Your search found 16 records
1 Adimassu, Zenebe; Langan, Simon; Johnston, Robyn. 2016. Understanding determinants of farmers’ investments in sustainable land management practices in Ethiopia: review and synthesis. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 18(4):1005-1023. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-015-9683-5]
Sustainable land management ; Land degradation ; Farm income ; Investment ; Incentives ; Erosion ; Soil fertility ; Households / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047155)
(0.40 MB)
Although there has been several efforts made to reduce land degradation and improve land productivity in Ethiopia, farmers’ investments in sustainable land management (SLM) remain limited. Nevertheless, the results regarding determinants of farmers’ investments in SLM have been inconsistent and scattered. Moreover, these factors have not been reviewed and synthesized. Hence this paper reviews and synthesizes past research in order to identify determinants that affect farmers’ investments in SLM practices and thereby facilitate policy prescriptions to enhance adoption in Ethiopia, East Africa and potentially wider afield. The review identifies several determinants that affect farmers’ investments in SLM practices. These determinants are generally categorized into three groups. The first group is those factors that are related to farmers’ capacity to invest in SLM practices. The results show that farmers’ investments in SLM practices are limited by their limited capacity to invest in SLM. The second groups of factors are related to farmers’ incentives for investments in SLM practices. Farmers’ investments in SLM are limited due to restricted incentives from their investments related to land improvement. The third groups of factors are external factors beyond the control of farmers. The review also shows that farmers’ capacities to invest in SLM and their incentives from investments have been influenced by external factors such as institutional support and policies. This suggests that creating enabling conditions for enhancing farmers’ investment capacities in SLM and increasing the range of incentives from their investment is crucial to encourage wide-scale adoption of SLM practices.
2 Schmidt, E.; Zemadim, Birhanu. 2015. Expanding sustainable land management in Ethiopia: scenarios for improved agricultural water management in the Blue Nile. Agricultural Water Management, 158:166-178. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2015.05.001]
Sustainable land management ; Investment ; Agriculture ; Water management ; Hydrology ; Models ; Watersheds ; Stream flow ; Surface runoff ; Soil moisture ; Soil conservation ; Erosion ; Sediment ; Residues ; Highlands ; Terraces / Ethiopia / Blue Nile Basin / Mizewa Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047435)
(1.66 MB)
Deforestation due to farmland expansion, fragile soils, undulating terrain, and heavy seasonal rains makes the highlands of Ethiopia vulnerable to soil erosion. The diverse terrain of the rural highlands requires spatially explicit investments in land management structures. This paper utilizes recent hydrological and meteorological data collected from the Mizewa watershed in the Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia, as well as household survey data on farmer preferences and investments, in order to better understand the physical impact of sustainable land management activities. The effectiveness of the simulated conservation practices (terraces, bunds, and residue management) is evaluated using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool taking into account investment decisions on different terrain types. Simulations include terracing on steep and mid-range hillsides; a mix of terracing and bunds on varying slope gradients; and a mix of terraces and residue management on varying terrain. Simulated conservation practices are evaluated at the outlet of the Mizewa watershed by comparing model simulations that take into account the limited investments that currently exist (status quo) with simulations of increased terracing and residue management activities within the watershed. Results suggest that a mixed strategy of terracing on steep slopes and residue management on flat and middle slopes dramatically decrease surface runoff and erosion. A landscape-wide investment of terraces and bunds throughout the watershed landscape provides the greatest reduction in surface flow and erosion. However, the type and amount of investment in sustainable land management activities have different implications with respect to labor input and may be cost-prohibitive in the medium term.
3 Sri Lanka. Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy. Natural Resources Management Division. 2014. National Action Program (NAP) for combating land degradation in Sri Lanka 2015 - 2024. Battaramulla, Sri Lanka: Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy. Natural Resources Management Division. 146p. + CD.
Sustainable land management ; Land degradation ; Development programmes ; National planning ; Water resources ; Groundwater ; Climate change ; Monsoon climate ; Forest resources ; Biodiversity ; Environmental effects ; Mining ; Soil erosion ; Soil fertility ; Climatic zones ; Land use ; Highlands ; Farmland ; Cropping systems ; Plantation crops ; Vegetable growing ; Livestock ; State land ; Encroachment ; Institutions ; International agreements ; UNCCD ; Legislation ; Project planning ; Economic policies ; Population ; Poverty / Sri Lanka
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 333.73 G744 SRI Record No: H048060)
www.unccd.int/ActionProgrammes/Sri%20Lanka-2015-2024-eng.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048060.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048060.pdf
(2.91 MB) (2.91 MB)
4 Sri Lanka. Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy. Natural Resources Management Division. 2014. Integrated Financing Strategy (IFS) for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in Sri Lanka. Battaramulla, Sri Lanka: Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy. Natural Resources Management Division. 111p.
