Cn tu12 5_isric_wb1_drivers_of_desertification_mantel

Panel Review Meeting, Brussels, 17Panel Review Meeting, Brussels, 17thth June 2009 June 2009Panel Review Meeting, Brussels, 17Panel Review Meeting, Brussels, 17thth June 2009 June 2009LANDCON, Xi’an, China October 12, 2010LANDCON, Xi’an, China October 12, 2010LANDCON, Xi’an, China October 12, 2010LANDCON, Xi’an, China October 12, 2010

ISRIC

Desertification drivers and policies in DESIRE study sites

S. Mantel (ISRIC)

G.W.J. van Lynden (ISRIC)

Marie-José van de Werff ten Bosch (Both Ends)


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16 study sites


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Climatechange

Socio-economic drivers

DemographicsMigration

Policies Prices Markets

Social factors

Land useand management

Desertificationprocesses

Response

SLMstrategies

Other sourcesof income

People

Rurallivelihoods

Sustainabilitygoals

Bio-physical drivers

Environmentalconditions


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Climatechange




Social factors



Response

SLMstrategies


People

Rurallivelihoods

Sustainabilitygoals



SLM loop


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Climatechange




Social factors



Response

SLMstrategies


People

Rurallivelihoods

Sustainabilitygoals



Policy loop


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DESIRE study sites

• Climate in the DESIRE study sites:

from (semi-)arid to sub-humid. High variation between sites. Av. Ann. rainfall < 600 mm, < 300 mm and sometimes <100 mm.

• Dominant land uses dryland farming and pastures, with increasing importance of irrigated arable farming and other forms of capital intense farming.


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Methods

• Data collected through emailed questionnaires (and discussed in group sessions)

• Structure and data fields used DPSIR concepts of socio-economic drivers, environmental drivers, pressures, impact, responses, and policies


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Drivers Socio economic drivers Environmental drivers

Pressures Impact

Study site: Guadalentin Basin, Murcia, Spain

Land abandonment

Aging farming population (traditionally dry land farmers), farming only part-time activity. Commercial, irrigated farms have developed at the cost of traditional dryland agriculture since the 1970's, Policy developed and implemented at many different levels within ministries and governments. Cross-sectoral cooperation and planning is extremely complex and difficult to implement.

Natural conditions such as topography, climate and lithology and active tectonic uplift favor overland flow and erosion.

Changes in soil quality, soil organic matter content and increased vegetation cover

Soil erosion (+)

Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

Lack of investment at region, local, and farm level, the low profitability of agriculture calls for government intervention to provide incentives

The threatened mosaic landscape is crucial for SWC purposes

Changes in soil quality, soil organic matter content and increased vegetation cover

Soil erosion (+)

Intensive tillage Tillage under almonds is traditionally done 3-5 times a year

Soils are easily crusted without tillage which reduces infiltration capacity

Higher organic matter content, less runoff and erosion

Soil erosion (-)

Irrigated horticulture and illegal pumping of groundwater for irrigation

Irrigated horticulture is the most profitable land use type in the region

Land leveling is often practiced for irrigated agriculture

Changes in groundwater availability and quality

Ground water (quality+ quantity) decline

Intensive pig farming

Low land demand High demand for pork and ham

Changes in water and soil quality Soil and groundwater contamination

Decline of traditional knowledge

Land abandonment, due to out-migration to cities, has lead to increased soil erosion, causing damage to existing SWC strucutures such as terraces and water harvesting structures.

Long dry periods and intermittent rivers require structures to maintain water that is available during rainfall events throughout dry periods.

Changes in water availability and quality

Water stress

Drivers Socio economic drivers Environmental drivers

Pressures Impact

Zeuss-Koutine, Tunesia

Wood cutting and overgrazing

Out migration of active population, ageing population, land use change

Soil fertility decline, Insecure rainfall

Increased runoff processes and sediment production, decreased soil organic matter, increased unpalatable species, increased soil water repellency

Soil erosion,biodiversity loss

Wood cutting, overgrazing,and cultivation

Out migration of active population, land use change, ageing population, solutions focused on the forest sector, livelihood diversification.

Decrease of organic matter in the soil, severe drought periods

Decreased plant cover, increased runoff processes, decreased water quality, increased soil loss, decreased biomass, economic losses, loss of plant biodiversity

Vegetation degradation

Inadequate agricultural and forestry practices

abandonment of traditional agro-pasture practices for large scale mono-culture agriculture plantations (olives), land fragmentation through inheritance system

Soils sensitive to erosion, instable slopes

Decreased crop production, decreased farm income, decreased product diversification

Soil erosion, soil nutrient depletion


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Drivers Impact Responses Policies

Guadalentin Basin, Murcia, Spain

Land abandonment Soil erosion (+) Construction of terraces and check dams, reduced tillage, increased fallow periods, reforestation

Policies and regulations that focus on vegetation cover management, such as reforestation, crop rotations and fallow periods

Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

Soil erosion (+) Construction of terraces and check dams, reduced tillage, increased fallow periods, reforestation

National Action Programme to Combat Desertification (NAPD), European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), and the Regional development programmes

Intensive tillage Soil erosion (-) Reduced- and contour tillage Regional development programme

Irrigated horticulture and illegal pumping of groundwater for irrigation

Ground water (quality+ quantity) decline

Drip irrigation and plastic covers to reduce evaporation losses

Policy enforcement by the water authorities, water transfers, subsidies for irrigation infrastructure, European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)

