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Land degradation is a serious problem for Ethiopia's productive capacity for land resources. To reverse these environmental dynamics, slow down soil degradation, and raise smallholder farmers’ agricultural yields, watershed management interventions have been implemented in Ethiopia since the 1980s. Thus, this study was aimed at assessing the effects of watershed management interventions on soil erosion reduction by using the InVEST model in the Yezat watershed, north-west Ethiopia. The modified ecosystem services valuation model (InVEST) was employed to evaluate soil loss reduction in response to watershed management interventions. Different watershed management intervention scenarios (baseline scenarios, afforestation scenarios, soil/stone bund scenarios, and integrated scenarios) were also applied to evaluate the effectiveness of watershed management interventions on soil loss reduction. The result of the study indicated that a high amount of mean annual soil loss (111 tons ha−1 year−1) was observed in 2000 in the study area due to the expansion of cultivated land and built-up area at the expense of forest, shrubland, and grassland. However, the mean annual soil loss decreased from 111 tons per year in 2000 to 79 tons per year in 2021 in the study area due to different watershed management interventions. Additionally, at the baseline scenario, the estimated mean annual soil loss of the watershed was 111 tons ha-1 yr-1. Conversely, it was reduced to 49.3 ton ha-1 yr-1 in the reforestation scenario, 16.49 ton ha-1 yr-1 in the soil bund scenario, and 8.26 ton ha-1 yr-1 in the integrated scenario. The watershed covered by the very severe soil erosion severity class was reduced in all watershed management intervention scenarios. Among others, the highest soil erosion reduction was observed in the integrated (bio-physical) scenarios of watershed management interventions. Therefore, watershed management interventions and scenarios were the best mechanisms for soil loss reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the impact of PSNP on soil and water conservation (SWC) practices in southern Tigray, Ethiopia. The propensity score matching technique was used to assess the impact of PSNP on soil and water conservation practices. The Nearest neighbor (4) matching estimator was selected as the best matching algorithm which has a large matched size, good balancing test, and low pseudo R2. 204 respondents from treated and 130 from control group matched respondents were used to come up with the final result. The estimated result of the nearest neighbor (4) matching estimator indicates that participation in PSNP did not bring any significant impact on SWC practices on the program beneficiaries. This might be due to the fact that a full targeting problem of beneficiaries by kebele food security force focuses on consumption smoothing rather than engaging in livelihood improvement, dependency seeing as supportive relief aid rather than productive and implementing SWC activities on communal lands public work transfer rather than doing at their private farm lands. Policymakers, governments, and donors are responsible for further improvement and should reconsider the implementation and design of the PIM of the program to bring a positive impact on beneficiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assessed the most effective mechanisms of bylaws implementation in sustainable potato production in Southwestern Uganda. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Southwestern Uganda. A mixed-method approach was used to collect data involving structured questionnaires administered to 104 potato farmers (93% response rate), key informant interviews (nine), and focus groups (six). Quantitative data from Epidata 3.1 was exported to STATA 13.0 for coding, cleaning, and analysis. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analysis in Atlas.ti version 7.5. Multivariate linear regression revealed that farmers' level of implementation of improved and quality seed potato bylaws (β = −0.013; p < 0.05; CI: −0.026; −0.000), farmer roles (β = −0.127; p < 0.001; CI: −0.176; −0.084), and practising both crop and livestock farming (β = −0.129; p < 0.01; CI: −0.219; −0.038) was negatively and significantly associated with bylaw effectiveness. Bylaw effectiveness decreased by 1.3% for any additional seed, soil and water, and market access bylaw. Likewise, bylaws were 12% less effective per any additional farmer role, p < 0.001. Farmers who did crop and livestock farming had 12.1% lower bylaw effectiveness than those who only did crop farming. The effectiveness of bylaw implementation decreased with every additional bylaw, farmer role, and land use practice. The study recommends that potato value chain actors develop networks to harmonise bylaws, farmer roles, and land-use synergies to improve bylaw effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land degradation continues to be a major concern for agriculture in developing countries, including Tanzania. Agroforestry is one solution that benefits food production and reduces land degradation. However, various challenges hinder its widespread adoption. This study uses an integrated assessment framework, combining MESMIS (an indicator-based sustainability assessment framework) and ScalA (a scaling-up assessment tool), to evaluate sustainability and constraints to the widespread implementation of agroforestry in semi-arid Tanzania. The main goals are to: 1) identify existing agroforestry technologies adopted by smallholder farmers; 2) evaluate farmers' perception of sustainability regarding each technology's environmental, economic, and