Participatory Land Use Planning and SLM Impact Assessment For PALM Project

Training purpose  Create awareness about participatory land-use planning and that it can be used as a tool to address land degradation and promote sustainable land management (SLM)  Clarify the steps in the land-use planning process  Test Indicator Framework for SLM Impact Assessment (i.e. impact of micro-projects)  Identify context specific indicators to populate the indicator framework and their measurement methodologies.  Initiate the M&E of the impacts of microprojects and identify projects and SLM practices that can be upscaled using the village land-use plans and the regional strategy

Steps in participatory land-use planning 1.Produce a map of land-use and vegetation types 2.Identify land degradation problems in different land-use and vegetation types using the PALM LADA Manual 3.Synthesize the information and identify possible response measures based on best practices identified by e.g. WOCAT, Micro-projects, etc.

Why is impact assessment needed?  Effective monitoring is an important part of the project cycle. It allows planners and communities to assess progress with respect to project implementation and in terms of project impacts (eg. environmental, social, and economic outcomes).  Impact monitoring methods need to be cost effective and simple.  The measurements at project level are primarily based on field assessments, participatory methods and interviews and group discussions and/or expert knowledge.

SLM Impact Assessment for PALM  Need to develop a monitoring framework that links the monitoring of Global Environmental Benefits (GEBs) and socio-economic benefits of SLM in different land-use types, taking into consideration local National, and regional level.  Need to identify: indicators and measurement methodologies that can be used for the different micro-projects. (See Guidelines)

Examples of indicators  Pastures: Soil erosion Land cover Land use (area under improved grazing practices) Land productivity Biodiversity Soil carbon

Assignment  Divide into 3 groups: Pasture group with pasture management experts Agriculture group with agricultural experts Forest group with forest management experts  Each group to go through proposed indicators for the land-use system they have been assigned (see Table) and identify what can be measured and how it will be measured in the micro-projects.  Identify the minimum set of indicators needed for each land-use type (at least two)  Each group to give brief presentation before lunch and provide written comments to me and Nevelina before leaving.  Visit to micro-projects in the afternoon to discuss indicators in the field.