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Land consolidation (LC) is a widespread form of rural planning and is often presented as an important tool for mitigating land degradation. We therefore decided to make a systematic review of the effects of LC projects implemented under different natural and socio-economic conditions. Our results show that there is a major dichotomy in the understanding of LC. Studies from some parts of the world, e.g., Africa and South-east Asia, mostly report on LC projects aimed principally at creating larger fields to facilitate management. Studies from other regions, notably from Europe and China, describe LC as a complex form of planning that includes various types of land management measures. The effects of LC projects on land degradation are strongly linked to the type of project. Within the sample of reviewed studies, the effect of LC projects on land degradation was ambivalent, and projects not including land management measures even tended to contribute to land degradation. Conversely, in studies where LC projects involved specific land management measures, LC had a positive effect on most land degradation types. The results of our study indicate that LC projects can help significantly to mitigate land degradation. • This study examines the effects of land consolidation (LC) on land degradation. • One of the most negative effects of LC is increased water erosion. • Intensification of agricultural practices after LC has led to reduced organic matter. • Projects that included land levelling tended to mitigate the loss of vegetation cover and the loss of vegetation diversity. • There is a need for research on the effect of LC on land degradation types related to soil chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-management requires two or more organizations that collectively manage natural capital. This study aimed to explore the function of social capital in the cycle of establishing co-management in southeastern Iranian rural communities (who participated in the Rehabilitation of Forest Landscapes and Degraded Land (RFLDL) project). Since measuring social capital is important and difficult, and one of the most promising and accurate methods for evaluating this capital is Social Network Analysis (SNA), it has been used as a research method in this research. The results showed an increase in the observed network characteristics of the RFLDL data, which indicates the positive effect of the social mobilization in RFLDL on bonding social capital. In addition, it suggested that the assessment of the success of community based natural resource governance solely based on a relational perspective of social capital is too narrow. Especially, traditional forms of community organization are not taken into account explicitly. Therefore, more research needs to be undertaken on how to incorporate differences in cultural organizations, traditional knowledge, and practices into the perspective of community empowerment. • The main aim was to investigate and analyze the role of intra-group social capital through social network analysis (SNA). • SNA contributed to assessing the changes in reciprocity and transitivity scores in terms of trust and collaboration network. • Results show that there is a high correlation between trust and participation of people in social network. • Stronger trusted relations between the committees promoted sustainable rural growth and collaboration. • Achieving to a lower natural resource demand than population growth can relieve pressure on these resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]