social impact; and 3) identify constraints related to the widespread adoption. Results show that farmers consider the following four technologies as the most sustainable: (i) tied ridge + tree intercropping; (ii) contour planting + tree intercropping; (iii) Chololo pits + tree intercropping; and (iv) tree intercropping alone. The findings indicate that, although farmers perceive the technologies positively, adoption is also influenced by local climate, socio-economic status, and institutional factors. The study highlights that a positive perception alone cannot ensure widespread adoption, emphasizing the importance of considering contextual factors. Further testing and application of the proposed framework in similar and comparative settings is encouraged as it provides valuable guidance when evaluating different agroecosystems holistically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land degradation and desertification have recently become a critical problem in Ethiopia. Accordingly, identification of land degradation vulnerable zonation and mapping was conducted in Wabe Shebele River Basin, Ethiopia. Precipitation derived from Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GMP), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST), topography (slope), and pedological properties (i.e., soil depth, soil pH, soil texture, and soil drainage) were used in the current study. NDVI has been considered as the most significant parameter followed by the slope, precipitation and temperature. Geospatial techniques and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach were used to model the land degradation vulnerable index. Validation of the results with google earth image shows the applicability of the model in the study. The result is classified into very highly vulnerable (17.06%), highly vulnerable (15.01%), moderately vulnerable (32.72%), slightly vulnerable (16.40%), and very slightly vulnerable (18.81%) to land degradation. Due to the small rate of precipitation which is vulnerable to evaporation by high temperature in the region, the downstream section of the basis is categorized as highly vulnerable to Land Degradation (LD) and vice versa in the upstream section of the basin. Moreover, the validation using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis shows an area under the ROC curve value of 80.92% which approves the prediction accuracy of the AHP method in assessing and modelling LD vulnerability zone in the study area. The study provides a substantial understanding of the effect of land degradation on sustainable land use management and development in the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of environmental change on human migration is complex. Despite major strides in understanding the environment's role in migration processes, uncertainties associated with multi-scale factor interactions and their influence on migration still persist. This study aims to (a) understand how soil degradation and rainfall changes – in combination with socio-economic factors – in the northern Ethiopian highlands contribute to human decisions to migrate; and (b) identify barriers for adopting local policy measures to reduce migration needs. Therefore, we integrate place-based research with literature findings and the participatory development of a Bayesian network (BN) involving local policy makers and representatives from both villages and NGOs. Our results show two major influential factors that affect environment-related migration: (a) the sufficiency of a household's agricultural production and (b) non-farm activities. According to our participatory BN, we conclude that environmental changes increase migration, either through high migration needs due to low agricultural production and/or through increased non-farm activities, which increases the necessary financial means to enable migration. We conclude that contradicting policy programs greatly hinder local measures to prevent soil degradation, potentially fueling migration, and that bottom-up and locally adapted strategies are particularly promising for sustainable land management in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic mulch is an important agronomic measure which has proven effective for soil and water conservation worldwide. However, the appropriate mulch application rate, mulch material for soil erosion and runoff reduction need to be further discussed on a global scale. The results of this study confirmed that, under various environmental conditions, organic mulch had positive effects on soil and water conservation. Mulch application rate greatly impacted soil and water loss; generally, with the increase of mulch application rate, the rates of soil loss and runoff reduction increased and when mulch application rate reached 6–10 Mg ha−1, soil and water loss decreased significantly. There were no significant differences among the three types of mulch materials tested in terms of rate of reducing soil loss and runoff. Similarly, experimental site types had a weak impact on soil and water loss. Research scale did not have a significant impact on the rate of reducing soil loss but significantly affected runoff. Measurement method obviously impacted the rate of reducing soil loss and runoff. These results suggest that the mulch application rate of 6–8 Mg ha−1 has a regulating effect on soil and water loss under most global environmental conditions, and straw is strongly recommended for mulching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Ethiopia institutional and extensive soil and water conservation (SWC) started in the 1970s. Due to several factors, most SWC works have not fully achieved the intended objectives. The