Desire for Greener Land

Human Environment
Cropland per household (ha)
10,000
Implementation activities, inputs and costs
Establishment activities
Land user: Individual and common small scale
land users, mainly men
Population density: 10-50 persons/km 2
Annual population growth: < 0.5%
Land ownership: individual, titled
Land use rights: individual (most land is privately
owned). The streams are not privately owned.
Therefore permits are required to construct a
water harvesting structure. Some shrubland or
forest is state-owned.
Water use rights: individual. Water rights are
provided and controlled by the water authority of
the Segura river basin (CHS).)
Relative level of wealth average, which
represents 80% of land users; 75% of the total
land area is owned by average land users
Importance of off-farm income: > 50% of all
income: there is no difference in the ones who
apply the technology and those who do not. Most
farmers do have an off-farm income for example
from hunting, work in a factory or office.
Access to service and infrastructure: moderate:
employment, energy;
high: health, education, technical assistance,
market, roads & transport, drinking water and
sanitation, financial services
Market orientation: commercial / market
Mechanization: mechanised
Livestock grazing on cropland: yes
Technical drawing
Establishment inputs and costs per ha
Sketch of a water harvesting structure consisting of
an earthen- or stone- built bund that diverts water
into cultivated fields. Several terraces are present
in the fields in order to reduce slope gradient and
retain water longer within the fields to allow
maximum infiltration. Depending on the expected
inflow of water several spillways can be made per
terrace to prevent excessive concentration of flow
in each spillway. (Joris de Vente)
1. Construction of a bund (dam) Inputs Costs (US$) % met by
land user
Maintenance/recurrent activities
Labour
Equipment
150 100
- machine use
Construction material
350
100
- concrete
400
100
TOTAL 900 100
Maintenance/recurrent inputs and costs per ha per year
1. Restoration of the bund Inputs Costs (US$) % met by
land user
Labour
Equipment
4 100
- machine use
Construction material
12
100
- concrete
25
100
TOTAL 41 100
Remarks:
Labour costs and price of concrete are the most determinate factors affecting the costs.
The costs were indicated assuming a length of the bund dimensions of 5*1*1 metres. Maintenance is required once every 5 years, so
yearly costs are the total costs divided by 5. The local wage rate is 79 US$/day (Prices are for spring 2008).
SLM Technology: Water harvesting from concentrated runoff for irrigation purposes, Spain DESIRE – WOCAT 2012
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