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THE WOCATEER (No. 4- Spring 2002)
(WOCAT Newsletter)

Dear reader

The WOCAT Newsletter is usually distributed by Email to those who have been subscribed to the WOCAT-L mailing list (or as hard copy to those without Email). This issue is an exception and is being sent to everyone in the WOCAT address database, for two reasons:

- This is a more or less special edition to "celebrate" our 10 years of existence and which we therefore like to give a wider distribution.

- We like to inform everyone in the WOCAT address database of the possibility to subscribe to WOCAT-L in order to receive more news in the future. See more information on the WOCAT Website. Since we assume that the minimum interest people may have in WOCAT is to receive some information, we will put you on the mailing list unless you tell us not too.

You can check whether your address data are correct by opening the on-line Address Database. If they are not, or if you wish to be entirely removed from the WOCAT Address database, please inform the WOCAT Secretariat!

2002: a decade of WOCAT progress

This year WOCAT is celebrating its 10th anniversary! A good opportunity to look back at the developments and progress during those 10 years. Figure 1 shows in a nutshell the development of WOCAT since its initia-tion by WASWC in 1992 during the ISCO conference in Sydney. The original idea by Hans Hurni of the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) at the University of Berne was to make a global map of soil and water conservation (SWC) activities, similar to (or counterbalancing) the Global Assessment of Human-induced Soil Degradation (GLASOD) that was completed by UNEP and ISRIC in 1990/1991. The idea was taken further by CDE and a first draft "Comprehensive Questionnaire" on SWC was presented dur-ing a special international WOCAT workshop in Riederalp, October 1993, which was attended by 19 partici-pants from various national and international institutions. The idea behind the questionnaire was generally well received but the document itself considered "too long and too detailed", "too complex", "too narrow-based" and confusing. It was decided to split the questionnaire into three parts, one focusing on a detailed description of SWC Technologies (QT), one on SWC Approaches (QA) and one on mapping aspects (QM). Task forces were erected which subsequently gathered in workshops after the Riederalp meeting. The idea had already evolved from a "simple" world map to a broader inventory of SWC activities worldwide (includ-ing a map). This was intended to be finished by 1998.

The initial versions of QT, QA and QM were tested during a regional WOCAT workshop in Machakos, Kenya, July 1995, which was attended by 37 participants mainly from eight countries in E. Africa. During this workshop, and the subsequent one in South Africa for seven southern African countries in the same year, the emphasis was on data collection. Participants worked very hard to fill in as many questionnaires as pos-sible and the result after one week's work was impressive. It also appeared, however, that the shortcomings of the Riederalp questionnaire had not disappeared but were now spread over three questionnaires! There was an apparent conflict between a pursuit for comprehensiveness and the necessity to keep things simple. However, most critics, when invited to indicate questions that could be omitted, only added new ones considered important! The overall conclusion after so many years is that soil and water conservation just is not a simple matter and that a simplified inventory system would be much less useful. Nevertheless, a lot of time and energy was spent on improvement of the methodology (see fig. 1) until after an external review in 1998, the emphasis was shifted towards using the methodology (i.e. data collection).

Besides improvements to the questionnaires, based on comments received during several national and re-gional workshops all over the world, the focus of the workshops also shifted from data collection towards training in the WOCAT methodology. The workshops were now seen as the first step in a longer-term proc-ess of data collection, analysis and actual use. A user-friendly database system was developed, serving as an Information Management and Decision Support System.

The network or "consortium" now covers 27 national and international institutions worldwide. The database (on CD ROM v.2, 2000) contains 72 Technologies and 54 Approaches from 8 countries while additional data on 110 Technologies and 77 Approaches from 27 countries (on CD ROM v.1, 1998) need some further up-dating and validation.

Every year representatives from participating institutions gather for an "Annual WOCAT Workshop and Steering Meeting" (WWSM) where progress, problems and plans are discussed, as well as experience exchanged. These meetings - complemented by frequent Email contacts - ensure a close participation of the institutions and individuals involved and create a very good working atmosphere. Task forces are formed that take care of specific activities within WOCAT, e.g. database development, the WOCAT map or SWC classification. Although WOCAT is a global programme with a "central" Secretariat (in Bern) and a Management Group consisting of six institutions, it has a decentralized organizational structure where most of the responsibility for national and regional activities lies with the national or regional institutions.

