SLM Practices: Technologies and Approaches



WOCAT focuses on efforts to prevent and reduce land degradation and restore degraded land through improved land management technologies and approaches to implement these.

A SLM practice can be either an SLM Technology (a physical practice that controls land degradation and/ or enhances productivity, consisting of one or several measures) or an SLM Approach (ways and means used to implement one or several SLM Technologies, including technical and material support, stakeholder engagement, and other).

The objective of documenting and assessing SLM practices is to share and spread valuable knowledge in land management, support evidence-based decision-making and scale up identified good practices, thereby contributing to preventing and reducing land degradation and to restoring degraded land.

To achieve this, it is important to analyse field experiences and gain a better understanding of the reasons behind successful SLM practices, regardless of  whether they are traditional or indigenous, newly introduced through projects or programmes, adopted and/ or adapted by land users, or recent innovations.

Inventory table

The inventory tables are used to make a first assessment of Technologies and Approaches.

» Read more and download the inventory table.

SLM Technologies

An SLM Technology is a physical practice on the land that controls land degradation, and enhances productivity and/ or other ecosystem services. A Technology consists of one or several measures, such as agronomic, vegetative, structural, and management measures.

WOCAT offers you the opportuntiy to discuss your experience with any of the WOCAT Technology Group in our WOCATpedia Community Platform.

You also find the definition of all of the Technology Groups in the WOCAT Glossary.
Core Questionnaire on SLM Technologies (QT)

The Core Questionnaire on SLM Technologies (QT) helps to describe and understand the land management practice by addressing the following questions: what are the specifications of the Technology, what are the inputs and costs, where is it used (natural and human environment), and what impact does it have?

Please download the Questionnaire on SLM Technologies.

It is currently available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Khmer.

» Download the questionnaire
Add a SLM Technology

Add a SLM Technology in the global SLM database

» Add a SLM Technology
Classifications and definitions

Find here different classifications and definitions used in the SLM Technologies Questionnaire.

» Go to classifications and definitions
WOCATpedia: platform for discussion and feedback

Do you have any questions or suggestions how we could improve the questionnaire? Or do you want to discuss and share your experiences?

» Go to the WOCATpedia to discuss the questionnaire

SLM Approaches

An SLM Approach defines the ways and means used to implement one or several SLM Technologies. It describes technical and material support, involvement, and roles of different stakeholders, etc. An Approach can refer to a project/ programme or to activities initiated by land users themselves.

WOCAT offers you the opportuntiy to discuss your experience with any of the WOCAT Approach Group in our WOCATpedia Community Platform.

You also find the definition of all of the Approach Groups in the WOCAT Glossary.
SLM Approaches

The Core Questionnaire on SLM Approaches (QA) addresses the questions of how implementation was achieved (including capacity building, decision-making, technical and material support, change of legal framework and policies) and who achieved it (including all stakeholders involved and their roles).

Please download the Questionnaire on SLM Approaches. It is currently available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Khmer.

» Download the questionnaire
Add a SLM Approach

Add a SLM Approach in the global SLM databse

» Add a SLM Approach
WOCATpedia: platform for discussion and feedback

Do you have any questions or suggestions how we could improve the questionnaire? Or do you want to discuss and share your experiences?

» Go to the WOCATpedia to discuss the Questionnaire