An Overview of Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management in the Near East and North Africa

Land degradation and desertification (LDD) and climate change are having increased effects in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) impacting the livelihoods of about 410 million people. Agriculture is a vital sector, contributing on average 14% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (excluding oil producing countries) and providing jobs and incomes for 38% of the region’s economically active population. Nevertheless, most NENA countries import at least 50% of the calories they consume. Furthermore, it is estimated that the total area that is desertified or is vulnerable to desertification cover 9.84 million km2 or about 86.7% of the total NENA region. Soil erosion by water, wind, and sand and dust storms (SDS) cause losses of about USD 13 billion of GDP each year. To confront these hardships, the region must endorse proper land use planning, prioritization of target areas for restoration and adoption of sustainable land and water management (SLWM) to reverse the situation. This paper analyses the inter-linkages between LDD, resource base management and food security under different scenarios and offers mitigation and remediation options. These include knowledge management and sharing; establishment of a regional platform to facilitate dialogue; public and private investment opportunities; provision of tools to scale-out sustainable land and water management options; and creation of a conducive enabling environment supported by policies and strategies. The paper provides policy and decision-makers with priority actions and options to enhance productivity, and combat land degradation to improve food security in the region.

Sediment Yield and Reservoir Sedimentation in Highly Dynamic Watersheds: The Case of Koga Reservoir, Ethiopia

Soil erosion is exacerbated by unsustainable land-use activities and poor management practices, undermining reservoir storage capacity. To this effect, appropriate estimation of sediment would help to adopt sustainable land-use activities and best management practices that lead to efficient reservoir operations. This paper aims to investigate the spatial variability of sediment yield, amount of sediment delivery into the reservoir, and reservoir sedimentation in the Koga Reservoir using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Sediment yield and the amount entered into the reservoir were also estimated using a rating curve, providing an alternative approach to spatially referenced SWAT generated suspended sediment load. SWAT was calibrated from 1991 to 2000 and validated from 2002 to 2007 using monthly observations. Model performance indicators showed acceptable values using Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) correlation coefficient (R2), and percent bias (PBIAS) for flow (NSE = 0.75, R2 = 0.78, and PBIAS = 11.83%). There was also good agreement between measured and simulated sediment yields, with NSE, R2, and PBIAS validation values of 0.80, 0.79, and 6.4%, respectively. The measured rating curve and SWAT predictions showed comparable mean annual sediment values of 62,610.08 ton/yr and 58,012.87 ton/yr, respectively. This study provides an implication for the extent of management interventions required to meet sediment load targets to a receiving reservoir, providing a better understanding of catchment processes and responses to anthropogenic and natural stressors in mixed land use temperate climate catchments. Findings would benefit policymakers towards land and water management decisions and serve as a prototype for other catchments where management interventions may be implemented. Specifically, validating SWAT for the Koga Reservoir is a first step to support policymakers, who are faced with implementing land and water management decisions.

Distribution of tiger salamanders in northern Sonora, Mexico: comparison of sampling methods and possible implications for an endangered subspecies

Many aquatic species in the arid USA-Mexico borderlands region are imperiled, but limited information on distributions and threats often hinders management. To provide information on the distribution of the Western Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium), including the USA-federally endangered Sonoran Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi), we used traditional (seines, dip-nets) and modern (environmental DNA [eDNA]) methods to sample 91 waterbodies in northern Sonora, Mexico, during 2015-2018. The endemic Sonoran Tiger Salamander is threatened by introgressive hybridization and potential replacement by another sub-species of the Western Tiger Salamander, the non-native Barred Tiger Salamander (A. m. mavortium). Based on occupancy models that accounted for imperfect detection, eDNA sampling provided a similar detection probability (0.82 [95% CI: 0.56-0.94]) as seining (0.83 [0.46-0.96]) and much higher detection than dip-netting (0.09 [0.02-0.23]). Volume of water filtered had little effect on detection, possibly because turbid sites had greater densities of salamanders. Salamanders were estimated to occur at 51 sites in 3 river drainages in Sonora. These results indicate tiger salamanders are much more widespread in northern Sonora than previously documented, perhaps aided by changes in land and water management practices. However, because the two subspecies of salamanders cannot be reliably distinguished based on morphology or eDNA methods that are based on mitochondrial DNA, we are uncertain if we detected only native genotypes or if we documented recent invasion of the area by the non-native sub-species. Thus, there is an urgent need for methods to reliably distinguish the subspecies so managers can identify appropriate interventions.