Sustainable land management ; Financing ; Strategies ; Land degradation ; Development programmes ; National planning ; Legal frameworks ; Regulations ; Environmental legislation ; Resource management ; Mobilization ; Implementation ; Institutional development ; Coordination ; Development policies ; Budgets ; Costs ; Private sector ; Nongovernmental organizations ; International agreements ; UNCCD ; Conventions ; Funding ; Partnerships ; Innovation / Sri Lanka
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 333.73 G744 SRI Record No: H048067)
(0.31 MB)
5 Nigussie, Z.; Tsunekawa, A.; Haregeweyn, N.; Adgo, E.; Nohmi, M.; Tsubo, M.; Aklog, D.; Meshesha, D. T.; Abele, S. 2017. Factors influencing small-scale farmers’ adoption of sustainable land management technologies in north-western Ethiopia. Land Use Policy, 67:57-64. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.05.024]
Small scale farming ; Farmer participation ; Sustainable land management ; Technology ; Water conservation ; Soil conservation ; Land degradation ; Watersheds ; Drought ; Socioeconomic environment ; Multivariate analysis ; Models / Ethiopia / Upper Blue Nile Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048585)
(0.54 MB)
Land degradation is a serious global problem because it leads to losses in food production and thus jeopardizes food security worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Despite numerous efforts to introduce sustainable land management (SLM) strategies and practices, their adoption by the primary target group, small-scale farmers in developing countries, has been [s]low. This study assesses the problem for the case of Ethiopia. The aim was to analyze the underlying factors that affect the adoption of SLM technologies in the Upper Blue Nile Basin. A detailed survey of 300 households and 1010 farm plots was conducted. Data were analyzed by using both descriptive and econometric analyses. Results show that farmers’ adoption of interrelated SLM measures depended on a number of socio-economic and farm-related factors in combination with the characteristics of the technologies themselves. For example, plot size and the availability of labor, as well as the gender of the household head, affected which SLM technologies were adopted by certain types of households. The adoption of SLM measures depended on the adaptive economic capacity of the farmers, which can be quite diverse even within a small region and can differ from the adoption potential in other regions. Our results suggest that SLM policies and programs have to be individually designed for specific target groups within specific regions, which in turn means that “one size fits all” and “across the board” strategies – which are quite common in the field of SLM – should be abandoned by development agencies and policymakers.
6 Issahaku, G.; Abdul-Rahaman, A. 2019. Sustainable land management practices, off-farm work participation and vulnerability among farmers in Ghana: is there a nexus? International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 7(1):18-26. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2018.10.002]
Sustainable land management ; Farmer participation ; Off farm employment ; Nonfarm income ; Households ; Socioeconomic environment ; Adoption ; Poverty ; Organic fertilizers ; Bunds ; Models / Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049149)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095633918301321/pdfft?md5=c1b325ba74803cb6d82d0010632fe710&pid=1-s2.0-S2095633918301321-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049149.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049149.pdf
(0.53 MB) (544 KB)
Addressing issues of agricultural sustainability and vulnerability to poverty under climate change are major challenges to development in the 21st century. Accounting for the trade-off and synergies between off-farm work participation and sustainable land management on one hand, and vulnerability to poverty on the other hand, will therefore be useful to policy. In this study, we use recent farm household data from Ghana to examine the effect of off-farm work participation on intensity of adoption of sustainable land management (SLM) practices and impact of off-farm work participation on vulnerability to poverty. We employed a bivariate Tobit model to examine the determinants of SLM adoption intensity, and endogenous switching probit model to assess the impact of off-farm work participation on vulnerability to poverty. The results reveal that participation in off-farm is positively and significantly associated with adoption intensity of bunds, and organic manure. The results also show that off-farm work participation significantly reduces household vulnerability to poverty by 13%. Based on these findings, we conclude that rural development through non-farm work opportunities can lead to positive synergies between sustainable agricultural production, off-farm employment and poverty alleviation.
