Fenta Ayele Almaw, Tsunekawa Atsushi, Haregeweyn Nigussie, Tsubo Mitsuru, Yasuda Hiroshi, Kawai Takayuki, Berihun Mulatu Liyew, Ebabu Kindiye, Sultan Dagnenet, Mekuriaw Shigdaf
International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University, Tottori, 680-0001, Japan.
Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori, 680-0001, Japan.
Environ Res. 2023 Nov 1;236(Pt 2):116872. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116872. Epub 2023 Aug 10.
Proper land use and management (LUM) planning is pivotal to curbing land degradation and ensuring sustainable use of limited watershed resources. Despite decades of research and development efforts, land degradation remains a serious environmental problem in many parts of the world. Issues regarding the sustainability of current LUM initiatives are due to poor linkages between the ecological and socio-economic dimensions of LUM decisions, and an integrated framework allowing LUM interventions to be properly planned and implemented is lacking. In this study, we developed an integrated framework to identify, evaluate, and propose LUM alternatives with ecological and socio-economic benefits. The framework comprises six components: (i) identification of land use problems and setting of objectives, (ii) identification of the best-performing land use-based integrated solutions, (iii) formulation of LUM alternatives and modeling of key indicators, (iv) cost-benefit analysis, (v) evaluation of the LUM alternatives with stakeholders engagement, and (vi) communication of the LUM alternatives to relevant stakeholders to obtain institutional and financial support for implementation. To demonstrate the use of this framework, we conducted a case study in the Aba Gerima watershed of the Upper Blue Nile basin in Ethiopia. This study used extensive plot- and watershed-scale observations (2015-2019) obtained under both conventional and improved sustainable land management practices. We analyzed changes in runoff, soil loss, soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, and land productivity of five LUM alternatives as compared to a baseline scenario (existing farming practices). The results showed that the LUM alternatives reduced runoff by 11-71% and soil loss by 66-95%, and SOC stock and watershed-scale land productivity were improved by 36-104% and 48-134%, respectively. Evaluation of LUM alternatives by stakeholders, including land users, policy makers, and researchers, produced divergent results. In particular, land users prioritized implementation of sustainable land management practices without altering existing land uses. The integrated framework developed in this study can serve as a valuable tool for identifying, evaluating, and proposing LUM alternatives and facilitating decision-making in planning and implementation of LUM practices in watersheds experiencing land degradation.
合理的土地利用与管理（LUM）规划对于遏制土地退化和确保有限流域资源的可持续利用至关重要。尽管经过了数十年的研发努力，但土地退化在世界许多地区仍然是一个严重的环境问题。当前LUM举措的可持续性问题源于LUM决策的生态和社会经济层面之间缺乏有效联系，并且缺少一个能够妥善规划和实施LUM干预措施的综合框架。在本研究中，我们开发了一个综合框架，用于识别、评估和提出具有生态和社会经济效益的LUM替代方案。该框架包括六个组成部分：（i）识别土地利用问题并设定目标，（ii）识别表现最佳的基于土地利用的综合解决方案，（iii）制定LUM替代方案并对关键指标进行建模，（iv）成本效益分析，（v）在利益相关者参与下评估LUM替代方案，以及（vi）向相关利益者传达LUM替代方案，以获得实施所需的机构和资金支持。为了展示该框架的应用，我们在埃塞俄比亚青尼罗河上游流域的阿巴·杰里马流域进行了一项案例研究。本研究使用了在传统和改进的可持续土地管理实践下获得的广泛的地块和流域尺度观测数据（2015 - 2019年）。与基线情景（现有耕作方式）相比，我们分析了五种LUM替代方案的径流、土壤流失、土壤有机碳（SOC）储量和土地生产力的变化。结果表明，LUM替代方案使径流减少了11% - 71%，土壤流失减少了66% - 95%，SOC储量和流域尺度土地生产力分别提高了36% - 104%和48% - 134%。包括土地使用者、政策制定者和研究人员在内的利益相关者对LUM替代方案的评估产生了不同的结果。特别是，土地使用者优先考虑在不改变现有土地用途的情况下实施可持续土地管理实践。本研究中开发的综合框架可作为一种有价值的工具，用于识别、评估和提出LUM替代方案，并促进在经历土地退化的流域中规划和实施LUM实践时的决策制定。
