1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Preventing and Remediating degradation of soils in Europe through Land Care (EU-RECARE )

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

The Cyprus Institute (The Cyprus Institute) - Cyprus

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

01/09/2015

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Ja

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

Nee

1.5 Reference to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Approaches

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Dry-stone terraces built to create agricultural land, minimise soil erosion and retain soil moisture on steep mountain slopes.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Dry-stone terraces consist of a series of nearly levelled platforms built along contour lines at suitable intervals. These structures characterise a large part of the landscape in Cyprus, and especially in communities around Troodos Mountains where large areas have been converted to agricultural terraces. The typical terraces found in the study-area are narrow (1-3 m) to medium-base (3-6 m) bench terraces, constructed by cutting and filling in slopes between 20-40%. The terraces are supported by walls, whereby stone is the only construction material without any binding mortar.

Terracing is one of the oldest means of cultivating slopes while saving soil and water. Due to the steep terrain of Troodos Mountains, the establishment of terraces acts as sediment trap storing the washed-off soil material within the slope. In general, terraces were created to stop or reduce the degrading effect of soil erosion by intercepting and controlling the surface run-off velocity and by facilitating its slower infiltration. In such a way, the sediment that accumulates behind the terraces has created suitable land for farming. In addition, the construction of dry-stone walls serves a dual purpose: to clear the land from large rock and stones, and to enhance the stability of the bench terraces against loss of top-soil. This is a type of technology that was very much used in the past and seen today as an important cultural landscape and heritage for these communities.

The construction of dry-stone walls was usually completed by the family who owned the field. Men undertook the building while the rest of the family carried the stones; assistance was also offered by relatives and friends of the family. First, the topography, the height and shape of the terrace is evaluated. Using a fuse, the craftsman shapes a straight line which would follow while building the wall. The foundations are created by excavating a pit of ~0.3-0.5 m, depending on the type of soils and the size of the wall; fuse, pick, mattock and shovel are the typical tools used. The pit is filled with large, irregular-shaped stones.

The stones are used in their natural shape for the construction of the walls without any processing. They are separated according to their shape, size and texture. The stones usually come from the cleaning of fields which will be cultivated or from a small-scale quarrying of the mountain slope using pick and lever. Large and irregular stones are used for the foundations, and the more regular ones for the construction of walls. The smaller stones are placed in between the large stones as the linchpin, to provide better stability to the structure.
The wall follows the land inclination and is laid over the foundation. Large stones are placed on the lower courses of the wall and on the exterior side. The stones are placed by hand one over the other, while smaller stones and rubbles are put between them in order to achieve more stability and better positioning; the stones cross both vertically and horizontally in order to avoid the creation of columns which will make the structure less stable. The wall is built lengthwise following the foundations and it reclines inwards; declination from the foundations does not exceed 5%. The back side of the wall is filled-up with more irregular stones which are not suitable to be placed on the front side. The filling connects the wall with the soil and stabilises the structure, and allows the drainage of water that is collected from the terrace and is discharged through the stones of the wall.

Terrace farming of grapes, nut and fruit trees, along with natural (mainly sclerophylous) vegetation constitute the predominant land uses in this area. The total population in the eight mountain communities of Peristerona Watershed has decreased by more than 50% over the past 30 years. The depopulation of mountain communities is associated with the urbanisation trends and the high farming costs which led to the gradual reduction of agricultural activities in the area. These socio-economic attributes form the main constraining factors for soil conservation. Thus, although terraces have a particularly beneficial effect in maintaining the productive capacity of soils in these communities, the significant changes in the socio-economic structure of the agricultural population over the last decades and the high maintenance and labour required, has led farmers to gradually abandon terrace farming. Consequently, many of the mountain terraces are no longer cultivated and dry stone walls are not maintained, causing sometimes a domino effect of collapsing terraces.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• more than 50 years ago (traditional)

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• as part of a traditional system (> 50 years)

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Dry-stone terracing has been practice for centuries in Cyprus and in the study area. The rehabilitation of dry-stone terraces through community-based activities has been introduced in 2015 by the RECARE project case-study team and the local communities.

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Comments:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Soil erosion by water from degraded and collapsing dry-stone terraces.
Loss of productive capacity.
Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Gradual collapse of dry-stone walls.
Root rot and yield failure as a result of water-logging which is linked to poor drainage in terraced fields.

3.3 Further information about land use

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• rainfed

Number of growing seasons per year:

• 1

Specify:

Longest growing period in days: 240, Longest growing period from month to month: Mid March to early November (grapevines)

3.4 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• cross-slope measure

3.5 Spread of the Technology

Specify the spread of the Technology:

• evenly spread over an area

If the Technology is evenly spread over an area, indicate approximate area covered:

• 10-100 km2

Comments:

Total area covered by the SLM Technology is 30.9 m2.
Dry-stone terraces characterise a large part of the landscape in Cyprus, and especially in communities around Troodos Mountains. There is a large variety of dry-stone terraces on the island, according to the morphology of each area and the accessibility to raw materials. The information reported here refer to the mountain communities in Northeast Pitsilia and particularly to the Peristerona watershed upstream communities (RECARE project case-study site).

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

Comments:

Main measures: structural measures

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

Main type of degradation addressed: Wt: loss of topsoil / surface erosion
Secondary types of degradation addressed: Wo: offsite degradation effects
Main causes of degradation: other human induced causes (specify) (Gradual abandonment of mountain agriculture), other natural causes (avalanches, volcanic eruptions, mud flows, highly susceptible natural resources, extreme topography, etc.) specify (Steep mountain terrain)
Secondary causes of degradation: land tenure (Small, fractured agricultural plots), governance / institutional (Lack of institutions for terrace maintenance)

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• prevent land degradation
• restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 Technical specifications/ explanations of technical drawing

(a) The typical terraces found in the study-area are narrow (1-3 m) to medium-base (3-6 m) bench terraces, constructed by cutting and filling in slopes between 20-40%. The height of terraces range between 0.75 to 2 meters, depending on the steepness and the morphology of each slope.