Physical Potentials and Constraints of Tidal Peat Swamps for Agriculture (Case Study of Rasau Jaya District, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia)

Tidal swamps which are widespread in lowland areas have the potential to be used for agricultural activities. The amount of rain potential available in this type of land can be used to supply water for irrigation purposes so that plants grow optimally. However, the tidal potential especially on the peat swamps area may have a negative impact, namely the occurrence of nutrient leaching from the soil, which is harmful to plants. Rasau Jaya, a tidal lowland area with peat swamp soil characteristic, is an area allocated for rice and corn cultivation. The study was conducted with the aim to determine the physical potential and constraints of land and water management in Rasau Jaya for the cultivation of both types of plants. This research was conducted through field observations and measurements as well as laboratory tests and model scale to evaluate the characteristics of existing land quality based on Land Suitability Classification by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The result of this study shows that characteristics of water availability in Rasau Jaya is classified as Class S1 Highly Suitable for rice and corn crops, while existing conditions of land in Rasau Jaya III are generally classified in the S2 class Moderately Suitable for rice and corn crops. Appropriate land management is needed to increase land productivity for the cultivation of the Rasau Jaya’s assigned priority crops.

Review of rice transplanter and direct seeder to be applied in Indonesia paddy field

The challenge to plant one seed or plant per hill by rice ordinary rice transplanter (RT) is still difficult to be achieved due to random in sowing seed by on rice nursery tray. But due to the vigority of seed after sowing in the field and also the unfavorable condition, the more number of seed are still needed and the yield lower compare transplanter method. Recently, the use of rice direct seeding has been increasing rapidly owing to rural labor shortages and continuous increases in agricultural production costs. This article reviews the research and application progress of mechanized rice direct seeding including direct seeding technologies, precision rice seeding, precision rice seed-metering devices. The other important component on succession direct seeding method is also discussed i.e. calcium gypsum coating and iron powder coating. Operating direct seeding machine also need consider about land and water management. Paddy field need to be managed since the seed drooped in order give favor condition of seed and facility the seed with optimum growing condition. In this approach, pre-germinated seeds are uniformly hill-dropped in the expected positions in puddled soil. The both technology PNRT and RDS have prospect and great potential for promoting the development of precession on rice cultivation in Asia.

Characterisation and Prioritization of Micro Watersheds Using Geospatial Techniques: A Case Study on river Bharathapuzha, Kerala

Watershed based interventions are essential for the sustainable land and water management of any region. Watershed prioritisation is a must for the efficient utilisation of available monetary and human resources. One of the most common means of prioritisation is through morphometric analysis as hydrological processes or watershed responses depend on morphometric characteristics of the watersheds. The study contains morphometric analysis of a few number of micro watersheds of river Bharathapuzha of Kerala state. With the help of ArcGIS software and SRTM DEM, all the basic morphometric characteristics and derived morphometric characteristics of 10 micro watersheds are determined and then scores are assigned to the parameters. Finally, combined parameter scores are determined and ranking of each micro watershed is done. The priority scores between watersheds show considerable variation which is an indication of the efficacy of the methods employed. Once the ranking of the micro watersheds are done objectively and scientifically it would be a great support to the soil and water conservationist and planners. This study gives an insight into the applicability of the method to a mid land region in the state of Kerala, India.

Eco Pesantren development: Challenges and opportunities to conservation development

Developing to friendly, greenery, and sustain in the modern era is not easy to implement, because of development is more depends on economic profit, which has exploited massively and destructively to welfare or wellbeing achieved. Those phenomena are part of one symptom to environmental or land degradation occurrence accumulatively, so indirectly or directly it caused of interest conflict in competing to natural resources that diminished. Hence, it needed an alternative solution, which one is conservation acted in land restoring kindly and effectively and of course based on religions (Islamic) approach. Exploring and understanding verses (The Holy Qur’an) related to land management to conservation, which is a method that used in collecting data and it's used to analysis, alongside observation and in-depth individual interview is also to strengthen a scientific argument based on field data result. The result of this research revealed that the boarding school of Al-Zaytun is one of all examples of success in land and water management to conservation and it’s able to food, water, and energy security development kindly and sustains. Empirically that Pesantren Al-Zaytun is able to both manage and utilize waste (water) kindly and ecologically, which is reuse, reduce, and recycle development paradigm, so it has become of example to development in the modern era, alongside its ability to representative developed in utilizing to natural resources management for development ecologically.

Pengelolaan Tanah dan Air Berbasis Kearifan Lokal Untuk Mencegah Bencana Alam Longsor

Village governments are required to be able to respond to public needs, one of which is disaster. It needs a quick response attitude from stakeholders as an effort of mutual obligation, one of which is the important role of the village government. Local wisdom is formed as a cultural superiority of the local community and a characteristic of cultural values in local communities that is passed down from generation to generation. This study aims to determine the role of the village government and local wisdom of the community in mitigating landslides in Gununglurah Village, Cilongok District, Banyumas Regency. The method used in this research is survey. Types of data include primary data and secondary data. Data collection through in-depth interviews. Data analysis using descriptive qualitative method. The results showed that the community had to carry out good land and water management based on local wisdom, including mountain hives, agro-ecosystem approaches, forbidden forest preservation, application of intercropping agricultural patterns, and the presence of the Watu Langgar Kali Mengaji site. The community must maintain the values of local wisdom in mitigating landslide disasters, such as the knowledge that comes from “ilmu niteni”.