Participatory rehabilitation of dry-stone terraces (Christos Zoumides)
Aims / objectives: The main objective of the approach is the restoration and rehabilitation of traditional dry-stone terraces in Mediterranean mountain environments. Large areas around mountain communities have been converted to agricultural terraces. The depopulation of these rural mountain communities and the high farming costs have led to the gradual reduction of farming activities. Consequently, many of the mountain terraces are no longer cultivated and dry-stone walls are not well maintained, causing a domino effect of collapsing terraces. Soil erosion by water has been identified as the main soil threat in degraded and poorly vegetated terraces.
The approach has been developed by the Cyprus Institute research team and aims at motivating the mountain communities, land users/owners, local institutions and other interested stakeholders to better organise themselves and collaborate and join forces in maintaining these terraces.
Methods: The approach is based on participatory principles. More precisely, the science-society cooperation approach is materialised through the organization of practical (hands-on) public events, where dry-stone experts guide the participants, land users/owners, local population, expats (families that have moved to the urban areas) and scientific stakeholders, in collectively maintaining collapsed and/or poorly maintained terraces. All parties engaged in the implementation of the approach on voluntary basis.
Stages of implementation: A pool of local and external stakeholders was prepared by the research team using snowball sampling. Key stakeholders identified include community leaders, land users/owners, dry-stone experts, local institutions, agricultural extension services and farmer unions.
Leaders of the three mountain communities agreed to co-organise with the research team one participatory terrace rehabilitation event in each community. Land users/owners, expats and other interested stakeholders (general public) were identified as the main target groups of these events. Each community identified dry-stone experts that were willing to work and lead the workshops on voluntary basis. Demonstration sites were selected by the research team, the community leaders and dry-stone experts, based on the extent of terrace degradation, accessibility/visibility of the site and feasibility criteria. Farmer unions and extension service officers were also engaged in the process. The events were advertised through social media, as well as with flyers and posters in central locations within the communities.
During the events, information was provided by researchers and dry-stone experts to raise the awareness of participants on the environmental and cultural importance of dry-stone terraces. In addition, the learning-by-doing process was guided by experts who explained to the participants the best practices in reconstructing the collapsed terraced walls.
Three public events were organized in the first year and a similar set of three events will be organized in the second year. Additional funds are being sought to continue these activities. The sustainability of communal terrace maintenance will also be discussed with the community leaders and active volunteers during the second year.
Role of stakeholders: The research team conceptualised the approach. The organisation tasks for the participatory rehabilitation events were shared among the research team and the local communities. Expats (families that have moved to the urban areas) associations and farmer unions informed their members to join the events. Dry-stone experts had the leading role during the events, as the reconstruction of collapsed terrace walls was based on their guidance. Extension service officers provided information on available subsidy schemes. During the events all stakeholders, including land users/owners and other interested people, worked together to maintain the terraces.
Other important information: The events attracted people beyond the stakeholders originally identified; the approach was adopted by other projects/communities in Cyprus.
Location: Northeast Pitsilia, Nicosia, Cyprus
Initiation date: 2015
Year of termination: 2018
Type of Approach
| What stakeholders / implementing bodies were involved in the Approach? | Specify stakeholders | Describe roles of stakeholders |
| local land users/ local communities | Land users including terrace artisans | Land users were involved as individuals. Representatives of farmers unions were engaged in the process |
| researchers | The Cyprus Institute (research institution) | Terrace experts, researchers and extension services |
| private sector | The Cyprus Institute (research institution) | |
| local government | Local community councils | |
| national government (planners, decision-makers) | ||
| international organization | ||
| People (volunteers) that attended the hands-on events | Participants of the event (mountain communities, interested stakeholders) |
The research team identified key stakeholders using snowball sampling; these include community leaders, dry-stone experts, local institutions, agricultural extension services and farmer unions. Community leaders agreed to co-organise with the research team community-based terrace rehabilitation events; land users/owners, mountain communities and other interested stakeholders (general public) were identified as the main target groups of these participatory events. Dry-stone experts had the leading role during the events, as the reconstruction of collapsed terrace walls was based on their guidance. During the events all stakeholders, including land users/owners and other interested people, worked together to maintain the terraces. In addition, information was provided by researchers to raise the awareness of participants on the environmental and cultural importance of dry-stone terraces.
Decisions were taken by
Decisions were made based on
How dry-stone terraces are restored and maintained (technique) and their importance in reducing soil erosion in mountain slopes (awareness).
By researchers: Monitoring and modelling soil erosion (PESERA model), monitoring the stability of dry-stone terrace walls (3D model) and participatory research.
Research was carried out on-farm
Well maintained terraces improve drainage and minimise soil loss.
No socially and economically disadvantaged groups were identified.
Property rights was not an issue for the implementation of the approach. The problem is unlikely to be overcome in the near future. Property rights are not expected to become an issue for the implementation of the approach; stakeholders have been collaborating without raising such concerns.
The approach has been adopted by another project in Cyprus (Local Development Pilot Project for the Wine-villages of Limassol – LDPP); many participants express their interest in organizing similar events in other communities in Cyprus.
Local communities can potentially organise better themselves and with the collaboration of land users/owners and SLM experts, they can organise such community-based conservation events on an annual basis. Thus the approach can eventually be sustained without scientific (external) support.