WOCAT's current mission statement reads: to provide tools that allow Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) specialists to share their valuable knowledge in soil and water management, that assist them in their search for appropriate SWC technologies and approaches, and that support them in making decisions in the field and at the planning level.

Latest "Global" News: March 2002

Since the previous WOCAT Newsletter in July 2001 the following new and on-going activities have taken place (in reversed chronological order):

• From 21-25 January 2002 a "Workshop for WOCAT Facilitators" was held at FAO headquarters in Rome. This was the "Training for Trainers" mentioned in the previous Newsletter. The general objective of the Workshop was to enhance the development of a WOCAT database and promote the use of WOCAT outputs in the field and at planning level. Specific objectives were:
  • to increase the understanding of the WOCAT methodology, enabling the participants to explain it to others,
  • feedback from participants on the methodology and databases
  • to enlarge the pool of potential WOCAT resource persons in regional and national initiatives, thereby decreasing dependency of national/regional institutions on the WOCAT core group
  • to enhance national/regional data collection, quality assurance, data management and applications
  • to promote international exchange of specialists

  Target persons for this workshop were those responsible for the co-ordination and implementation of re-gional/national data collection. Participants from 6 countries in Africa, 3 in Asia and 1 in Europe at-tended the workshop. The latter consisted of an in-depth treatment of the WOCAT methodology: ques-tionnaires, database management, and appropriate use of WOCAT data, such as an evaluation of a spe-cific technology or approach, or suitability assessment of technologies or approaches from elsewhere. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences with WOCAT. Problems encountered and their solutions were discussed. Considerable differences in understanding of the questionnaires, and more so in computer capabilities, became apparent but were reduced by the end of the workshop. All participants expressed their satisfaction with the workshops contents and presentation. Several countries indicated plans for follow-up, some even having waited for the training before implementing these.

An impression of the workshop from Rinda van der Merwe, participant from South Africa:

"The WOCAT Workshop for National Facilitators was conducted in FAO, Rome. The workshop was at-tended by 15 delegates from different countries. The organisers consisted of a group of 5 people (and I am sure a lot more behind the curtains). After a quest through the FAO to find room B224 we started the week with an introduction and needs/expectations from each participant. In the afternoon we were hard at work going through the questionnaires, explaining some questions and making things clearer. This kept us busy for the rest of Tuesday. Just when we thought we knew our way around, we moved to a computer room and again it was just luck to find it after tea! The hands on part of the workshop kept us occupied for 2 days, and only the thoughts of food (and an empty stomach) kept us from working during lunch!

The feedback and conclusion on Friday were evidence that everyone present had an informative week! Problems with laptops and databases were sorted out and every single one knows by now how to include an image in the database! Some of us may still be in the dark on how to include the base map into the map questionnaire, but not one will forget the "polygon ID"!! In between there was also a presentation on 'How to organise training'. We had a look at the 'Mt Kenya Water and Land Use" video and also at the presentations on WOCAT, and so forth. Wolfgang, thank you for the organisation of transport and administrative issues. Godert, Hans-Peter, Will and Mats, thank you for a very informative week. I saw light more than once, and I am sure I speak for everyone attending!"

• The WOCAT Facilitators Workshop partly coincided with a Steering Meeting of the LADA project (Land Degradation Assessment in Dryland Areas). This GEF funded project in which many international and national institutions participate is coordinated by FAO. Though the focus of the project is on degra-dation, it was clear that rehabilitation should not be omitted and that WOCAT can play a role. Hanspeter Liniger and Godert van Lynden attended part of the meeting and gave a presentation on WOCAT, which raised much interest and opened new contacts and ideas for collaboration with for instance UN conven-tions to combat desertification and biodiversity as well as the framework convention on Climate Change.

• From 24-29 September 2001 the 6th Annual Workshop and Steering Meeting was held in Nyeri, Kenya. A brief report on this meeting was already circulated through WOCAT-L in October and put on the Website. The Proceedings are now available as well, please ask the WOCAT secretariat or click here.

