Social Aspects of Sustainable Dryland Management

Download or read book Social Aspects of Sustainable Dryland Management written by Daniel Stiles and published by . This book was released on 1995-06-20 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With dryland areas accommodating approximately one billion people in over a hundred countries, there is obviously a problem of increased stress being placed on the natural resources of these areas, which ultimately contributes to overall land degradation. Coupled with this, many developing countries, particularly in Africa, are showing a fall in agricultural production per capita, with people migrating away from dryland areas; such relocation to marginal lands and forests or to already over-populated cities further enhances global land degradation. With this in mind, Social Aspects of Sustainable Dryland Management attempts to address the overall problem of land degradation and provides ways in which dryland productivity and viability can be increased and managed for future years. The volume bases its results on case studies and field research projects, and encourages a greater involvement of the local population in developing methods of management of their own natural resources. This volume therefore embodies a concept of development far beyond conventional methods. It aims to show that land management must develop around the priorities, needs and objectives of the people concerned and emphasises the need to involve local people in solving the problems of resource degradation, so that future research and modern technologies can be developed with their participation. Above all, it seeks to recognise the value of indigenous knowledge in sustainable development, so that such knowledge systems can become the starting point from which to plan management strategies and new technological adaptations.