7 Mapedza, Everisto; Tsegai, D.; Bruntrup, M.; McLeman, R. (Eds.) 2019. Drought challenges: policy options for developing countries. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. 363p. (Current Directions in Water Scarcity Research Volume 2)
Drought tolerance ; Policies ; Developing countries ; Climate change mitigation ; Adaptation ; Weather hazards ; Early warning systems ; Disaster preparedness ; Resilience ; Monitoring ; Satellite observation ; Remote sensing ; Forecasting ; Food security ; Energy ; Water scarcity ; Nexus ; Intercropping ; Maize ; Legumes ; Crop insurance ; Livestock management ; Forage ; Sustainable land management ; Rainwater harvesting ; Strategies ; Impact assessment ; Gender ; Small scale farming ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Migration ; Conflicts ; Indigenous knowledge ; Semiarid zones ; Drylands ; SADC countries ; Living standards ; Households ; Social protection ; Rural areas ; Pastoralists ; Communities / Africa South of Sahara / Southern Africa / East Africa / Latin America / South Asia / USA / Brazil / Mexico / Colombia / United Republic of Tanzania / Uganda / Ethiopia / Kenya / Mali / India / Yucatan / Xuilub / Andhra Pradesh / Laikipia / Lincoln / Colorado
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H049366)
(1.39 MB)
8 Walker, D.; Haile, Alemseged Tamiru; Gowing, J.; Legesse, Y.; Gebrehawariat, G.; Hundie, H; Berhanu, D.; Parkin, G. 2019. Guideline: community-based hydroclimate monitoring. Planning, establishing and operating. Oxford, UK: University of Oxford. REACH Programme. 59p. (REACH Working Paper 5)
Hydroclimatology ; Monitoring ; Planning ; Community involvement ; Participatory approaches ; Hydrometeorology ; Water resources ; Water management ; Water security ; Groundwater table ; Water extraction ; Watersheds ; Rivers ; Wells ; Land degradation ; Rural communities ; Sustainable land management ; Living standards ; Stakeholders ; Training / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049391)
https://reachwater.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019_05_Walker-et-al_Working-paper3.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049391.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049391.pdf
(5.58 MB) (5.58 MB)
9 Abera, W.; Tamene, L.; Tibebe, D.; Adimassu, Zenebe; Kassa, H.; Hailu, H.; Mekonnen, K.; Desta, G.; Sommer, R.; Verchot, L. 2020. Characterizing and evaluating the impacts of national land restoration initiatives on ecosystem services in Ethiopia. Land Degradation and Development, 31(1):37-52. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3424]
Land restoration ; Ecosystem services ; Land degradation ; Landscape conservation ; Impact assessment ; Sustainable land management ; Projects ; Agroecological zones ; Soil erosion ; Highlands ; Case studies / Ethiopia / Tigray / Amhara
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049428)
(9.02 MB)
Land restoration is considered to be the remedy for 21st century global challenges of land degradation. As a result, various land restoration and conservation efforts are underway at different scales. Ethiopia is one of the countries with huge investments in land restoration. Tremendous land management practices have been implemented across the country since the 1970s. However, the spatial distribution of the interventions has not been documented, and there is no systematic, quantitative evidence on whether land restoration efforts have achieved the restoration of desired ecosystem services. Therefore, we carried out a meta-analysis of peer-reviewed scientific literature related to land restoration efforts and their impacts in Ethiopia. Results show that most of the large-scale projects have been implemented in the highlands, specifically in Tigray and Amhara regions covering about 24 agroecological zones, and land restoration impact studies are mostly focused in the highlands but restricted in about 11 agroecological zones. The highest mean effect on agricultural productivity is obtained from the combination of bunds and biological interventions followed by conservation agriculture practices with 170% and 18% increases, respectively. However, bunds alone, biological intervention alone, and terracing (fanya juu) reveal negative effects on productivity. The mean effect of all land restoration interventions on soil organic carbon is positive, the highest effect being from “bunds + biological” (139%) followed by exclosure (90%). Reduced soil erosion and runoff are the dominant impacts of all interventions. The results can be used to improve existing guidelines to better match land restoration options with specific desired ecosystem functions and services. Although the focus of this study was on the evaluation of the impacts of land restoration efforts on selected ecosystem services, impacts on livelihood and national socioeconomy have not been examined. Thus, strengthening socioeconomic studies at national scale to assess the sustainability of land restoration initiatives is an essential next step.
