Special Issue Article

Cross-scale monitoring and assessment of land degradation and sustainable land management: A methodological framework for knowledge management†

  1. M. S. Reed1,*,
  2. M. Buenemann2,
  3. J. Atlhopheng3,
  4. M. Akhtar-Schuster4,
  5. F. Bachmann5,
  6. G. Bastin6,
  7. H. Bigas7,
  8. R. Chanda3,
  9. A. J. Dougill8,
  10. W. Essahli9,
  11. A. C. Evely1,
  12. L. Fleskens8,
  13. N. Geeson10,
  14. J. H. Glass11,
  15. R. Hessel12,
  16. J. Holden13,
  17. A. A. R. Ioris14,
  18. B. Kruger15,
  19. H. P. Liniger5,
  20. W. Mphinyane3,
  21. D. Nainggolan8,
  22. J. Perkins3,
  23. C. M. Raymond16,
  24. C. J. Ritsema12,17,
  25. G. Schwilch5,
  26. R. Sebego3,
  27. M. Seely18,
  28. L. C. Stringer8,
  29. R. Thomas7,
  30. S. Twomlow19,
  31. S. Verzandvoort12

Article first published online: 25 JAN 2011

DOI: 10.1002/ldr.1087

Issue

Land Degradation & Development

Land Degradation & Development

Special Issue: Special Issue on Understanding Dryland Degradation Trends

Volume 22, Issue 2, pages 261–271, March/April 2011

Additional Information

How to Cite

Reed, M. S., Buenemann, M., Atlhopheng, J., Akhtar-Schuster, M., Bachmann, F., Bastin, G., Bigas, H., Chanda, R., Dougill, A. J., Essahli, W., Evely, A. C., Fleskens, L., Geeson, N., Glass, J. H., Hessel, R., Holden, J., Ioris, A. A. R., Kruger, B., Liniger, H. P., Mphinyane, W., Nainggolan, D., Perkins, J., Raymond, C. M., Ritsema, C. J., Schwilch, G., Sebego, R., Seely, M., Stringer, L. C., Thomas, R., Twomlow, S. and Verzandvoort, S. (2011), Cross-scale monitoring and assessment of land degradation and sustainable land management: A methodological framework for knowledge management. Land Degrad. Dev., 22: 261–271. doi: 10.1002/ldr.1087

Author Information

  1. 1

    Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Centre for Planning and Environmental Management, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, St Mary's, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK

  2. 2

    Department of Geography, New Mexico State University, MSC MAP, PO Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, USA

  3. 3

    Department of Environmental Science, University of Botswana, Private Bag 00704, Gaborone, Botswana

  4. 4

    Secretariat DesertNet International, c/o Biocentre Klein Flottbek and Botanical Garden, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststr.18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany

  5. 5

    Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 10, 3012 Bern, Switzerland

  6. 6

    CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, P.O. Box 2111, Alice Springs NT 0871, Australia

  7. 7

    Institute for Water, Environment and Health, United Nations University, Suite 204, 175 Longwood Road South, Hamilton, Ontario L8P 0A1, Canada

  8. 8

    Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 9JT, UK

  9. 9

    Community of Sahara and Sahel States, BP 4041, Tripoli, Libya

  10. 10

    Osservatorio MEDES (Observatory for Economic Problems Associated with Desertification in Mediterranean Areas), Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, Potenza 85100, Italy

  11. 11

    Centre for Mountain Studies, Perth College UHI, Crieff Road, Perth PH1 2NX, UK

  12. 12

    Alterra, Wageningen University & Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands

  13. 13

    School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

  14. 14

    Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, St Mary's, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK

  15. 15

    Emerging Commercial Farmers' Support Programme, Private Bag 13255, Windhoek, Namibia

  16. 16

    Centre for Rural Health and Community Development, University of South Australia, and Enviroconnect Pty Ltd. GPO Box 190, Stirling, South Australia 5152, Australia

  17. 17

    Wageningen University, Land Degradation and Development Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands

  18. 18

    Desert Research Foundation of Namibia, P.O. Box 20232, Windhoek, Namibia

  19. 19

    Division of GEF Coordination, United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), P.O. Box 30552 (00100), Nairobi, Kenya

*Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Centre for Planning and Environmental Management, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, St Mary's, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK.

  1. †

    An earlier version of this paper was originally published as part of the Dryland Science for Development Consortium's Working Group 3, presented at the first UNCCD CST Scientific Conference at COP-9, 22–24 September 2009 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 29 MAR 2011
  2. Article first published online: 25 JAN 2011
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 29 NOV 2010
  4. Manuscript Revised: 13 OCT 2010
  5. Manuscript Received: 29 JAN 2010

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Keywords:

  • land degradation;
  • sustainable land management;
  • local and scientific knowledge;
  • policy;
  • international;
  • UNCCD

Abstract

For land degradation monitoring and assessment (M&A) to be accurate and for sustainable land management (SLM) to be effective, it is necessary to incorporate multiple knowledges using a variety of methods and scales, and this must include the (potentially conflicting) perspectives of those who use the land. This paper presents a hybrid methodological framework that builds on approaches developed by UN Food & Agriculture Organisation's land degradation Assessment in Drylands (LADA), the World Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) programme and the Dryland Development Paradigm (DDP), and is being applied internationally through the EU-funded DESIRE project. The framework suggests that M&A should determine the progress of SLM towards meeting sustainability goals, with results continually and iteratively enhancing SLM decisions. The framework is divided into four generic themes: (i) establishing land degradation and SLM context and sustainability goals; (ii) identifying, evaluating and selecting SLM strategies; (iii) selecting land degradation and SLM indicators and (iv) applying SLM options and monitoring land degradation and progress towards sustainability goals. This approach incorporates multiple knowledge sources and types (including land manager perspectives) from local to national and international scales. In doing so, it aims to provide outputs for policy-makers and land managers that have the potential to enhance the sustainability of land management in drylands, from the field scale to the region, and to national and international levels. The paper draws on operational experience from across the DESIRE project to break the four themes into a series of methodological steps, and provides examples of the range of tools and methods that can be used to operationalise each of these steps. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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