disparity between dimensions of the implemented SWC work and the standard is the main factor. Therefore, this research work aimed to assess the design and constraints of SWC in the Gidabo sub-basin, of the Ethiopian rift valley. Data were generated through field observation, field measurements, household survey, interview, group discussion, and Arc GIS. According to the result, about 47.3% of the physical design of the implemented SWC structures failed to meet the standard dimension. In addition, the SWC lacks the standard supportive activities, such as the cut of the drain, check dam, biological work, and frequent maintenance. FGD and KII showed about 71.3% of the farmers accepted SWC technologies, but they have constraints for SWC. These were small land size, food insecurity, lack of resources, technical skill, field guidance, poor maintenance, as well as young migration. The researchers used the chi-square test for the significant variation of constraints along with different agro ecology. According to the chi-square result, significant association was observed between land size, access to fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, construction materials, technical skill, and maintenance of the structures versus agro ecology. Therefore, the implementation of SWC practices should be focused on the way to avoid/lower the observed mismatch of the structures against the standard. Also the constraints in different agro ecology should be solved through full community participation in order to follow the standard SWC measures for sustainable socio-economic and environmental development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the most efficient soil and water conservation measure for different engineering units, the volume weight of soil (VWS), soil water content (SWC), soil porosity, soil erosion resistance (SER), anti-scour coefficients (ASC), and vegetation coverage of 12 protective measures and four unprotected measures were investigated. In addition, 16 water conservation measures were evaluated using the gray correlation method. Our results suggest that SWC, SER, ASC, and vegetation coverage of a square grid area were higher than those of other measures on the filling slope (p < 0.05). However, in the excavated slope, SWC, SER, ASC, and vegetation coverage of the unprotected measures area were higher than those in the protected measures (p < 0.05). Our results also indicate that the gray comprehensive evaluation value of arch framework measures in the fill slope and unprotected natural recovery measures of the excavated side slope were significantly greater than those of other measures (p < 0.05). This finding indicates that the effect of soil and water conservation on these measures were better than others. Our findings provide an indication for the implementation of soil and water conservation measures for expressways situated in arid areas in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, great achievements have been made by China in all aspects of water governance. Besides water conservancy projects, a water resources management system with Chinese characteristics has also been completed. In this article, we summarize the achievements of the past 70 years in flood control, soil and water conservation and water supply, and introduce the water governance institutions of China that sustain those achievements. This provides valuable experience and ideas for other countries that are suffering from similar water issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the effect of reservoir sediment retention is studied by introducing the incoming sediment coefficient, and sediment reduction by reservoir and soil-water conservation is quantitatively calculated in the Yangtze River. Results demonstrate that different human activities, including soil and water conservation, hydro-project construction and over construction, have different impact on the runoff and sediment variation. Moreover, sediment trapping by reservoirs is the main factor, soil and water conservation is an important factor and other human activities such as river sand mining and over construction are secondary factors for the variation of basin erosion and sediment transport in the Yangtze River. In addition, the total annual sediment reduction is 33.64 million tons in typical tributary of the upper Yangtze River, of which the contribution of the reservoir is 21.54 million tons, accounting for 64%, and the contribution of soil-water conservation is nearly 12.1 million tons accounting for 36%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the factors for the successful implementation of bylaws on sustainable crop intensification. The study used the new institutionalism theory to examine the implementation of bylaws in the potato cropping system in southwestern Uganda. A mixed model featuring both qualitative and quantitative approaches was used in the study. This involved analysis of primary data. The primary sources were key informants, focus group discussions, and face to face interviews with individual farmers, as well as secondary data sources. Factors influencing the effective implementation of bylaws on sustainable crop intensification at community level included awareness of existing bylaws, availability of extension agents to sensitize and train farmers on bylaws, power relations and conflicts among farmers, and availability of financial resources for procurement of agro-inputs. The factors influencing implementation of bylaws on sustainable crop intensification at the individual level included farmers' knowledge on bylaws (P = 0.03), farmers' participation in activities organised by government agencies (P = 