• The WOCAT Website is regularly updated and improved. Its layout is now very similar to that of the latest CD ROM (v. 2) but of course its contents are more recent. The Website contains some important additional items, such as the "News" section (containing all issues of the Newsletters); an "Updates, Tips and Tricks section" giving some important technical hints e.g. on how to solve some problems with the databases or the CD ROM; on-line (as well as downloadable) databases; links to other interesting sites; etc. Please bookmark the WOCAT Website and pass it on! We also would like to get your comments and suggestions or hear about any problems you might encounter in accessing the site or any of the pages.

Regional/national initiatives:

Our thanks are due to the respective countries that provided the following reports.

• WOCAT Progress Report of Fujian Province (China)

  Reported by Huang Xinquan and Ruan Fushui

  1. Publication of WOCAT in China

  The WOCAT program has been gradually extended in Fujian Province. In December 2001, Mr.Wang Weiming presented a report on WOCAT at the Conference of Fujian Soil & Water Conservation Academy in Fuzhou. Efforts are undertaken to extend WOCAT all over China. The representative of Fujian Province introduced the WOCAT program and distributed the brochures to all the participants in a Soil & Water Conservation Workshop of South China. In January 2002, a Soil & Water Conservation Strategy of China Workshop was held in Fuzhou. The WOCAT team of Fujian Province introduced the WOCAT program, and advised the Soil & Water Conservation Department under the Ministry of Water Conservancy to extend WOCAT all over China.

2. Publication on the Internet and WOCAT CD Translation

A Chinese version of the brochure was sent to the related departments through the Website of Fujian Soil & Water Conservation Centre. The following items have been translated into Chinese and put on a CD-ROM, which was handed over to Wolfgang Prante (FAO) during the Rome workshop:
- QT and QA Database
- WOCAT brochure
- Manual for the WOCAT Database
- Starting WOCAT - Guidance for the Countries
- Using the WOCAT Data - Guidance for Selection, Evaluation & Planning of Soil Conservation Technologies and Approaches
- WOCAT presentation

Mr. Wang Weiming presenting WOCAT-China

3. Information Collection

Taking small watersheds as unit, five technology and approach questionnaires have been completed, of which four have been translated into English and entered into the computer. The revision of four tech-nology questionnaires and one approach questionnaires in the existing database has been completed. Photographs have been provided for questionnaires in the existing database. Drawing of a base map (for QM) on a county basis has been completed for Fujian Province. By using RS, GIS and GPS technolo-gies, soil erosion investigation and land use data collection (on county basis) of Fujian Province have been completed, so as to help the preparation of QM database.

4. Work Plan in the near future

- Continue efforts to extend WOCAT all over China.
- Prepare related WOCAT materials for ISCO conference in Beijing late May 2002.
- Prepare related WOCAT materials for the 17th IUSS conference in Thailand, August 2002.
- Incorporate the base map into the map database and fill in the map database.
- Continue to correct technology and approach questionnaires in the existing database.
- Translate the QM database into Chinese.

• WOCAT In South Africa

Reported by Rinda van der Merwe (ARC - Institute for Soil, Climate and Water, Pretoria)

1. Introduction

A project proposal for the initiation of WOCAT in South Africa was submitted to the National Depart-ment of Agriculture (NDA) by the ARC-ISCW in May 1998. The project was approved and considerable progress was made with the implementation of WOCAT, through a successful workshop held in March 1999, at Stanger in KwaZulu/Natal. Following the workshop, individuals and organisations were identi-fied for follow-up and approaching for completion of questionnaires. The interviews were largely con-ducted by a master student from Switzerland, Mirjam Stähli. The current project team for WOCAT in South Africa is Dirk Pretorius (WOCAT co-ordinator at NDA), Georg Schutte (NDA), Robin Barnard (Programme Manager at ARC-ISCW) and Rinda van der Merwe (Project leader at ARC-ISCW).

