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

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (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 Approach (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:

Yes

1.4 Reference(s) to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Technologies

2.1 Short description of the Approach

Maintenance and rehabilitation of traditional dry-stone terrace walls for agricultural use, through science-society cooperation, community engagement and motivation, and assistance to land users.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

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.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• Recent local initiative in the framework of the RECARE research project

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The Approach focused mainly on SLM with other activities (terrace maintenance, hands-on training, community conservation, participatory approach, stakeholder engagement, awareness-raising)

• To strengthen science-society cooperation in solving land degradation issues in terraced mountain environments.
• To build capacity for planning, organisation and implementation of participatory soil conservation activities, eventually leading to sustainable local institutions that maintain traditional know-how and specialised in terrace maintenance.
• To improve joint learning activities between farmers, terrace experts and interested stakeholders.
• To rehabilitate abandoned and collapsed terraces, reduce soil erosion and maintain the production capacity of soils in Troodos Mountains.

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: • Collapsing of dry-stone walls, surface run-off and loss of soil (erosion) in sloping land that has been accumulated behind the terrace walls
• Depopulation of mountain rural communities and land abandonment
• Loss of indigenous knowledge
• Weak institutional organisation and limited incentives (low economic returns) for terrace maintenance

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	interactive	Jointly developed by The Cyprus Institute (research institution) and local community leaders
planning	interactive	Jointly developed by a research institution, terrace artisans and local community leaders
implementation	interactive	Jointly implemented by all stakeholders involved
monitoring/ evaluation	none	Monitoring and evaluation of the approach and the restored terraces is undertaken by The Cyprus Institute scientists
Research	none

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Were decisions on the selection of the Technology(ies) made:

• by SLM specialists (researchers) in collaboration

Explain:

The construction and maintenance of dry-stone terrace walls is an indigenous technology which is applied by land users and terrace artisans (dry-stone wall expert builders) that have the required skills and technical know-how. The initiative was taken by SLM specialists who are concerned about the land degradation and abandonment in mountain terrace areas.

Decisions on the method of implementing the SLM Technology were made by mainly by SLM specialists with consultation of land users. The implementation stage of terrace maintenance is led by terrace experts, who have the required know-how. During the hands-on events, they explain the appropriate techniques; land-users and participants of the events help the experts in maintaining and re-constructing the collapsed dry-stone walls and therefore learn from direct experience.

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:

• land users

• Participants of the events

If relevant, specify gender, age, status, ethnicity, etc.

Both men and women of all ages.

Form of training:

• demonstration areas

Subjects covered:

How dry-stone terraces are restored and maintained (technique) and their importance in reducing soil erosion in mountain slopes (awareness).

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Yes

Specify whether advisory service is provided:

• at permanent centres

Describe/ comments:

Name of method used for advisory service: Demonstration of terrace maintenance by experts; participation of land users and the general public; Key elements: Selection and preparation of collapsed terraces to be restored (terrace experts, researchers, community leaders), Demonstration and hands-on terrace maintenance workshops with the participation of land users and the general public; good and bad practices explained.; One agricultural extension service officer participated in these events, discussed the method with land users and SLM experts and provided information on available subsidies.

Advisory service is inadequate to ensure the continuation of land conservation activities; Extension services provide general directions on terrace maintenance and available subsidy schemes to interested land users; they are not sufficiently trained in dry-stone wall construction and they have insufficient human and financial resources.

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• yes, moderately

Specify the level(s) at which institutions have been strengthened or established:

• local

Specify type of support:

• capacity building/ training

Give further details:

One of the aims of the approach is to develop sustainable local institutions for terrace maintenance; this will be discussed with the community leaders and active volunteers during the second year.

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

Comments:

bio-physical aspects were regular monitored by project staff through measurements; indicators: Erosion rate (Sediment Traps)

technical aspects were regular monitored by project staff through measurements; indicators: Terrace wall displacement (3D terrace model)

no. of land users involved aspects were ad hoc monitored by project staff through measurements; indicators: No. of land users (attendance list)

Number of non-land users involved aspects were ad hoc monitored by project staff through measurements; indicators: Number of non-land users involved

There were no changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: Monitoring is at its early stage.

There were no changes in the Technology as a result of monitoring and evaluation: Dry-stone terracing is a well-established indigenous technology for the mountain communities; the technical know-how however is gradually disappearing due to rural depopulation and land abandonment.

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

Specify topics:

• technology

• Monitoring/modelling erosion, particip. research

Give further details and indicate who did the research:

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

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• < 2,000

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

Approach costs were met by the following donors: private sector (Cost for snacks and drinks offered to the event’s participants): 50.0%; local government (district, county, municipality, village etc) (Cost for preparing the site for restoration, stones.): 50.0%

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

No

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• none

If labour by land users was a substantial input, was it:

• voluntary

Comments:

Lunch-snacks, drinks and caps are provided to participants – small gifts are given to experts for their contribution.

Community members prepared the demo sites and used their own tools, local communities supplied extra stones when needed free of charge – all participants were engaged on voluntary basis.

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

No

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• yes

If yes, describe how:

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.

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Participation of people reduced the workload required to maintain terraces. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: More frequent events are welcomed.)
Community based conservation activities have contributed to better institutional organisation. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Engage more local stakeholders in future events.)

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Community conservation was insofar successful in maintaining selected demonstration sites. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Maintain the interest of stakeholders by organising similar events on an annual basis.)
Capacity building activities increase the participation of stakeholders. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue the approach for further engagement.)

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Mountain farming is less cost-effective than in the plains.	Motivate the younger generation to engage in part-time farming.
The approach cannot be implemented on bigger scale without economic incentives.	Utilise available community/subsidy funds for small cash compensation to experts.
Small holdings and land fragmentation are constraints for cost-effective agriculture.	Reconsideration of land consolidation schemes.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Aging of the dry-stone experts.	Train young land users/owners on dry-stone terracing.
The community leaders tend to be more conservative than the SLM experts.	Gradually convince them to think bigger.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information