Measuring and Assessing Desertification Processes

MOUAT, DAVID, ELENA M. ABRAHAM, AND DOUGLAS PATTIE

Denver, Colorado, September 20 - 24

Simposio; Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium; 2004

Monitoring Science and Technology, Denver, Colorado

Resumen Assessment as applied to drought and desertification is understood to be a quantitative and/or qualitative physical, socio-economic, and/or biological characterization of various aspects of drought and desertification occurring at various space and time scales. The assessment of drought and desertification can provide a methodological framework for developing guidelines for countermeasures to be used when past and present conditions pass a threshold, beyond which environmental fluctuations cause serious damage to ecosystems. The negative impacts on human use systems occurs at global to community scales and fluctuates from seasonal to decadal time scales, and from local to global spatial scales. This paper examines the development of   benchmarks and indicators for integrated desertification monitoring and assessment using case studies associated with UNCCD Thematic Programme Networks. Establishment of modeling for assessment at the national and local levels depends on solving difficult problems such as occur in the collection and analysis of data caused by the low economic and technological levels in developing countries.   The most critical element in the assessment is linking the understanding of the problems and processes with action at various governmental levels to achieve success at appropriate levels.   Conclusions indicate the need to (i) broaden the state of knowledge regarding desertification across various regions; (ii) develop of a set of common benchmarks and indicators for monitoring and assessment; (iii) apply and validate models applicable for the assessment of land degradation in a biophysical and socio-economic context, and (iv) evaluate the effectiveness of implementation.  Establishment of drought assessment at national and local levels is constrained by low economic and technological levels.  The more local the target scale becomes, the more important it is to integrate natural and societal factors, which are distinctly different from those at a global scale.   Recommendations include the use of an appropriate baseline year and trend analysis of the indicators of pressure, state, impact and implementation in connection with the baseline year.  Trend data should be collected intensively, and stations for monitoring indicators should be established.  Modeling for drought assessment at global and regional levels should move toward holistic assessments by incorporating socio-economic factors and population conditions as well as political and (religious) conditions. The development of suitable indicators for the local level should be developed.     Key words: benchmarks, effective indicators, desertification, land degradation, poverty, declining productivity, multiscale