2. Annual Workshop and Steering Meeting

The 3rd, 4th and 5th International Annual Workshop and Steering Meetings (WWSM) were attended by D. Pretorius (WOCAT co-ordinator at NDA) and H.J.C. Smith (Project leader at ARC-ISCW, 1998) who was replaced by R. Barnard after his resignation from the ARC-ISCW in 1999. The 6th WWSM was at-tended by Robin Barnard. He was designated as co-ordinator of the Task Forces on "WOCAT in indus-trialised/mechanised areas" and "Quality Control", with Dirk Pretorius also a member of the former, dur-ing the 4th Workshop.

3. Map questionnaire Workshop

A Map Questionnaire Workshop was held in Pretoria, Gauteng, at ISCW, in June 2000. This was at-tended by 13 delegates, representing Provincial Departments of Agriculture, the NDA, specialists on SWC, resource persons from CDE and ISRIC, as well as the ARC - ISCW. The objective of this work session was to evaluate the use of SOTER data and existing land degradation data (compiled by Tim Hoffmann) in preparing the WOCAT Map database for South Africa. During this workshop the achieva-bility and problems with the questionnaire were also discussed. A field trip to the Kalahari concluded this workshop (see WOCATEER no 2). Shortly after this, a workshop was held in KwaZulu/Natal (July 2000, organised by Georg Schutte - NDA) where 5 of the 52 districts of the KwaZulu/Natal province were completed. In July 2001 a workshop was held in Gauteng and the map questionnaires for the districts of this province were completed.

Screenshot of S. Africa map (dominant land use type)

4. Database

Up to this date 45 Technology and 42 Approach questionnaires are included in the national database. From these 10 questionnaires on each the Technologies and Approaches have been included in the inter-national CD-ROM v.2. This also includes more than 300 photos/figures in the Image database.

5. Follow-up workshop

A symposium will be held in Mpumalanga in April 2002. The objective of the symposium will be first to give an introduction of WOCAT (video presentation/ an overview on both the global and national pro-gress), second to look at some technologies and accompanying questionnaires while on excursion, and lastly to have a discussion session.

6. Newsletters

A Newsletter regarding all the activities of WOCAT in South Africa to date was drawn up and distrib-uted at the beginning of January 2000. A second newsletter, compiled by G. Schutte, D. Pretorius, R. van der Merwe and R. Barnard, was published in the Agricultural News of 26 March 2001 and distributed not only to all the parties involved in WOCAT South Africa, but also to all the Agricultural Departments in South Africa. All the activities and achievements of WOCAT South Africa were discussed in this News-letter. Many inquiries were received after that.

7. Other

A poster on WOCAT, presented by Rinda van der Merwe at the Joint Congress, 16 - 18 January 2001, held at the University of Pretoria, was positively received.

 

• EthiOCAT and its activities

Reported by Daniel Danano and Berhanu Fentaw Tareke

EthiOCAT is the Ethiopian Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies, established at the National WOCAT Workshop, which took place in Nazareth, Ethiopia from 23-27 April 2001. About 40 experts from Regional Bureaus of Agriculture, researchers from Research Organisations and Universities, development workers from NGOs and Government agencies attended the five days workshop. The workshop was intended to introduce WOCAT to the participants and also to acquaint participants with the methods and procedures of using the QTs and QAs and show them the techniques of filling in the QM. Hans Peter Liniger from CDE/Bern, Godert van Lynden from ISRIC/ Netherlands, and Kithinji Mutunga from MoA Kenya were the resource persons who provided training and backstopping.

Some participants of the Nazareth workshop

Following the establishment of EthiOCAT the next initiatives were taken:

1. A strong link between WOCAT and EthiOCAT was created and as a result information exchange fa-cilitated. The Ministry of Agriculture of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia provided facilities to strengthen the relation between EthiOCAT and WOCAT.
2. Regional coordinators and data base managers are assigned in most of the regions and are now ready to embark on the application of WOCAT tools and filling in of the QTs, QAs & QMs. About four re-gions have planned to get started with using WOCAT tools immediately after the National Training scheduled to take place on April 2002.
3. Promotion of WOCAT activities an d the introduction of WOCAT to other organisations and indi-viduals have continued through various means of communication. The soil conservation Newsletter in Ethiopia in its issue of October 2001 has given a detailed account of WOCAT. This has provided an opportunity for many readers to know about WOCAT. The feedback from the readers showed that many are happy to hear about WOCAT and in the mean time some have explained that they devel-oped interest to use WOCAT producers for collecting data.
4. EthiOCAT has successfully approached two donors to fund the national initiative. On one side the World Food programme is supporting the initiative since it will help in the documentation and the monitoring of the WFP activities. The second support comes from the Eastern and Southern African Partnership (ESAPP) programme from the Centre for Development and Environment (see http://www.cde.unibe.ch/programmes/africa/afr20.html).