0.01), the farmers' village/location (P = 0.03), farmers' gender (P = 0.001), farmers' other occupations (P = 0.01), and income earnings (P = 0.02), support of local councils and technical persons to implement bylaws (P = 0.01), and knowledge on soil and water conservation laws (P = 0.03). Thus, there is need to protect land rights (regardless of gender), create awareness on best practices and bylaws among farmers, and mobilize resources to strengthen formal and informal farmer groups to enhance sustainable crop intensification and economic development of the potato sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) practices are essential for soil and water conservation. In CA, farmers must adopt no-tillage (NT) with crop rotation to maintain a permanent soil cover. In Brazil, mainly in the South region, for CA to be more efficient, practices such as contour farming and agricultural terraces should also be adopted. Thus, the objective of this study is to determine the extent to which NT has been adopted with crop rotation and others soil and water conservation practices. Data from the Agricultural Census in Paraná State, southern Brazil, were used. For the data analysis, the relationship between the level of adoption of NT and the use of crop rotation, contour farming and agricultural terraces was analyzed. A factor and cluster analysis were performed to distinguish regions in terms of soil and water conservation practices. The results show good overall soil and water conservation practices, although heterogeneity has been observed in the adoption practices between regions. Adoption of NT is high in almost all the studied regions. The conservation practice most widely used with NT is contour farming, whereas the least used is agricultural terraces. Conservation practices for runoff control are being neglected by farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major source of pollution in agricultural landscapes is surface runoff and non-point source pollution generated from agricultural production practices. In-stream, stream bank and riparian conservation/management practices can be implemented to reduce sediment loading solely or in conjunction with upland practices. Survey results from producers in the Fort Cobb Reservoir watershed, a highly erosive watershed in southwest Oklahoma with a history of state and federal conservation programs, provide information required for improving understanding of operators’ likelihood of adoption. Two models of soil and water conservation were estimated, a logit model of likelihood of enrollment and a Poisson model of the total number of practices adopted. Results reinforced previous findings that attitudes, gender and education influence conservation program enrollment. Farming experience, gender and attitudes towards conservation increased the total number of practices adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil erosion has been the most chronic problem in the Ethiopian highlands. To reduce this problem, farmers’ genuine participation in soil and water conservation (SWC) and perception about soil erosion and managing using effective and sustainable SWC activities is paramount important. This research was conducted in the Gusha Temela watershed, Arsi, Ethiopia, aiming to investigate the perception and participation of farmers on soil erosion, SWC activities and factors affecting farmers’ decisions to participate in the SWC activities. Questioner survey, interview, focus group discussion and participant observation data collection tools were used. The collected data were analysed by descriptive statistics using SPSS version 17 software. It was found that farmers have perceived the existence of soil erosion problem on their farm land and had good motives to participate in SWC activities. The respondents noted that soil erosion, causes of soil erosion and decline in productivity were the major indicators of soil erosion. Majority of the respondents (76%) participated in conserving soil by their own interest. Large household sizes, adequate labour, old age, high degree of contact with development agents (DAs), willingness to adopt new SWC technologies and their income source have been the major influencing factors for participating in SWC activities. Extension services enhanced farmers’ confidence in SWC activities and encouraged them to take possible risks associated with the initiatives. This implies that initiatives should be supported by appropriate extension services. Farmers who are highly engaged in off-farm economic activities and their land source by rent showed less participation in SWC activities mainly because of the preoccupation to earn additional income for their livelihoods. Thus, appropriate incentive mechanisms should be implemented for those engaged in off-farm activities to compensate them for the time and labour they spent in SWC activities. It was also suggested that the land policy should address the tenure security, particularly for those who are working in sharecropping and rent arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food production, water availability and energy production are important ecosystem services of the Upper Tana basin (Kenya) and they decline due to upstream erosion affecting downstream water users. The effect of 11 soil conservation measures on soil erosion and the three ecosystem services was estimated by a modelling approach to assess agro-ecological processes and benefit/cost relations. Soil water available for evaporation and transpiration (‘green water’) functioned as a unifying concept to express the effects of erosion and the impacts of soil and water conservation measures that result in: (1) increased water