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Using internet technology to inform researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders about sustainable land management in drylands:

experience from a large interdisciplinary and international project


Nichola Geeson1, Erik van den Elsen2, Jane Brandt1, Giovanni Quaranta1, Rosanna Salvia1

Dissemination for the DESIRE Project is.


. explaining how to avoid or mitigate land degradation and soil erosion . explaining how using land more sustainably can preserve long-term livelihoods

DESIRE why dissemination?


DESIRE is an Interdisciplinary Research Project where stakeholder involvement is integrated in the project setup

Stakeholders: Farmers, Landowners, Policy makers (local, regional, national), Scientists, NGOs
In order to get maximized stakeholder involvement, supplying information between parties is of great importance

% DESIRE dissemination how?

Project information www.desire-project.eu

Site & Research information www.desire-his.eu

People who work on the land, or anyone who makes decisions on how the land can be used in a sustainable way, need a sound basis for their actions
Beans and maize in Cape Verde

Karapinar, Turkey

Cauquennes, Chile

Novy, Russia

Scientific research built up over the last 20 years can add to traditional knowledge, - to provide a wealth of practical experience to guide such decisions
A. Zeiliguer C. Kosmas

But what are the best ways of sharing practical, sustainable and new ideas?
Novy, Russia

Calculation of desertification risk under olives

People are more confident to promote or try new ideas if they see evidence of success demonstrated in scientific experiments
A. Laouina

A. Zeiliguer

M. Ouessar

A newsletter published by the DESIRE project - a project funded by the European Unions 6th Framework Program Global Change and Ecosystems

Newsletter

2010 - 2
A publication from the DESIRE project - funded by the European Unions 6th Framework Program Global Change and Ecosystems

Info-brief 2
The DESIRE Project shows how this can be achieved

Sustainable Land Management enhances our living soils


DESIRE reports on a third year of progress
Study sites are busy combating desertification with new strategies, - so how is it going? Selecting strategies
The main objective of the DESIRE Project is to work with land users and other stakeholders, finding new ways to tackle desertification and promote sustainable land management practices. Using a series of questions and discussions at workshops, scientist and stakeholders have been working together to suggest optimum solutions for local areas. Now, they are trying the strategies out, to see if good ideas in theory are also good ideas in practice.
Last year scientists and stakeholders completed the process of selecting sustainable land management strategies in the 16 DESIRE study sites. They all used the same procedure developed by WOCAT (World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies). This meant that the strategies they chose would have a sound scientific and practical basis. At the first workshop scientists and stakeholders learned together about water and biomass cycles, local conditions, and the choice of strategies available to suit the local context. Standardised questionnaires were used for appraisal and evaluation. Then through a second workshop the WOCAT technologies database and an on-line decision support tool provided an output of the most promising technologies.

In this issue: News from the plenary meeting in Morocco

We rely on land based ecosystems to provide important benefits for human livelihoods such as: our food, fodder for animals, construction materials, climate regulation and clean water. To
achieve this provision sustainably, it is important to promote a balance between activities such as agricultural production, and respect for nature and the environment. The EUs legal framework for Rural development 2007-2013 emphasises the need for better integration of agricultural and environmental policies. The DESIRE Project (www.desire-his.eu) is extending this approach to a number of regions around the world, with a range of land uses affected by desertification. An important benefit of sustainable land use is the maintenance or improvement of biodiversity. New initiatives such as the EUs Biodiversity Information System for Europe will help improve the integration of

coherent land use policies and synergies around the world. Land degradation in dryland areas dramatically affects the biological diversity of landbased ecosystems. This is because of the effects on plant organic matter, plant roots, and organisms in the soil: like termites, moles and earthworms, fungi and bacteria. This living system below the ground determines the biological diversity of land above the ground, and ultimately land productivity and other benefits that land provides. The synergies between soil biodiversity and sustainable land management mean that any action that conserves water and improves soil quality will also enhance soil habitats. The DESIRE Project is developing strategies to remediate land degradation in dryland areas. The following examples demonstrate how these strategies maintain or enhance soil biodiversity.

trialled in DESIRE is given on page 3.

Monitoring

The evidence can be presented on a website and in an on-line information system that also houses attractive factsheets, booklets, policy briefs, posters, video clips, etc., - all in non-scientific language, and often in multiple languages
A publication from the DESIRE project - funded by the European Unions 6th Framework Program Global Change and Ecosystems

With the strategies chosen, the emphasis is now on establishing trials and field experiments, and monitoring to see how successful the measures will be. Every study site has completed a detailed Site Implementation Plan. At the recent plenary meeting in Morocco, project partPromising ideas ners prepared posters to illustrate their Each study site arrived at a list of two strategy testing in each study site, and or more measures to try out. Although these can be viewed in the Harmonised the technologies themselves may not be Information System on the DESIRE new, the innovation is in matching the website at http://tinyurl.com/cx47u technology to the local context. On cropland the strategies included Many of the study sites are monitoring minimum tillage, terraces, drip irriga- physical variables such as meteorotion, mulching, vegetation strips, water logical data, soil moisture, soil water harvesting and gully treatment. All quality, erosion by water or wind. These these approaches concentrate on making measurements will help to provide the most of a scarce water resource and evidence of the effects of different protecting the soil surface from erosion treatments and practices. At the end of by water and wind. On rangeland this the first growing season, the success of might be achieved by less intensive the harvests under different treatments grazing schemes and planting of suitable give a preview of the likely success of shrubs. Details of the WOCAT system the complete strategy. For example, in can be seen on the Harmonised Spain, water harvesting for cereals and Information System on the DESIRE use of a green manure in almond website: orchards are working well. http://tinyurl.com/yzpsw2b A summary of the strategies being

