Desire for Greener Land
Desire for Greener Land
Desire for Greener Land
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Assessment<br />
Impacts of the Technology<br />
Production and socio-economic benefits Production and socio-economic disadvantages<br />
decreased workload (less damage to fields due to less gully<br />
<strong>for</strong>mation)<br />
increased expenses on agricultural inputs<br />
hindered farm operations<br />
Socio-cultural benefits Socio-cultural disadvantages<br />
improved conservation / erosion knowledge<br />
conflict mitigation (less damage to neighbours’ fields)<br />
Ecological benefits Ecological disadvantages<br />
reduced soil loss<br />
reduced hazard towards adverse events<br />
reduced surface runoff<br />
improved harvesting / collection of water<br />
increased soil moisture<br />
improved soil cover<br />
increased soil organic matter / below ground C<br />
increased animal diversity (terraces provide corridors<br />
connecting fields and provide shelter)<br />
increased plant diversity<br />
increased beneficial species<br />
increased / maintained habitat diversity<br />
Off-site benefits Off-site disadvantages<br />
reduced downstream flooding<br />
reduced downstream siltation<br />
reduced damage on neighbours fields<br />
reduced damage on public / private infrastructure<br />
improved buffering / filtering capacity<br />
Contribution to human well-being/livelihoods<br />
There is less damage to fields and to infrastructure due to gully <strong>for</strong>mation and flooding.<br />
Benefits/costs according to land user<br />
Benefits compared with costs short-term: long-term:<br />
Establishment negative<br />
neutral /<br />
balanced<br />
Maintenance/recurrent neutral / balanced slightly positive<br />
Implementation of the terraces is relatively expensive. Additionally planting of shrubs is also relatively expensive and requires a subsidy.<br />
Once installed, maintenance is not expensive and pays off because of less damage to fields and infrastructure.<br />
Acceptance/adoption:<br />
Eighty per cent of land user families have implemented the technology with external material support. Terraces are traditionally<br />
widespread in the region. Most of them were installed without external support. Nowadays there are subsidies <strong>for</strong> construction and<br />
maintenance of vegetated strips and terraces. Twenty per cent of land user families have implemented the technology voluntary.<br />
There is no trend towards (growing) spontaneous adoption of the technology. There is acceptance, but it is not growing. In some parts<br />
terraces are removed to make larger fields, and some new ones are also constructed. Recently installed subsidies may change this<br />
Concluding statements<br />
Strengths and how to sustain/improve Weaknesses and how to overcome<br />
This technology is very effective at reducing surface runoff and<br />
erosion by reducing slope gradients and connectivity. In addition,<br />
it has a water harvesting effect. So it reduces on-site and off-site<br />
erosion problems and potentially increases water retention in the<br />
fields. The technology can be enhanced by providing more<br />
in<strong>for</strong>mation and publicity so that existing terraces are maintained.<br />
The terraces prevent gully <strong>for</strong>mation and damage to the fields<br />
and to their neighbours maintenance is needed and should be<br />
promoted.<br />
The technology does not improve farm income and has a significant<br />
implementation cost Provide in<strong>for</strong>mation on all the advantages that<br />
include many costs <strong>for</strong> society (including floods, reservoir siltation<br />
etc.). The subsidy <strong>for</strong> implementation already solves the problem of<br />
implementation costs.<br />
It is considered relatively expensive to implement and particularly the<br />
optional planting of woody species is considered complicated in dry<br />
years Subsidies <strong>for</strong> terrace construction and planting of woody<br />
species as well as cooperation between farmers to reduce costs of<br />
maintenance when subsidies stop.<br />
Key reference(s): CARM 2008. Programa de Desarrollo Rural de la Región de Murcia 2007-2013 Tomo I. 508pp,<br />
http://www.carm.es/neweb2/servlet/integra.servlets.ControlPublico?IDCONTENIDO=4689&IDTIPO=100&RASTRO=c431$m1219<br />
Contact person: Joris de Vente, EEZA-CSIC, Joris@sustainable-ecosystems.com<br />
152 DESIRE – WOCAT <strong>Desire</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Greener</strong> <strong>Land</strong>