DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land DESIRE Work Block 3: Gudrun Schwilch / CDE 1 October 2007 / WB3 Training Workshop Murcia, Spain Defining Potential Prevention and Mitigation Strategies

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land The DESIRE initiative – project approach Diagnostic phase Synthesis and implementation phase Dissemination phase Evaluating biophysical and socio-economical, context per study site Current status and stakeholder needs assessment Defining promising prevention and remediation strategies Implementing and testing of selected measures Evaluation performance and determine regional effects Development of a harmonized information system, preparation of guidelines, and practical handbooks for end-users etc. Land degradation and conservation indicators Graph: modified after Coen Ritsema, Alterra WB1 WB2 WB3 WB4WB5 WB6

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Aim and role of WB3: To identify, evaluate, document and share existing and potential SLM strategies and to select and negotiate promising strategies for implementation in WB4

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Aim of WB3 for each study site: WP 3.1: To identify existing and potential strategies with a participatory learning approach WP 3.2: To evaluate, document and share strategies with the WOCAT tools WP 3.3: To select and negotiate the most promising strategies with a comparative analysis and decision support tool

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land WP 3.1: Identification workshop Heterogeneous learning groups of study site stakeholders About 3 days, directly in the field (in- and outdoor) Lead by local moderators previously trained in the participative learning methodology ‚Learning for Sustainability‘

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Stakeholder workshop content: Initiate a mutual learning process among local and external participants Share experiences and jointly reflect on current and potential problems and solutions regarding land degradation and desertification. Learn together and in the context. Create a list of 3-5 existing and potential strategies for follow-up. Training material Learning group Context Learning process

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Participants: Local stakeholders: land users, community leaders, local agricultural advisors (2 days) external stakeholders: local government representatives, NGO‘s, agricultural advisors, researchers (1 day at the end)

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land WP 3.2: Evaluation, documentation and share of strategies Conducted by previously trained local facilitators Documentation and evaluation of the 3-5 identified strategies with the help of the WOCAT (basic) questionnaires on SWC technologies and approaches

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Time require- ments: 1 week per strategy Review of documentation through review team Potential strategies are either simply described or also documented (hypothetically) with the help of the WOCAT questionnaires.

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Sharing the strategies: On-line availability of all documented strategies in the WOCAT databases Farm exchange visits: The contributors of the 3-5 best documented and most innovative strategies will win a visit to another interesting site (e.g. Greek will visit Russian salinisation site), accompanied by a journalist.

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land WP 3.3: Strategy selection 2-days learning workshop with same stakeholders as in WP 3.1 Use of WOCAT database to have full basket of options Use of comparative analysis and decision support tool(s) for negotiation process -> implementation in WB4

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Decision support tool This tool should allow to combine existing and new strategies Negotiation for implementation depending on study site: –Government land / park / research site –Single land user –Group of land users (e.g. in catchment) –Community land

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land WB3 Methodology Documentation and evaluation with questionnaires WP 3.1 Stakeholder workshop 1 Mutual learning Identification of actual and potential solutions 3-5 days WP 3.2 Assessment of local and potential solutions Documentation and evaluation 2-3 months WP 3.3 Stakeholder workshop 2 Selection and decision support for local implementation 2-3 days Local water and biomass cycles: disturbances causes and impacts (natural and human) solutions Preparations:Description of natural and human environment First list of actual technologies and approaches (incl. photos) Indicators of degradation and conservation Stakeholders roles and responsibilities Assessment of locally applied solutions and ideas for potential strategies Prioritize local and potential solutions for further assessment Technology T1 and Approach A1 Technology T2 and Approach A2 Technology T3 and Approach A3 Technology T4 and Approach A4 Technology T5 and Approach A5 Preparations:Completion of cycles with assessed solutions Identification of gaps in cycles Selection from WOCAT database with local/potential, DESIRE and worldwide solutions Comparison and appraisal of options for local application, with weighted criteria Decision for test implementation with commitment of researchers, land users and government Embedding into overall land management strategy For each T and A: Description, specifications and costs natural and human environment analysis (pros and cons, impact, acceptance, etc) Review and quality assurance

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land WB3 results and deliverables: WB3 methodology including a tool for comparative assessment and selection of various strategy options A database with evaluated strategies from all study sites Reports on workshops and exchange visits Ready-to-implement measures for each study site, which will be tested in WB4 Contribution to WB6: Dissemination. Opportunity to produce a book WOCAT- DESIRE (like ‚where the land is greener‘)

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Role of WB3 coordination: Develop and provide tools and methods Train and coach local facilitators Provide backstopping and support to all study sites (concerning WB3) Ensure link to other WBs and specifically to WB6 (dissemination)

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Role of study sites: Participate in trainings (2 pers. per study site) Translation of tools (if needed) Conduct learning workshops with local stakeholders and provide reports Document and evaluate strategies

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Draft working plan of WB3: Development of tools (March 07 – March 08) WP 3.1: Pilot-run of tool package for stakeholder workshop 1 & strategy assessment and training of first moderators/facilitators in Morocco (June 07, French) Review and consolidation of tool package (July - August 07)

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Training of study site facilitators (October 07): –In one of the study sites at a concrete example: Murcia, Spain –Ideally two people per site: gender balanced, one more a SWC specialist, the other more an educational/moderator type. Translation of tools if needed (October 07 – March 08, depending on tool)

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land Local stakeholder workshop 1 in study sites (October - November 07) WP 3.2: Documentation and evaluation of strategies (November 07 – January 08) Farm exchange visits (later, during implementation phase of WB4)

DESIRE – Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land WP 3.3: Pilot – run of comparative selection and decision tool and first training of facilitators (January 2008) Training of study site facilitators (February 2008) Local selection workshops: February – March 08 (to allow implementation start in first study sites from March 08 onwards, depending on agric. calendar)