus group approach
9. References

Water use indicators

Irrigation percentage of arable land: This indicator defines the land area under irrigation as a percentage of total arable land. In addition irrigation percentage of arable land defines the extent in which arable land and water resources are intensively used. Availability of irrigation water is linked to other intensification processes with potentially negative effects on sustainability, such as monoculture, selection of high yielding varieties to the detriment of genetic diversity, runoff and soil erosion, compaction, and salinization that lead to accelerated desertification process. The following classes are distinguished: (a) very low (<5% of the total area), (b) low (5-10 %), (c) moderate (10-25 %), (d) high (25-50%), and (e) very high (>50%).

Runoff water storage: It is defined as the volume of runoff water stored into the soil or in small ponds. Storage of water runoff is defined in terms of land management for reducing surface water runoff and increasing soil infiltration rates. For example, presence of adequate shrubby or annual vegetation cover, construction of terraces, shallow ploughing of the soil parallel to the contour lines, concentrating the runoff water in small ponds and retarding runoff, keeping plant residues on the soil surface, etc. are some practices for runoff water storage. Measurement of the indicator is based on self-assessment subject to personal judgement if existing management practices for runoff water storage are applied, and how efficient they are. The following classes are distinguished: no runoff water storage, low, moderate, and adequate.

Water consumption per sector: It is defined as the annual water consumption for domestic use, industrial use, agricultural use and other sectors expressed in cubic metres per year or as a percentage of total water consumption. This information can be obtained from local authorities or statistical service.

Water scarcity:This indicator assess the change in the difference between the water availability per capita and the water consumption per capita during the past 10 years. The change in water scarcity can be affected both on the increased consumption and/or decrease in supply. Scarcity, by definition means diminishing resources and/or a pressure on the supply of available resources from an increasing demand. The water consumption per capita includes the total demands for drinking water, process water, irrigation water and cooling water by all economic sectors, expressed in cubic metres per year per capita. The WHO (World Health Organisation) uses the level of 1,000-2,000 cubic meters per person and per year to identify risk on water scarcity. When these values drop below 1,000 cubic meters per person per year, then areas are considered to be experienced water scarcity. This indicator is defined here as the ratio of water availability per capita (WAC) divided by the water consumption per capita (WCC) per year for the period of the past ten years. The following 5 classes have been identified: (a) no water scarcity, WAC/WCC=R>2; (b) low, R=1.5-2; (c) moderate, R=1.5-1.0; (d) high, R=0.5-1.0, and (e) very high R<0.5.