availability for crops; (2) increased fluxes towards aquifers, thereby increasing water supply and regulating streamflow, and (3) a reduction of erosion and siltation of reservoirs used for hydroelectricity. Modelling indicated that the three ecosystem services could be improved, as compared with the base level, by up to 20% by introducing appropriate conservation measures with benefit/cost relations of around 7. However, farmers were unable to make the necessary investments and much effort and many institutional studies were needed to achieve progress towards implementation by initiating the Green Water Credits (GWC) programme intended to arrange payments by downstream businesses to upstream farmers. A timeline analysis is presented to illustrate the slow, but persistent, development of transdisciplinary activities as a function of time usingconnected value developmentas a guiding principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has been one of the countries suffering from the most serious soil erosion, which has severely degraded soil productivity and water quality, thus affecting agricultural activities and hindering economic and social development. During the past few decades, a large amount of effort has been made to combat soil erosion. Vegetation restoration as a major strategy is given equal importance compared to engineering measures. Although a measure of success has been achieved, many uncertainties remain unanswered such as to what extent the vegetation restoration has reduced soil erosion and sediment loads especially in large river systems. This paper first analyzes the impacts of vegetation restoration on soil erosion and sediment loads in terms of vegetation cover and vegetation species. Then, the spatial scale effect of soil erosion reduction benefit resulting from vegetation restoration is elaborated. Soil erosion reduction benefit decreases with increased vegetation planting area. In addition, a comprehensive discussion about the disputes between vegetation restoration and engineering measures is made by integrating published studies spanning large spatial and temporal scales. Finally, future research needs regarding vegetation restoration efforts are given. In order to evaluate the effects of vegetation restoration programs on soil erosion, assessments in shorter time interval and larger spatial scale should be undertaken. Further, the present assessment system mainly based on simple statistical methods has to be improved. Specific areas demanding immediate attention, including the western China in general and the upper Yangtze River basin in particular, are highlighted as well. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology to view the supplemental file. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper addresses the ways in which farmers' social roles reveal complex and contradictory beliefs and attitudes about conservation. Drawing on qualitative data from Iowa corn and soybean farmers, local government officials, and conservation agencies, analysis of 28 listening sessions finds an overriding tension between two conflicting components of farmer roles: farmers as stewards or custodians of the land and farmers as shrewd businessmen needing to make annual profits from their land. While it is possible that stewardship and sustainable business actions could exist in an integrated fashion, the reality is that for most Iowa farmers, long-term care for the environmental health of the land is subservient to making short-term profits, even as farmers publicly claim the importance of stewardship. The discursive constructs of steward and businessman represent competing moral imperatives; the juxtaposition of these imperatives leads to a coexistence of conflicting views of the moral good and becomes a barrier to the adoption of conservation farming methods. In order to partially resolve this tension, farmers draw on a third social role with more positive moral overtones: the farmer as hero feeding the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil and water conservation technologies, such as mulching, grass strips and retention ditches, have been promoted in many areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. However, technology adoption rates have remained unsatisfactory. In this study, a logit model was used to examine the adoption of soil and water conservation technologies in the Rwizi catchment of Uganda using cross-sectional survey data from 271 smallholder farmers. Findings revealed that the likelihood to adopt these conservation technologies by smallholder farmers is explained by land size, tropical livestock units, access to extension services, value of gross output, gender of the household head and location of the farmers. Our results further showed that the quadratic term in land size was significant and negative, highlighting an acreage threshold to adoption. In general, our findings underscore the importance of information access and landownership in adoption of soil and water conservation technologies in the Rwizi catchment of Uganda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continued transformation of farmland in Iowa is intimately linked to the state—a collection of policies, bureaucracies, and procedures—which has offered concessions and subsidies to those that farm the land. These initiatives are designed to encourage farmers to alter their farming methods and the landscape to develop better conservation ethics, prevent soil erosion, and improve water quality. Local-level nominally elected politicians, Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) commissioners, are the primary point of contact farmers have with the state. While SWCD