(b) The terraces are supported by walls, whereby stone - typically volcanic rock - is the only construction material without any binding mortar. Large and irregular stones are used for the foundations, while the more regular for the construction of walls. The smaller stones are placed in between the large stones as the linchpin, to provide better stability to the structure. The wall is built lengthwise following the foundations and it reclines inwards; declination from the foundations does not exceed 5%. The back side of the wall is filled-up with more irregular stones which are not suitable to be placed on the front side. The filling connects the wall with the soil and stabilises the structure, and allows the drainage of water that is collected from the terrace and is discharged through the stones of the wall.

Northeast Pitsilia, Nicosia
Technical knowledge required for land users: moderate (To maintain dry-stone wall terraces)
Technical knowledge required for Dry-stone artisans (experts builders): high (To reconstruct collapsed terraces)
Main technical functions: reduction of slope angle, sediment retention / trapping, sediment harvesting
Secondary technical functions: increase of infiltration, increase / maintain water stored in soil
Terrace: bench level
Vertical interval between structures (m): 1-2
Spacing between structures (m): 1-15
Construction material (stone): Natural volcanic rock available on the sites (mostly gabbro & diabase)
Lateral gradient along the structure: 0-8%

4.3 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

other/ national currency (specify):

Euro

Indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (if relevant): 1 USD =:

0.88

4.4 Establishment activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing
1.	Land leveling and foundation	Structural	Early autumn or late spring
2.	Collection and transfer of stones	Structural	Early autumn or late spring
3.	Construction of stone-wall	Structural	Early autumn or late spring

4.5 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Labour		4000.0	45.6	182400.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					182400.0

Comments:

Duration of establishment phase: 83 month(s)

4.6 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing/ frequency
1.	Repairing collapsed walls	Structural	Early autumn (before onset of rains), only on collapsed walls

4.7 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Labour		200.0	9.12	1824.0	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					1824.0

Comments:

Machinery/ tools: Wedge, hammer, pick, hoe and bucket are the typical tools used for by stone builders for the construction and maintenance of dry-stone terraces.
The costs estimates are averages and were calculated for the length of terrace structures, i.e. per running meter of terrace walls. The average height of dry-stone walls is 1.5 meter and it takes approximately 5 hours/meter for a builder to fully construct it. This includes 1 hour/meter for land levelling and foundation, 1 hour/meter for the collection and transfer of the necessary stones and 3 hours/meter for building the wall. Stones are abundant in the area; builders do not charge for the stones but for the time required to collect and transfer. Also, each builder has its own tools (i.e. wedge, hammer, pick, hoe and bucket). Terrace builders charge 8 €/hour (or 9.12 $/hour). On average, there are approximately 4000 running meters of terrace walls per hectare. The above information is used to convert the construction cost per hectare.
Maintenance activities include reconstruction of the terrace walls, only in case of collapsing. The reconstruction takes 1 hour/meter. For the annual maintenance estimates, it is assumed that 200 out of 4000 meters of terrace walls per hectare (or 5%) will require maintenance. In other words, a newly constructed wall will be maintained once every 20 years, on average.

4.8 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

The principal input cost for the construction and maintenance of terraces is manual labour. There are only few dry-stone builders in the area.

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• not relevant

5.3 Soils

5.4 Water availability and quality

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

Land users applying the Technology are mainly common / average land users
Population density: 10-50 persons/km2
Annual population growth: negative; 4%
100% of the land users are average wealthy.
Off-farm income specification: Farming is a part-time activity for most land users in the area.

5.7 Average area of land owned or leased by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• individual, titled

Land use rights:

• individual

Comments:

Agricultural land is privately owned

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Water availability and quality

Income and costs

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Water cycle/ runoff

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

Climate and disaster risk reduction

Other ecological impacts

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change

	Season	Type of climatic change/ extreme	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual temperature		increase	well

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
local rainstorm	not well
local windstorm	not known

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
drought	well

Hydrological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
general (river) flood	not well

Other climate-related consequences

Other climate-related consequences

	How does the Technology cope with it?
reduced growing period	well

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• more than 50%

If available, quantify (no. of households and/ or area covered):

90% of the land user families and 8% of the stated area

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many have did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 10-50%

Comments:

10% of land user families have adopted the Technology without any external material support
90% of land user families have adopted the Technology with external material support
Comments on acceptance with external material support: The majority of existing terraces in the area were subsidized.
There is a little trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology
Comments on adoption trend: There are very few farmers that maintain existing terraces or construct new ones.

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Indigenous technology of great agro-ecological value, adapted to local conditions.
Soil maintained on steep mountain slopes, thus reducing soil loss due to water erosion.
Terraces maintain the productive capacity of soils on steep slopes.
Water retention and longer storage of soil moisture, thus improving water use efficiency.
Terraces are part of cultural landscapes and heritage

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Maintenance of dry-stone wall terraces is costly and labour intensive.	Promote community-based terrace maintenance and utilise available community/subsidy funds for small cash compensation to terrace experts.
Terrace maintenance requires expert knowledge.	Motivate the younger generation to engage in part-time terrace farming.
Aging of the dry-stone experts.	Train young land users/owners on dry-stone terracing.
Technology does not lend itself to mechanisation.	Not possible to overcome.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

FAO, 2000. Manual on integrated soil management and conservation practices. FAO Land and Water Bulletin 8, Rome, Italy: 230 pp.TPH, 2007. Dry stone constructions of Cyprus. PIO, Nicosia.