The Role of Sustainable Land Management for Climate ... - CAADP

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events, the incremental impact of many of the SLM practices is likely to increase, e.g. those
which better manage scarce water resources, those that preserve soil moisture (e.g. zero tillage),
and those which can prevent soil erosion. In addition to the anticipated impacts of SLM on
agricultural productivity, SLM practiced on farms and off farms, especially if coordinated at
catchment or watershed scales, can have important impacts off-site, such as on hydrological
flows, hydroelectric power generation, and flooding risk, all of which are expected to be affected
by climate change.
There is mixed evidence on farmer adoption of SLM specifically as an adaptation
strategy to climate change. For example, in South Africa, Thomas et al (2007) found that
farmers and communities focused on diversification of enterprises and enhancing networks but
not on investing in SLM practices (also found in Senegal, Sene et al 2006). However, Benhin
(2006) found that farmers in other South African sites were in fact increasing use of irrigation
and soil conservation practices as part of adaptation strategies (also found in Kenya by Kabubo-
Mariara and Karanja, 2006). In the Nile Basin of Ethiopia, Yesuf, et al. (2008) found that 31%
of farmers who perceived long term declines in rainfall (most farmers surveyed) reported
investing in soil and water conservation measures – the most common adaptation measure
adopted – while 4% reported adopting water harvesting and 3% planted trees as adaptation
measures.
One clear adaptation practice appears to be the choice of crops grown. Kurukulasuriya
and Mendelsohn (2006) found that crop choice across 11 African countries is highly related to
temperature and precipitation. The conclusion they draw is that more attention must be given to
expanding the range of crops suitable to warmer and drier climates. However, this ignores the
strong role that some SLM practices can play in overcoming or reversing the productivity
decreasing impact of harsher climate change (even without making a crop choice change), as
shown above. Inattention to the potential of SLM as an adaptation strategy in current literature
(e.g. for Zambia, Jain 2006) could lead the prioritization of lead future research and development
investments astray.
Mitigation
Sustainable land management can play a significant role in climate change mitigation through
reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and sequestering carbon in vegetation, litter, and soils.
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