Regular resting of rangeland allows vegetation and soils to recover from grazing

In Mdenine, Tunisia areas of rangeland left without grazing for 3-5 years improve the plant cover and diversity for the next period of grazing. This helps to avoid land degradation from overgrazing. An increase of infiltration, soil organic matter and runoff control are secondary benefits.

Ouled Belgacem, IRA

Ouled Belgacem, IRA

Resting rangeland in Bni Khdache,-El Athmane, Tunisia

Overgrazing can result in desertification in Tunisia

2010 - 2

Newsletter 3
Knowledge exchange is the key to sustainable action

Scientists and stakeholders learn to listen to one another

IRD, Prat, C.

How should scientists approach all the stakeholders that can contribute to ensuring that the research has practical uses? How can the interest of the stakeholders be maintained?

being trialed on experimental plots. Local stakeholders are involved in monitoring the trials where possible, and all stakeholders will be invited to consider the evaluation of success, and contribute to future recommendations. The most rewarding workshops are where there is full support for seeking sustainable options from a wide range of people. It is important to try and include a range of ages and standards of education, and as many women as men.

By stakeholders we mean everyone who has an interest: from farmers to national policy makers, from schoolchildren to the UNCCD. The DESIRE Project has included a series of stakeholder workshops in all study sites. This has allowed full discussion of ideas to combat land degradation and desertification, many of which are now

Each page is from a DESIRE study site partner: University of Aveiro, Portugal (Mao site); Democritus University of Thrace, Greece (Nestos river basin); University of Botswana (Boteti site); L'Institut de recherche pour le dveloppement (IRD), France (Cointzio site, Mexico); Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecurarias (INIA), Chile (Secano interior)
The DESIRE project (2007-2011) is funded by the European Commission, VI Framework Program, Global Change and Ecosystems and brings together the expertise of 26 international research institutes and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). This project is implemented by ALTERRA - research institute for the green living environment in the Netherlands. Copyright and Disclaimer: www.desire-project.eu/disclaimer

Edited by Nichola Geeson, July 2010 For more information and contact details see: The DESIRE Harmonised Information System: www.desire-his.eu and DESIRE website: www.desireproject.eu

Contact DESIRE coordinator: Coen.Ritsema@wur.nl Contact DESIRE Communications: ngproject3@googlemail.com

The opinions expressed in this newsletter and on the website are those of the DESIRE project consortium and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

Overgrazing can result in desertification in Tunisia

Providing information in suitable formats is all about targeting the audience:

How does desertification affect them personally? How do our results help them?

Steps to planning dissemination


1. Identify the range of types of audience

2. Identify the complexity of information required


3. Identify the ideal formats for information

Steps to planning dissemination


4. Choose the most relevant from all the Messages coming out of research activities 5. Assemble Packages of information. Material can be adapted for specific audiences

6. Determine what needs to be translated to local languages

Steps to planning dissemination


7. Determine the best ways for dissemination to happen, e.g. exhibitions, community events, social events, conferences, TV interviews, podcasts, videos, DVDs, other written material, etc. 8. Plan timetables to put these methods into action.

We designed an on-line information system on the DESIRE website according to the following criteria: 1. To provide a full record of project research and results

2. To provide material for a range of different interests


3. To provide material at different complexity, from video and

individual photos to academic papers


4. To provide material in all the languages of the study sites Joomla! website software suits our style of presentation and provides many innovative possibilities.

The main menus and sub-menus provide access to all DESIRE results, products and recommendations as they become available

The wheel diagram illustrates the complete sequence of Research Themes (square icons), overall, or for each of the Study Sites. Clicking on a square takes you to a list of all the information for that Theme

Most pages begin with a short summary in non-scientific language, with directions for those who want to read or download more detail..

To provide material of interest to a wide range of people we include video clips, (e.g. in Vimeo or YouTube) or podcasts, as well as posters and a variety of leaflets

Key documents can be read onscreen as well as be downloaded using Scribd. software

The Information System is multi-lingual


... in Spanish

... in Russian

Find a useful overview of the DESIRE field experiments to test strategies to combat desertification, plus details for each individual study site

A large number of newsletters, booklets, fact sheets and other products can be downloaded for offline printing and distribution

A 300 page book describing: SLM options in drylands The DESIRE approach WOCAT methodology used in the field Policy recommendations

Thank you for your attention

Visit the DESIRE Harmonised Information System at


http://www.desire-his.eu/

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