Intensive pig farming

Soil and groundwater contamination Controlled use of sludge for fertilization purposes

Regulations on waste treatment, storage and use of pig sludge

Decline of traditional knowledge

Water stress Construction of terraces and water harvesting structures

Regional development programme


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Source: De Vente et al., based on discussions between stakeholders during two stakeholder workshops in 2007 – 2008

Guadalentin basin, Spain: Sustainability Goals

Goal 1 Maintenance and restoration of the productive capacity of the agricultural-, forest-, and scrublands systems

Goal 2 Reduce water loss and maintain or restore aquifer levels

Goal 3 Reduce soil erosion and prevent flooding and siltation of reservoirs

Goal 4 Increase soil fertility and soil organic matter content

Goal 5 Integration of agriculture and ecological systems in a ‘mosaic landscape’

Goal 6 Conservation of biological diversity

Goal 7 Production of labelled ‘quality products’ from ecological agriculture

Goal 8 Use of organic waste and sludge for local green energy production


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Key drivers of desertification

• Out-migration• Lack of (integrated) planning• Land fragmentation

• Land management decline• Mono-culture tree planting• Population growth/poverty• Lack of land tenure

• Land use intensification


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frequency of reported drivers for desertification/degradation in the 16 DESIRE study sites

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Frequency

Drivers


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Outmigration is a key driver of desertification (10 sites, 9 countries)

Driver / Issue Study Site Primary impact Secondary impact

Outmigration / low population/

Ageing

Portugal (2) Land use change/land abandonment, negligence of SWC structures, loss of (traditional) knowledge

Forest fires, soil erosion

Spain Mosaic landscape is lost, SWC structures damaged

Soil erosion

Tunesia Land use change (degradation of SWC structures)

Soil erosion

Greece, Crete Less land care Soil erosion(

(Population change) Russia (Dzhanybek) Introduction of mechanization Soil erosion, salinization

Cape Verde Land abandonment lead to invasive species

Biodiversity and soil quality decline

Chile Poor agricultural andlivestock practices

Soil erosion

Italy Poor land care Soil erosion,Mass movement, soil slip

Morocco, Sehoel Indirect effect: lack of labour for rotational cropping

Soil mining


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• Lack of integrated planning and implementation of policies is considered to contribute to desertification (8 sites, 6 countries)

• E.g. Spain: effective policy is difficult due to multiple sectors and many administrative levels

• Botswana: Lack of coordination and implementation capacity resulting in low impact of policies. National policies do not always fit local conditions that sometimes cause negative side-effects


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Land fragmentation (7 sites, 6 countries)

E.g Portugal: Increased land abandonment, less managed forest and vegetation -> increased forest fires risk

E.g Turkey, Karapinar: Expansion of irrigated agriculture at the cost of traditional dry land farming ->lowering ground water levels

Land use intensification (7 sites, 6 countries)

Introduction of mono-culture tree plantations (6 sites, 5 countries)Mono-culture tree plantations: often decreased soil cover (e.g. Tunisia, Morocco), leading to greater forest/plantation fire risk (Portugal, Chile)


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Land management decline is considered a driver (5 study sites, 4 countries).

•E.g. Russia (Novy): decrease of irrigated area but use of inappropriate methods for irrigation; soil salinization, water logging

•Morocco: due to outmigration land tenure issues (land is rented out) and less labor available, rotational cropping is left for continuous wheat cultivation)


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NOT (or hardly) reported by study sites:

•Tourism

•Transport/infrastructure

•Climate change


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Policies• The international policy agreements and national

contributions to them mentioned by the study sites:

• the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and its National Action Plans (7 sites)

• Agenda 21 and environmental action plans and protection laws (7 sites)

• Common Agricultural Policy (in Europe) (3 sites)• National Strategy for Poverty Reduction (1 site)• Natura 2000 (1 site)• Convention on Biological Diversity, and national plans and

regulations (1 site)• European Water Framework Directive (1 site)


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Policies (2)The national and local agreements mentioned:

• Subsidy schemes, regulations, laws on irrigation, water management, waste and flood control (9 sites)

• Forestry laws and forest management regulations (5 sites)• agricultural laws and regulations, such as national policy on

agricultural development (5 sites)• laws and national strategies on soil conservation and prevention and

control of desertification (3 sites) • bonus programme on rehabilitation of degraded lands (1 site)• regional development plan (1 site)• official establishments of protected areas and national parks (1 site)• national strategy for rangeland improvement (1 site)• land management law (1 site) and grassland law (1 site)• Community Based Natural Resource Management Policy (1 site)• Tourism policies (1 site)• Emigration policies (1 site)• National plan for rural biogas development (1 site)• Revised National Policy on Education (1 site)• Order in council on protection of air (1 site)


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Policies (3)NOT (or hardly) reported by study sites:

•Trade and investment agreements

•Climate change protocols/agreements


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Conclusions• Drivers reported may have either negative

or positive effects on desertification depending on the environmental and socio-economic context (e.g. land abandonment)

• Local decisions on land use and management are highly influenced by national and global economy and trade and the resulting mobility of people

• Rural exodus is an indicator for change in economic conditions and the primary driver for desertification in several sites.


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Conclusions• Policies have diverse effects on land use

and management. Policies not targeted on environment or land management often as or even more influential


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Thank you for your attention

Cn tu12 5_isric_wb1_drivers_of_desertification_mantel

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