EthiOCAT is very happy that the National Co-ordinator and Database manager participated in the recent workshop for WOCAT facilitators in Rome. The training has enabled the participants to gain knowledge on data management. EthiOCAT would like to further strengthen its links with WOCAT and the Global Network (National WOCATORS) for exchange of ideas and share of experience.

• Philippine Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (PHILCAT)

Reported by Romeo V. Labios and Jose D. Rondal

PHILCAT was formally organized in September 1999 by the Secretary of Agriculture. It is an Inter-agency Committee for WOCAT and the Asia Soil Conservation Network (ASOCON) in the Philippines. The committee, represented by eleven agencies/institutions and two professional societies, is chaired by the Director of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Department of Agriculture. The Director of the Forest Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources is Co-chairperson. Among the activities of PHILCAT are (a) national/regional training workshop on WOCAT, (b) docu-mentation, assessment and evaluation of SWC farming practices using the WOCAT framework, (c) de-velopment and distribution of information, communication and extension materials as a result of activity b, and (d) networking and institutional linkages. PHILCAT continued its planned activities for the past year. Best efforts were exerted to meet pre-set objectives and targets. To maximize use of time and re-sources, PHILCAT activities were linked to other activities of the different members of the Committee.

1. WOCAT Promotion

After the 4th annual meeting in Bangkok, Thailand in September 1999, WOCAT as a tool in natural re-source management was given emphasis by the two National coordinators in several national and international fora:

- University of the Philippines Los Baños Research, Extension and Professional Staff Association (UPLB REPSA) Anniversary, September 2000 at UPLB by RV Labios
- Philippine Mountain Summit, November 2000 at UPLB by JD Rondal.
- Asian Agriculture Congress, April 2001 in Manila by RV Labios.
- Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources-Collaborative Research and Support Project Conference, May, 2001 in Makati City by RV Labios and Ms. A. Prueksapong from Thailand. The poster presentation won the Best Poster Award.
- International Symposium on the Sustainable Use of Soil and Water Resources, June 2001, BSWM, Quezon City by JD Rondal and RV Labios
- WOCAT Presentation, Ibaraki University, Japan, June 2001by JD Rondal.
- Conservation Farming Movement annual scientific conference, November 2001 at SEARCA, UPLB, by RV Labios

2. Documentation

The committee has documented two approaches and eight technologies that are now in the WOCAT da-tabase. The QM for the Philippines is being worked on this year. The documented approaches were Landcare approach and Vegetative approach in the stabilization of sand dunes. The documented tech-nologies were (1) Natural Vegetative Strips, (2) Small Water Impounding Project (SWIP), (3) Small Farm Reservoir (SFR), (4) Resoiling, (5) Multi-Storey Cropping, (6) Residue Incorporation, (7) Conser-vation Tillage Technology for Corn Production in Paddy Field, and (8) Vetiver Grass Technology. The ICRAF-Philippines produced a video presentation titled "Let nature take its course: conservation farming with natural vegetative strips and Landcare in the Philippines". It is available at ICRAF-Philippines, UPLB, College, Laguna, Philippines or through Dr. Dennis P. Garrity, Director General-ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya.