commissioners are charged with evaluating farmers' eligibility for government assistance, they have become more than implementers of social policy. Through the establishment of funding priorities, SWCD commissioners are also de facto policy creators. In this research, we find that instead of challenging and shaping the way farmers work their land, SWCD commissioners often implicitly support intensive agricultural production, reaffirming methods of production that exacerbate soil loss and degrade water conditions. As local representatives of federal government, SWCD commissioners play a critical role in whether the agricultural status quo is maintained or challenged. Listening sessions with SWCD commissioners reveal that instead of linking farmers' production methods to environmental degradation, many SWCD commissioners support intensive agriculture's anti-conservationist behaviors by giving priority to increased crop yields without regard for soil and water impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources management should cover both blue water and green water. For green-water management at the river drainage basin scale, the green-water coefficient (Cgw) is adopted, defined as the ratio of annual green water to annual precipitation. Based on data from the Middle Yellow River basin, China, for the period 1950 to 2007, we studied the temporal variation inCgwin response to some influencing factors. A decreasing trend inCgwwas found. The influence of changes in land management onCgw, reflected by an increase in the area (Asw) of soil and water conservation measures, is emphasized. Using multiple regression analysis, the contributions ofAswand the 5-year moving averages of annual precipitation and air temperature were estimated as 51, 37 and 12%, respectively. The results may provide useful information for better management of water resources, including green and blue water flows in the Yellow River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry associated with water harvesting was evaluated in field experiments conducted in central Chile, 1996–2008. Soil fertility parameters, such as soil organic matter (SOM), soil reaction (pH), total nitrogen (NT), total phosphorus (PT) and total potassium (KT) contents were measured for five different treatments: control (C), agroforestry (A), agroforestry with water harvesting (AR), woody perennial (W) and woody perennial with water harvesting (WR). Acacia saligna was used as the woody perennial component. Treatments, including Acacia saligna (A, AR, W and WR) increased SOM and NT stocks over time compared with the control, probably due to higher SOM and N inputs from the litter and root turnover. The treatments with water harvesting (AR and WR) showed the highest SOM and NT contents by 2008, suggesting that this practice had positive effects on water infiltration rates and soil water content in the soil, important parameters in the process of root turnover. However, there were no significant differences in other soil parameters, such as pH, PT and KT, perhaps due to the short study time, and soil spatial and temporal variability between treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the marginal, upland regions of the Philippines, soil erosion and poverty are significant problems. The Landcare Programme has sought to address these twin problems. We assess the economic impacts of the Landcare Programme in the Province of Bohol. We first explore whether the adoption of Landcare practices, particularly those of contour farming and tree planting, in a highly degraded landscape has resulted in improved livelihood outcomes for upland farming families. Second, we analyse the potential for the piecemeal adoption of these measures to deliver tangible benefits at the watershed scale. Finally, using a benefit–cost approach, these outcomes are compared with the costs of research and extension projects that have helped achieve them. We conclude that the net economic impact of the Landcare Programme in Bohol is positive, with the primary beneficiaries being the individual households that adopt the Landcare practices. These benefits are largely generated by productive opportunities that arise once the hillsides have been stabilized. Although the downstream impacts of land-use changes associated with the Landcare Programme are positive, they are of marginal economic importance. Hence, the focus and primary justification of the Landcare Programme should be on improving the productivity and livelihoods of upland farming households. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Enhancing green water (GW) in soils has vast significance with respect to depleting water resources, especially in South Asia (SA). The water stored in soil that's productively used for transpiration is called GW. The enhancement of GW includes all those techniques and approaches that lead to increased soil-water storage and infiltration, reduced runoff, and decreased evaporation, such as minimum tillage, mulching, terracing, small-scale water harvesting and recycling, contouring, and strip cultivation. Because rice (Oryza sativa) is a dominant crop in SA and it requires four to five times more water than other cereals, adoption of new techniques like direct dry seeding, wet seeding, system of rice intensification (SRI), intermittent irrigation, soil matric potential-based irrigation, laser land leveling, and raised-bed planting can save 20-87% of irrigation water. Enhancing GW in soils is important to achieving a much-needed new Green Revolution in countries faced with the dire issue of food insecurity. Many water-stressed countries can produce enough food for their populations provided that the GW is