10 Mekuria, Wolde; Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria; Lefore, Nicole. 2020. Exclosures for landscape restoration in Ethiopia: business model scenarios and suitability. Agricultural Water Management – Making a Business Case for Smallholders. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 62p. (IWMI Research Report 175) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2020.201]
Landscape conservation ; Exclosures ; Business models ; Land degradation ; Sustainable land management ; Natural resources management ; Ecosystem services ; Crop production ; Fruits ; Trees ; Apiculture ; Honey production ; Livestock production ; Fattening ; Feed production ; Forage yield ; Grazing lands ; Land use ; Land cover ; Horticulture ; Environmental sustainability ; Integrated systems ; Markets ; Supply chain ; Financing ; Income ; Incentives ; Cash flow ; Cost benefit analysis ; Economic viability ; Investment ; Institutions ; Strategies ; Regulations ; Policies ; Multi-stakeholder processes ; Private sector ; Government agencies ; Nongovernmental organizations ; Feasibility studies ; Rural areas ; Local communities ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Gender ; Women ; Living standards / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H049614)
(2.88 MB)
Land degradation is a critical problem around the world. Intensive rain-fed and irrigated crop and livestock systems have contributed to the degradation of land and natural resources. Numerous institutional and socioeconomic challenges complicate attempts to reverse land degradation, including the lack of short-term incentives for investment; low investment by communities in natural resources management that offers little immediate financial reward; failure of public sector institutions to invest sufficiently in natural resources management because of low, immediate political rewards; and sectoral fragmentation, among others. In poor communities, the incentive to extract short-term economic returns from land and natural resources often outweighs perceived benefits from investing in long-term environmental restoration, and related economic and ecosystem returns.
Restoring degraded ecosystems through the establishment of exclosures – areas that are excluded from woodcutting, grazing and agricultural activities – is an increasingly common practice in the Ethiopian Highlands, and regional states are also following this practice. This report proposes and applies an adapted business model to explore the feasibility of exclosures for land restoration. It aims to identify short-term revenue streams from activities that can be carried out within exclosures, such as beekeeping, harvesting fodder for livestock fattening, and cultivating high-value plant species, including fruits and herbs. These are feasible, sustainable economic activities that could allow for the restoration of ecosystem services over the long term. Mobilization of financial resources, engagement of local communities, provision of training and continuous follow-up, as well as facilitation of market opportunities in the value chain for local communities and enterprises (e.g., creating market linkages and establishing innovation platform to engage with market actors) could support the sustainable implementation of the revenue streams.
Restoring degraded ecosystems through the establishment of exclosures – areas that are excluded from woodcutting, grazing and agricultural activities – is an increasingly common practice in the Ethiopian Highlands, and regional states are also following this practice. This report proposes and applies an adapted business model to explore the feasibility of exclosures for land restoration. It aims to identify short-term revenue streams from activities that can be carried out within exclosures, such as beekeeping, harvesting fodder for livestock fattening, and cultivating high-value plant species, including fruits and herbs. These are feasible, sustainable economic activities that could allow for the restoration of ecosystem services over the long term. Mobilization of financial resources, engagement of local communities, provision of training and continuous follow-up, as well as facilitation of market opportunities in the value chain for local communities and enterprises (e.g., creating market linkages and establishing innovation platform to engage with market actors) could support the sustainable implementation of the revenue streams.
