Promoting Sustainable Land Management Through Evidence Based Decision Support

This publication is a product of the GEF-funded FAO project ‘Decision Support for Mainstreaming and Scaling Out Sustainable Land Management (DS-SLM)’ which has developed a decision support framework (DSF). The DSF integrates experience from work with land degradation (LD) and SLM into an overall strategy for mainstreaming and scaling out SLM at different spatial and temporal scales. This publication serves as a step-by-step guide for the application and implementation of the DSF during planning, design and implementation of SLM interventions. It includes elements – both in its modules and proposed tools and methods – which can support countries in pursuing land degradation neutrality (LDN).

This report summarizes the main findings from the project implementation by applying DSF which integrates land degradation assessments, SLM implementation, SLM mainstreaming and scaling-out and knowledge management for informed decision-making at local, subnational and national levels. The results of the project as well as the Mainstreaming Strategy developed can serve as a guide for decision-makers in developing landscape interventions as well as programmes on natural resources management that will build the resilience of communities.

In a context of escalating food demand and pressure on natural resources, this study emphasizes the importance of land evaluation and land-use planning. Only with a rational use of resources can we enhance productivity while maintaining resilient ecosystems. The publication stresses the importance of collaborative processes to meet the interwoven challenges of population growth, competition for limited resources, land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change.

Land degradation reduces food productivity and security, disrupts vital ecosystem functions and increases carbon emissions and vulnerability to climate change. 52 percent of the land used for agriculture worldwide is estimated to already be affected. Studies indicate that land degradation directly affects 1.5 billion people around the world. Despite the seriousness of the issue, there is still limited access to resources and planning tools for sustainable land management. Between 2015 to 2019, FAO implemented the project ''Decision support for mainstreaming and scaling up of sustainable land management (DS-SLM)’’ at a global level across 15 countries. The aim of the project was to improve access to information on land management best practices. The final evaluation examines the impacts and sustainability of the project results. What has contributed to, or hindered, the implementation of the planned activities? What has been the effect of linkages and partnerships between the project and other major country initiatives?

Decision Consequence Analysis (DCA) is a framework for improving the quality of decision results. The framework is a systematic, multi-criteria quantification of uncertainties and the opportunities for managing and reducing the potential negative consequences of such uncertainties. DCA is demonstrated throughout Sustainable Land Development and Restoration for each stage of system based management of environmental issues. DCA links disciplines and incorporates components of risk modelling, probability modelling and the psychology of decision making. Its goal is to provide a comprehensive unbiased decision making framework. Its foundation is accurately defining your problem statement and clearly vetting your objectives to build a structure for meaningful analysis of data. Employment of DCA consistently throughout the environmental industry can reduce decibel-driven, agenda-laden decision making, streamline expenditure of resources (financial, human, natural), and provide a clear path to the sustainable maintenance of balanced environmental systems as the penultimate objective. Sustainable Land Development and Restoration provides a toolbox to both the novice and experienced environmental practitioner of valuable techniques for addressing site specific environmental issues, as well as managing a portfolio of liabilities on an international scale. Ultimately, the authors are addressing the critical issue of balancing environmental asset balance sheets, whether on the scale of an individual project, across a company's portfolio, or for a community. The environmental manager who adopts the principles in this book will have greater confidence that environmental protection or restoration activities are providing measurable utility. The goal is that, through multidimensional resource management analysis and practices companies and societies can achieve sustainable maintenance of a balanced environmental system. Descriptions of technical, contracting and implementation processes are supported by detailed case studies to provide real world context rather than an academic exchange of theories. Techniques for addressing site specific environmental issues Multidimensional resource management analysis Case narrative, data base, and GIS linked

In recent years, much work has been done in formulating and clarifying the concept of sustainable development and related theoretical and research issues. Now, the challenge has shifted to designing and stimulating processes of effective planning and decision-making, at all levels of human activity, in such a way as to achieve local and global sustainable development. Information technology can help a great deal in achieving sustainable development by providing well-designed and useful tools for decision makers. One such tool is the decision support system, or DSS. This book explores the area of DSS in the context of sustainable development. As DSS is a very new technique, especially in the developing world, this book will serve as a reference text, primarily for managers, government officials, and information professionals in developing countries. It covers the concept of sustainable development, defines DSS and how it can be used in the planning and management of sustainable development, and examines the state of the art in DSS use. Other interested readers will include students, teachers, and analysts in information sciences; DSS designers, developers, and implementors; and international development agencies.

This is the third volume of the five-volume book series “Engineering Tools for Environmental Risk Management”. The book series deals with the following topics: • Environmental deterioration and pollution, management of environmental problems • Environmental toxicology – a tool for managing chemical substances and contaminated environment • Assessment and monitoring tools, risk assessment • Risk reduction measures and technologies • Case studies for demonstration of the application of engineering tools The authors aim to describe interactions and options in risk management by providing a broad scientific overview of the environment, its human uses and the associated local, regional and global environmental problems; interpreting the holistic approach used in solving environmental protection issues; striking a balance between nature’s needs and engineering capabilities; understanding interactions between regulation, management and engineering; obtaining information about novel technologies and innovative engineering tools. This third volume provides an overview on the basic principles, concepts, practices and tools of environmental monitoring and contaminated site assessment. The volume focuses on those engineering tools that enable integrated site assessment and decision making and ensure an efficient control of the environment. Some topics supporting sustainable land use and efficient environmental management are listed below: • Efficient management and regulation of contaminated land and the environment; • Early warning and environmental monitoring; • Assessment of contaminated land: the best practices; • Environmental sampling; • Risk characterization and contaminated matrix assessment; • Integrated application of physical, chemical, biological, ecological and (eco) toxicological characterization methods; • Direct toxicity assessment (DTA) and decision making; • Online analyzers, electrodes and biosensors for assessment and monitoring of waters.; • In situ and real-time measurement tools for soil and contaminated sites; • Rapid on-site methods and contaminant and toxicity assessment kits; • Engineering tools from omics technologies, microsensors to heavy machinery; • Dynamic characterization of subsurface soil and groundwater using membrane interface probes, optical and X-ray fl uorescence and ELCAD wastewater characterization; • Geochemical modeling: methods and applications; • Environmental assessment using cyclodextrins. This book series focuses on the state of knowledge about the environment and its conscious and structured application in environmental engineering, management and decision making.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Decision Support Systems, ICDSST 2018, held in Heraklion, Greece, in May 2018. The main topic of this year’s conference was “Sustainable Data-Driven and Evidence Based Decision Support”. The 15 papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 71 submissions. They were organized in topical sections named: decision support systems for a sustainable society; decision support systems serving the public; decision support systems in management and organization; and advances in decision support systems’ technologies and methods. The EWG-DSS series of International Conference on Decision Support System Technology (ICDSST), starting with ICDSST 2015 in Belgrade, were planned to consolidate the tradition of annual events organized by the EWG-DSS in offering a platform for European and international DSS communities, comprising the academic and industrial sectors, to present state-of-the-art DSS research and developments, to discuss current challenges that surround decision-making processes, to exchange ideas about realistic and innovative solutions, and to co-develop potential business opportunities.