enhanced and managed well. More food means more consumptive use of the so-called GW flow (vapor flow sustaining crop growth). The present level of food production requires some 7,000 km3/yr of consumptive freshwater (i.e., GW as evapotranspiration), of which 1,800 km3/yr originates from blue water use (i.e., runoff water in irrigation) and the remaining 5,200 km3/yr from direct GW use. Identification and use of efficient GW-management techniques necessitate a thorough knowledge of social, biophysical, economic, and practical aspects, and these must be in accord with the existing farming systems. A new approach to water management, integrated water-resource management (IWRM), is widely recognized as a pathway toward sustainability. The IWRM in SA countries can increase productivity by 28% to 120%, while also reducing runoff by 26% to 66% and soil loss by 20% to 43%, and raising the groundwater level by 4 to 5 meters. A policy shift is needed and incentives through GW credits must be given to the farmers for adopting and maintaining best practices for enhancing GW in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the effects of contour ridge benches (CRBs) on several physical and chemical characteristics, such as soil depth, texture, rock fragments, organic matter, calcium carbonate (CaCO3), pH, and water content. The study site is located at an old contour ridge bench in the Tunisian Dorsal. Soil samples were collected at different relative positions of two successive CRBs and from a control plot having the same slope, land use, and soil. The results indicated that the CRB improved soil depth from 40 cm in the control plot to 90 cm near the upper side of the CRB. The highest rock fragment was found in the control plot. The soil texture had significant differences according to the sampling depth and proximity to the CRB. Although the CaCO3, total and active, depends on the sampling depth, it was slightly higher in the control plot. Considering the calcareous nature of the soil, pH and electric conductivity were not affected by relative position to the CRB. The organic matter was less than 1%, but it was improved by the CRB implementation. Finally, the water retention was increased by three-fold in the channel of the structure, compared to the control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrace-slope land, referring to the side slope of terraces and the ridge of paddyfields is one of the land resources in the Sichuan Basin, China, with favorable sunlight and heat, but a limited amount of water and soil. We investigated the amount and distribution of terrace slopes in the purple rock area of the central part of the Sichuan Basin, and examined the effects of different approaches to ameliorate the soil and water conditions of terrace slopes. The results showed that the total area of terrace slopes accounted for 15% of the basin land, and that for different treatments, decrease in runoff and soil loss was in order: straw mulch > contour ridge > rye grass strip > CK and micro basin gathering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the farmers' adoption behavior of soil and water conservation (SWC) technologies in Semein Mountain National Park. A simple random sampling method was employed to select the sample households. A total of 150 household farmers were selected from 12 kebeles based on the farmers' proximity to the park. This study identified existing SWC practices, constraints and opportunities with the view of improving and upscaling appropriate soil and water conservation technologies. The results also show that even though the involvement of farmers was very limited in participation by consultation to implement the SWC technologies, majority of the farmers acknowledged that the introduced conservation technologies were effective measures to control soil erosion and for improvement of productivity. The sustainable adoption of SWC measures seems unlikely due to labor intensiveness and unfitness with the farmers' farming systems and land tenure insecurity. These problems are associated with the inactive involvement of farmers in the conservation activities. Therefore, this study suggests that adoption of SWC interventions should be designed based on the active involvement of the local farmers for future soil and water conservation activities. Finally, we conclude that policy program which is intended at shifting of the people from the park to other areas for the sustainability of the park as well as the farmers' livelihood improvement is a sustainable solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports results from a contingent valuation study of conservation easements in Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, Ohio. The survey sample consists of registered voters and Soil and Water District (SWCD) clientele. Results show that strong majorities of both groups support the establishment of a conservation easement program to protect soil and water resources in the community (79 percent and 82 percent respectively). Willingness to pay for the program is highly sensitive to the fee levied, household income, and perceived importance of natural resource conservation. Mean household willingness to pay was estimated at $36.48 per year for SWCD clientele and $32.28 for the voting public. Local conservation districts may find this kind of information useful in strategic planning, program planning and resource allocation. Contingent valuation is a viable tool in assessing public opinion on preservation issues in the face of continuing development pressure combined with fewer state and federal dollars allocated to preserve soil and water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]