11 Rahut, D. B.; Aryal, J. P.; Marenya, P. 2021. Ex-ante adaptation strategies for climate challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa: macro and micro perspectives. Environmental Challenges, 3:100035. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2021.100035]
Climate change adaptation ; Strategies ; Agricultural practices ; Sustainable land management ; Livelihoods ; Climate-smart agriculture ; Risk management ; Indicators ; Farmers ; Households ; Economic aspects / Africa South of Sahara / Ethiopia / Kenya / United Republic of Tanzania / Malawi / Mozambique
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050327)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667010021000147/pdfft?md5=a2a81698a09ee557e82ef826913a026f&pid=1-s2.0-S2667010021000147-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050327.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050327.pdf
(1.55 MB) (1.55 MB)
Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are facing serious consequences from climate change, which pose obstacles to meeting UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as zero hunger, ending poverty, ensuring healthy lives, and promoting wellbeing. In light of these growing challenges, we used data collected in 2018 from farm households in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique to investigate the climate threats encountered by farmers and the ex-ante climate risk adaptation strategies they adopted. Drought, floods, hailstorms, and crop pests and diseases were the most common climate threats in these countries. Unlike previous studies, we also assessed the adaptive capacity at the macro level by using secondary data. We reviewed the factors that affect the adaptive capacity of each nation to address climate risks. At the micro-level, we assessed the factors influencing the choice of ex-ante adaptation measures by using primary data collected from 4351 farm households. Micro-level data also include the variables that indicate the adaptive capacity of farm households, such as asset ownership, demographic characteristics, and participation in local institutions. Results showed five major ex-ante climate risk adaptation strategies – change in farming practice, sustainable land management, seek alternative livelihood, saving, and other unspecified strategies – are prevalent in the region. We used a multivariate probit model to investigate the factors explaining the choice of ex-ante climate risk adaptation strategy. Results showed that female-headed households and households with married heads were more likely than male-headed households to change farming practices to adapt to climate risk. Surprisingly, land ownership was found to be insignificant in all cases. Relatively rich families tended to apply either change in farming practice or saving as a measure to adapt to climate risks. Training on climate-smart agriculture was found to enhance the adoption of sustainable land management as adaptation strategies by farm households. Our findings exhibit substantial differences within and among countries regarding the adoption of ex-ante climate adaptation strategies by farm households. In comparison to farmers in Mozambique's northern region, farmers in all other locations were more likely to apply agricultural measures such as change in farming practice and sustainable land management, while they were more likely to apply non-agricultural measures to adapt to risk. Macro-level indicators show that national adaptive capacity is substantially low in all countries, but considerably varies across them.
12 Bantider, A.; Haileslassie, Amare; Alamirew, T.; Zeleke, G. 2021. Soil and water conservation and sustainable development. In Filho, W. L.; Azul, A. M.; Brandli, L.; Salvia, A. L.; Wall, T. (Eds.). Clean water and sanitation. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 13p. (Online first). (Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70061-8_138-1]
Soil conservation ; Water conservation ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Soil management ; Water management ; Sustainable land management ; Soil erosion ; Land degradation ; Watersheds ; Indigenous peoples' knowledge ; Participatory research ; Technology ; Policies
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050434)
(0.39 MB)
13 Assefa, A.; Haile, Alemseged Tamiru; Dhanya, C. T.; Walker, D. W.; Gowing, J.; Parkin, G. 2021. Impact of sustainable land management on vegetation cover using remote sensing in Magera micro Watershed, Omo Gibe Basin, Ethiopia. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 103:102495. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2021.102495]
Sustainable land management ; Normalized difference vegetation index ; Watershed management ; Remote sensing ; Satellite imagery ; Datasets ; Land cover mapping ; Hydrological factors ; Rain / Ethiopia / Omo Gibe Basin / Magera Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050722)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0303243421002026/pdfft?md5=adc6f5caeb7b85ee841a993c82269f8c&pid=1-s2.0-S0303243421002026-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050722.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050722.pdf
(11.20 MB) (11.2 MB)
The hydrological impact of many expensive investments on watershed interventions remains unquantified due to lack of time series data. In this study, remote sensing imagery is utilized to quantify and detect vegetation cover change in Magera micro-watershed, Ethiopia, where sustainable land management interventions have been implemented. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values were retrieved for the period 2010 to 2019, which encompasses before, during and after the interventions. Mann-Kendal trend test was used to detect temporal trends in the monthly NDVI values. In addition, multiple change-point analyses were carried out using Pettitt’s, Buishand’s and Standard Normal Homogeneity (SNH) tests to detect any abrupt changes due to the watershed interventions. The possible influence of rainfall on changes in vegetation cover was investigated. A significant increasing trend (from 1.5% to 33%) was detected for dense vegetation at the expense of a significant reduction in bare land from 40.9% to 0.6% over the analysis period. An abrupt change in vegetation cover was detected in 2015 in response to the interventions. A weak and decreasing correlation was obtained between monthly rainfall magnitude and NDVI values, which indicates that the increase in vegetation cover is not from rainfall influences. The study shows that the sustainable land management has an overall positive impact on the study area. The findings of this research support the applicability of remote sensing approaches to provide useful information on the impacts of watershed intervention investments.
