Fjölrit RALA - 05.12.1999, Page 26

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PARTICIPATORYPLANNING PROCESSES
World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) pro-
vides concise descriptions of problems and their context with geo-references so that at
the very least, the physical characteristics can be analysed (Box 4) and treatments pro-
posed for equivalent areas, based on Agro-ecological Zoning criteria (FAO 1996) or
others such as Global Assessment of Soil Degradation.
Box 4. World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT).
WOCAT was launched in 1992 and coordinated by the University of Bern, Switzerland, as a
World Association of Soil and Water Conservation project in collaboration with a consortium of
institutes including FAO. The aim is to promote integration of successful soil and water conser-
vation approaches and technologies into land use systems world-wide. A framework for evalua-
tion of soil and water conservation was developed through a series of international workshops
and task force meetings. Data collection began in 1995 with a set of questionnaires, completed
through regional workshops and individual submissions.
The database now permits analyses of the effectiveness in physical, economic and social terms
of data from most continents, inciuding more than 100 technologies and over 60 approaches de-
scribed in detail (WOCAT 1997). To view, see: http://www.giub.unibe.ch/cde/proiects/wocat.htm
The FAO/Italy project in Syria “Range rehabilitation & establishment of a wildlife
reserve in the steppe" has arranged negotiation between government officers and Bed-
ouins to fix rights and privileges on grazing through the establishment of Grazing
Committees. In parallel, a wildlife reserve of 22,000 ha has been established and an
integrated management introduced where wildlife (gazelles and oryx) is grazing to-
gether with camels. This to improve the use of different fodder species, to maintain
rangeland biodiversity, and to combine the production of livestock with the mainte-
nance of wildlife. Already over 3,150 ha of range have been improved through
reseeding of native species (Salsola vermiculata and Atriplex leucoclada) and grazing
management plans are developed to manage over 95,000 head of Awassi sheep and
1200 camels.
An ongoing training support is ensuring income diversity for the families in such
pursuits as handicrafts, collecting and marketing truffles and medicinal herbs, plus
collecting and selling range species seeds. Another aspect is adult literacy training and
especially environmental awareness and monitoring of range resources.
The beneficiary population of the 3 cooperatives is about 3,050 persons in the re-
serve, with about 100,000 sheep in addition to goats and camels.
The WAY FORWARD
In following the ISCRAL framework set out by FAO (1990), a country is advised to
appoint a coordinating committee at a high level to study issues at all levels in devel-
opment. From then on, it has been continual negotiation in a participative manner.
One aim, for example, is to encourage range users to organize themselves into coop-
eratives for leaming and information exchange, with possibilities of arranging bulk
purchase of certain inputs or group marketing of produce or joint on-site trials.