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

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1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

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

Supporting local initiatives and building local capacity for the rehabilitation of degraded communal land in the middle mountains of Nepal.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

Aims / objectives: The main aim of the People and Resource Dynamics Project's (PARDYP) land rehabilitation activities were to help watershed residents, local groups, and line agencies understand the key issues and to test options for the improved management of water, land, and forests in a participatory way. In Dhotra VDC (Kavrepalanchok district) a local youth club (Ekantabasti Youth Club) had been trying to rehabilitate a 2.5 ha area of degraded communal land since May 2004. The club approached PARDYP for technical assistance. The area had been degraded by overgrazing with two big gullies formed and small landslips along the gullies affecting a trail and the adjoining agricultural land. An unsuccessful attempt had been made to plant the area eight years previously. It had failed due to the difficulty of retaining soil moisture in the area's compacted red soils. A series of meetings were organised to plan future activities, to ensure community participation, and to share responsibilities among local users and PARDYP. The community was committed to rehabilitating the area and took the responsibility for planting, protection, and overall management of the planted species. PARDYP provided planting materials and technical help. A needs assessment with the local people identified the most useful tree species. They entrusted the selection of appropriate grass and hedgerow species to the project's expertise. Project staff arrange for planting materials and logistical support, and showed villagers how to make eyebrow pits, plant hedgerows, and plug gullies. About 450 villagers participated in the rehabilitation activities with women contributing more than half of the labour. They worked four hours a day for 16 mornings.

Methods: A five-women strong user committee was formed to manage and protect the planted species and a five-man strong task force was set up to maintain regular links and coordination between the user committee, the youth club, and the villagers. The coordination committee, with guidance from the youth club, was responsible for facilitating and coordinating all the second season rehabilitation work in 2005.

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

• project/ programme based

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The Approach focused on SLM only

- To demonstrate appropriate technologies for rehabilitating degraded land and evaluating their effectiveness. - To provide training on soil and water conservation (SWC) technologies for effectively implementing the rehabilitation activities and to build the capacity of the local community to carry out the work. - To organise and mobilise a local community for implementing, protecting and managing the planted areas and the physical structures

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: - Lack of awareness about low cost soil and water conservation technologies that address farmers' needs. - Weak institutional collaboration for developing and implementing technologies

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	Local youth club approached PARDYP for technical help during a meeting.
planning	interactive	Public meetings organised to share responsibilities. Land users took responsibility for land preparation, planting, protection, grazing control, and overall management of planted species. Men and women performed planned activities together. Construction of eyebrow pits done mostly by men. Filling o
implementation	self-mobilization	Self-mobilised group under leadership of youth club implemented the activities; technical guidance during implementing period provided by project
monitoring/ evaluation	interactive	Survival of planted species, effect of eyebrow pits, performance of species and check dams were monitored/observed. Results shared in public meetings and reported to the project
Research	none

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

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

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:

• mainly SLM specialists, following consultation with land users

Explain:

A local youth club (Ekantabasti youth club) has initiated rehabilitation activities on the degraded communal land since May 2004. The youth club approached PARDYP for the technical assistance.

Decisions on the method of implementing the SLM Technology were made by mainly by land users supported by SLM specialists. Villagers took the responsibility for planting, protecting, and overall management of the planted species. PARDYP arranged planting materials and technical support

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:

• land users

Form of training:

• demonstration areas

Subjects covered:

On-site training sessions were organised for establishing the eyebrow pits, contour hedgerows, gully treatments, and check dams and their maintenance.

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Yes

Specify whether advisory service is provided:

• on land users' fields

Describe/ comments:

Name of method used for advisory service: Rehabilitation of degraded land thorough demonstration and training; Key elements: On site training, Demonstration, Exchange visits and public meetings; After implementing the technology, a number of exchange and interaction, audio visual presentation, and monitoring programmes were carried out as a scaling up strategy.

Advisory service is quite adequate to ensure the continuation of land conservation activities; Trained human resources can continue the activities.

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:

Technical training was provided to local youth club.

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

Comments:

bio-physical aspects were ad hoc monitored through observations; indicators: soil type and texture

technical aspects were regular monitored through measurements; indicators: performance of planted species and their survival rates

socio-cultural aspects were ad hoc monitored through observations; indicators: preferred tree species and closing the area for grazing

economic / production aspects were ad hoc monitored through observations; indicators: seed and grass production

no. of land users involved aspects were ad hoc monitored through observations; indicators: participation in maintaining planted species and structures

There were no changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: The users increased the size of the eyebrow pits and dug new pits and extended the hedgerow lines to fill in gaps; but the overall approach was not changed.

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

Specify topics:

• technology

Give further details and indicate who did the research:

Research was not a major focus of the approach although the performance and survival rates of planted species, and performance of eyebrow pits and connecting drainage trenches were regularly observed.

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: international (SDC, IDRC, ICIMOD): 90.0%; local community / land user(s) (materials and tools for training): 10.0%

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• agricultural

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

• voluntary

Comments:

Land users involvement was fully voluntary, they worked together in a cooperative spirit to improve their common degraded land.

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)?

• uncertain

If no or uncertain, specify and comment:

Land users planned to upscale the technology and its related approach to rehabilitate the degraded areas of their community forest but it hasn't happened yet.

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Suitable technologies were shared and valuable knowledge given during the rehabilitation work (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue this incorporating new ideas)
Community institution strengthened, and some money (US$ 17) raised by selling grasses and grass seed within two years of rehabilitation. Money used for social activities (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: As above)

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Site visits and focus group discussion meetings were effective for disseminating and scaling up the approach (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue these initiatives on a regular basis to strengthen land users??? involvement in SLM activities)
Among total participants, women's participation was higher. User committee was made up of just women (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue this)
The local youth club played a key role in rehabilitation activities - a key factor for sustainability and continuity (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: More local institutions should be identified and involved.)
This is a bottom-up approach with the rehabilitation activities purely demand driven. Farmers' priorities for tree species to be planted were identified in a participatory way (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Continue by including new priorities)

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?
Research was not a main focus of the activity, and not enough options were explored.	Explore and test more options

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Collaboration with government line agencies was lacking	Rehabilitation work should be carried out involving all main stakeholders

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

ICIMOD (2007) Good Practices in Watershed Management, Lessons Learned in the Mid Hills of Nepal. Kathmandu: ICIMOD

Available from where? Costs?

ICOMOD