14 Nhamo, L.; Mpandeli, S.; Liphadzi, S.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2022. Securing land and water for food production through sustainable land reform: a nexus planning perspective. Land, 11(7):974. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/land11070974]
Sustainable land management ; Land reform ; Water security ; Food security ; Land distribution ; Frameworks ; Nexus ; Planning ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Livelihoods ; Rural development ; Constitution ; Agrarian reform ; Indicators ; Food production ; Agriculture ; Climate change ; Socioeconomic development / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051229)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/7/974/pdf?version=1656239653
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051229.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051229.pdf
(1.93 MB) (1.93 MB)
Land and water are vital resources for sustaining rural livelihoods and are critical for rural development as they form the basis of agriculture, the main economic activity for rural communities. Nevertheless, in most developing countries, land and water resources are unevenly distributed due to historical and socio-economic imbalances, hence the need for land reform policies to address these disparities. However, redistributing land without considering the interconnectedness of land and socio-ecological systems can compound existing food and water insecurity challenges. This study used a mixed research method, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data, to develop a framework to guide policy and decision-makers to formulate coherent strategies towards sustainable land redistribution programmes and achieve the desired outcomes. The approach was vital for integrating the broad and intricate interlinkages between water, land, and environmental resources. Therefore, the framework is based on transformative and circular models for informing strategic policy decisions towards sustainable land redistribution. The focus was on South Africa’s land redistribution plans and the implications on water and food security and rural development. The developed framework is designed to ensure the sustainability of agrarian reform and rural economic development. It is framed to address land and water accessibility inequalities, promote water and food security, and enhance rural development. A sustainable land redistribution increases the adaptive capacity of rural communities to climate change, enhances their resilience, and provides pathways towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
15 Cho, M. A.; Mutanga, O.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe. 2023. Understanding local actors’ perspective of threats to the sustainable management of communal rangeland and the role of Participatory GIS (PGIS): the case of Vulindlela, South Africa. South African Geographical Journal, 105(4):516-533. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2023.2190153]
Sustainable land management ; Rangelands ; Common lands ; Local knowledge ; Participatory rural appraisal ; Geographical information systems ; Land governance ; Mapping ; Techniques ; Grazing lands ; Land productivity ; Ecological factors ; Socioeconomic aspects ; Pastoralists ; Communities ; Livelihoods ; Inclusion ; Assessment / South Africa / Vulindlela
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051819)
(2.79 MB)
Rangelands in arid and semi-arid regions serve as grazing land for domesticated animals and therefore offer livelihood opportunities for most pastoral communities. Thus, the exposure of most rangelands in arid and semi-arid regions to threats that are associated with natural, social, economic, and political processes affects their capacity to provide socioeconomic and environmental support to the immediate and global communities. In spite of the effects of rangeland transformations on both the natural and human environment, the assessment of threats affecting rangeland productivity has often been approached from a conventional scientific perspective. Most existing literature is focused on the assessment of threats to the biophysical environment. As such the social dimension of rangeland threats is not well understood. This research employed participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and PGIS techniques to assess rangeland threats and management actions from a local perspective. The result revealed that local actors prioritize threats to their social and economic needs over threats to the biophysical environment and their preference is informed by the frequency and magnitude of the threats. The outcome of the research demonstrates the need to promote rangeland governance through interdisciplinary and inclusive participation in research and development.
16 Tilahun, Seifu A.; Atampugre, Gerald; Zemadim, Birhanu; Cofie, Olufunke. 2023. Co-designing inclusive landscape management plans to transform agrifood systems: a technical brief. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on West and Central African Food Systems Transformation. 8p.
Landscape resilience ; Sustainable land management ; Plans ; Agrifood systems ; Frameworks ; Participatory approaches ; Social inclusion ; Ecological factors ; Stakeholders ; Innovation ; Climate change ; Decision support systems / Africa South of Sahara
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052399)
(399 KB)
Landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa faces increasing pressure from both anthropogenic activities and climate change. The agrifood system struggles to utilize the landscape's potential. Misconceptions in landscape management practices, such as neglecting socio-ecological and participatory concepts, hinder sustainable development. Socio-ecological landscape management, which integrates social and ecological systems and promotes collaboration among stakeholders, innovation, resilience to risks, resource sustainability, and community satisfaction, is gaining acceptance. This technical note is to describe adaptive, inclusive landscape management plans that are sensitive to both ecological and health metrics and could be incorporated into governmental frameworks. The design process is iterative with 6 steps, incorporating the perspectives of local stakeholders, governance bodies, researchers, and local experts. The pathway culminates in a comprehensive Inclusive Landscape Management Plan (ILMP) that is both actionable and reflective of community needs.
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