3. Project Preparation

A project titled "Documentation and assessment of SWC technologies in selected Philippine upland ar-eas" has been approved by the Bureau of Agricultural Research through the National Soil and Water Re-search and Development Network. The project duration is from January 2002 to December 2003. The implementing agencies are the Farming Systems and Soil Resources Institute, College of Agriculture, UPLB and the Conservation Farming Movement, Inc. with coordination by the BSWM and the PHILCAT. The objectives of the project are as follows:

- To catalogue SWC technologies as practiced by farmers and promoted by various organizations and institu-tions;
- To document and assess the sustainability of the SWC technologies being practiced;
- To produce a directory/database of farmers practicing conservation farming technology and use them as exam-ples to convince other farmers to follow similar practices;
- To produce new extension guides on conservation farming practices and distribute to concerned individuals and institutions; and
- To strengthen the existing conservation farming network.

The following are the expected outputs of the project:

- A catalogue of SWC practices implemented by upland farmers.
- An assessment of the sustainability of selected conservation farming practices.
- A directory/database of farmers who use conservation farming practices, referenced by region, province, mu-nicipality, and barangay
- Ten new extension guides each year for two years on conservation farming practices.
- Most successful farmer practitioners identified and given recognition.
- Cross-farm visits to the farms of the awardees conducted for interested farmers.

The catalogue of SWC practices and the extension guides will serve as reference information on the SWC technologies being practiced by the Filipino farmers and provide some insights on their applicability and performance in certain areas of the country. The directory of farmer practitioners will provide in-formation on where to find specific conservation farming practice and to whom can they ask for more information. Giving recognition to successful conservation farming practitioners will hopefully encourage some farmers to adopt conservation farming practices. Cross-farm visits will provide an opportunity for farmers and extension workers to see for them actual practices on the ground. A training proposal titled "National Training for PHILCAT Trainers" was submitted to BAR and ATI for possible funding. The said proposal is a joint undertaking of PHILCAT and WOCAT.

4. Participation to the WOCAT Workshop for National Facilitators

RV Labios and JD Rondal participated in the five-day Workshop for National Facilitators last January at FAO. The workshop provided additional knowledge through hands-on experience on WOCAT data base management. It is highly recommended that similar workshops be given regularly.

• Yugoslavia/S.E. Europe

Reported by Miodrag Zlatic

1. National (Yugoslavia) initiative:

- Glossary is translated into Serbian; QA is translated; QT and QM are being translated. These translations are also important for the regional level because this language is easily recognisable in surrounding countries.
- A preliminary WOCAT meeting was held with two deputy ministers from the Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management on the high importance of WOCAT for this year.
- After this preliminary meeting financing would be more clear, so that we can organize next WOCAT events: i. Initial national training workshop ii. starting with QT, QA and QM in South Serbia
- WOCAT in education: programmes are not yet accepted

2. Regional initiative:

At the end of last year contacts about donating SEE WOCAT were established with UNEP (in Geneve). If it could be realised together with WOCAT seed money for regional initiative, than it could be realistic to organize regional initial training workshop.

• WOCAT Activities in Sahelien Countries of West Africa

Reported by François Lompo

Starting from a national initiative in Niger WOCAT was introduced into the SAHEL countries of West Africa (after an initial regional workshop already conducted in 1995 in Burkina Faso - GVL). The impor-tance of such an initiative with regard to the benefit that these countries can have from it, led the Institute of the Sahel (INSAH) and ICRISAT, all members of the Management Group of WOCAT, to develop an action plan for a greater involvement of the Sahelien countries in WOCAT activities. This action plan has been started thanks to support of partner institutions of INSAH such as FAO, OSS and the CDE. The participation of the Regional Coordinator of the Research Branch on Natural Resources Man-agement / Production Systems (GRN/SP) in the WOCAT Workshop for National Facilitators, has been an occasion to better know and manage the different WOCAT tools and products (databases Qt, Qa, Qm). This very useful training will allow in the short term to consider the following actions:
- Incorporating WOCAT activities in those of GRN/SP;
- the training of national trainers in each of the nine Member States of the CILSS;
- the filling of the questionnaires in each of these countries
The Sahel countries of West Africa will find through WOCAT a framework of experience sharing on the technological assets as regards conservation of water and soil. WOCAT is useful too for researchers, the development workers, producer organizations as well as for planners and political decision makers.

