Thomas Richard James
International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Aleppo, Syria and Visiting Professor, Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori, 680-0001, Japan.
J Environ Monit. 2008 May;10(5):595-603. doi: 10.1039/b801649f. Epub 2008 Apr 10.
Sustainable land management (SLM) is proposed as a unifying theme for current global efforts on combating desertification, climate change and loss of biodiversity in drylands. A focus on SLM will achieve the multiple goals of the three UN Conventions (UNCCD, UNFCCC and UNCBD) and in particular will address the roots causes of poverty and vulnerability to climate change rather than a current focus on adapting to climate change. The interlinkages between land degradation, climate change and loss of biodiversity are outlined together with a proposed set of interventions to achieve multiple goals. It is argued that improved land productivity is a viable goal to reduce poverty in drylands provided it is linked to payments for environmental services and better crop and weather insurances and coupled with alternative livelihoods that are not primarily dependent on land productivity. Obstacles to the achievement of SLM are discussed and the steps necessary to overcome them are presented. It is suggested that promoting SLM would be a better focus for the UNCCD than combating desertification.
可持续土地管理（SLM）被提议作为当前全球防治荒漠化、应对气候变化以及防止旱地生物多样性丧失工作的统一主题。关注可持续土地管理将实现联合国三项公约（《联合国防治荒漠化公约》《联合国气候变化框架公约》和《生物多样性公约》）的多重目标，尤其将解决贫困根源以及应对气候变化的脆弱性问题，而不是像当前那样侧重于适应气候变化。文中概述了土地退化、气候变化和生物多样性丧失之间的相互联系，并提出了一套实现多重目标的干预措施。文章认为，提高土地生产力是减少旱地贫困的一个可行目标，前提是它与环境服务付费、更好的作物和天气保险相挂钩，并与主要不依赖土地生产力的替代生计相结合。文中讨论了实现可持续土地管理的障碍，并提出了克服这些障碍所需的步骤。文章建议，对《联合国防治荒漠化公约》而言，促进可持续土地管理比防治荒漠化更应成为重点。