• WOCAT Thailand

Reported by Samran Sombatpanit

The first national WOCAT Workshop was held in Chiang Mai, Thailand (September 1996) under the auspices of the Land Development Department (LDD) where over 60 SWC specialists from every part of the country and one representative each from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam attended. 23 Technologies (Ts) and 14 Approaches (As) were identified and worked on. A WOCAT map of Thailand was endeavoured by using ASSOD map data, which uses physiography to distinguish polygons. Updat-ing of Ts and As has been gradually going on. The 4th International Annual WOCAT Workshop and Steering Meeting took place in Bangkok and Rayong during September 6-10, 1999, and was shortly followed with an appointing of a WOCAT Working Group of the LDD, with a target to fully update the incomplete data for 12 Ts and 12 As. Apart from that there has been a plan to improve the map. The completed data to date are the Ts and As of 1) Vegetative erosion control and conservation cropping system, 2) Cut-off drain, and 3) Small bench terrace, which have been incorporated in the WOCAT CD ROM v. 2 since the year 2000. The rest, which would be completed soon, comprises Hillside ditch, Contour grass strip, Rice terrace, Farm pond, Trash line, Small bench for rubber, Contour bund, Vetiver grass system, and Agroforestry. Now an MoU between CDE and LDD is being prepared for technical cooperation far into the future.

Samran Sombatpanit and Attaya Phinchongsakuldit showing the WOCAT poster at the Management of Natural Resources Sympo-sium in Chiang Mai, Thailand, November 2001.

Upcoming events

• The long-planned introductory WOCAT workshop in India will now take place from 8-12 April. It will be hosted by the DANWADEP programme and its Watershed Development Coordination Unit.
• An initiative to present WOCAT in Central Asia will be made during a visit to the region early April.
• WOCAT will present several papers and posters at the ISCO Conference from 27-31 May in Beijing.
• Various WOCATeers will also be attending the 17th IUSS Congress in Bangkok, in August 2002. A sub-symposium of this congress (nr. 61) will be especially focused on WOCAT

Other issues

• Mountain Research and Development (MRD) Journal
  The next issue of Mountain Research and Development is the first in the International Year of Mountains (IYM2002). The basic purpose of IYM2002, as declared by the UN General Assembly, is "to promote the conservation and sustainable development of mountain regions, thereby ensuring the well-being of mountain and lowland communities."
  To achieve this purpose, natural resources in mountain regions need to be used in a sustainable way that avoids overuse and degradation. The Global Assessment of Soil Degradation (GLASOD) published by the UNEP and ISRIC in 1990 showed that one-third of the world's agricultural land has been damaged by long-term degradation owing primarily to water and wind erosion. Although there has been no update of this global assessment yet, the issue of land and soil degradation has been included in several global agendas and formal frameworks.
  Mountains are particularly susceptible to soil erosion because of surface runoff due to high rainfall, steep slopes with erodible soils, growing pressure on marginal lands, abandonment of agro-pastoral land in other areas, and the construction of infrastructure for economic activities. Mountains also provide water, not only in mountain areas, but for the surrounding lowlands as well. Hence land degradation in mountains has serious impacts on the global supply of fresh water and on growing water-related conflicts.

  

  The present MRD issue focuses on efforts to avoid and combat land degradation; experiences need to be documented and exchanged so that existing knowledge can be used for better land management. The development section presents examples of successful soil and water management, like the revival of a degraded region in Serbia, agrodiversity in Thailand, contour bunds and hedgerows in the Philippines, live fences to protect sloping lands in Ecuador, and spring sanctuaries in the Indian Himalayas.
  Another article illustrates the WOCAT tools to document and exchange local experiences at the global level. Articles in the research section demonstrate the wealth of knowledge on land use, land cover change, resource management in mountain areas, and the potential for improved use of resources. Additional efforts are needed at the local, national and global levels to raise awareness of the possibilities of reducing land degradation, showing the potential for improved land management in mountains regions as well as the impact of successful management techniques on the livelihoods of people in the mountains and the surrounding lowlands. This will be a significant contribution to the overall purpose of IYM2002.
  Please visit the MRD Website for information on how to subscribe.
  Hanspeter Liniger and Gudrun Schwilch, CDE, Guest Editors of the Development Section
  Hans Hurni, Editor-in-Chief