Sustainable Land Management - Research

Central Asia consists of five "transition" economies (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) and covers 393 M hectares, of which drylands occupy about two thirds. Sustainable land management, therefore, must be developed in a triangle of extreme rainfall variability, heat and cold stresses exacerbated by global warming, the problems of sociopolitical and economical transition from the former Soviet Union, and ever growing populations. Natural resources in the region have been degrading as a result of the high emphasis put on production instead of production efficiency. The transition in agriculture, after independence, from the central command system to market-driven mechanisms has also been painful and new farmers often lack knowledge, skills, or capital; and face shrinking and usually insufficient agricultural infrastructure. Water resources are scarce and being wasted, 40-60% of the land have become salinized. Drylands in Central Asia are predominantly used as rangelands for grazing of cattle and goats. Forests cover 4%, and arable lands 8% (one third of which is irrigated, the rest is rainfed). Major crops grown are cotton, wheat, maize, sunflower, potato and rice, often as mono-cultures on large areas.

SLM is a knowledge-based process that integrates land, water, and biodiversity through better land management and that responds to increasing demands for food and fibre while sustaining ecosystem services and livelihoods. The adoption of SLM strategies and programs needs to be supported by research on land use at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The SLMR program takes into consideration the requirement for broad stakeholder involvement and the need to ensure that some benefits accrue to participants quickly, within one growing season, while addressing long-term issues, such as soil erosion or loss of soil fertility. It also take into account the numerous ongoing research programs whose results are often difficult to obtain and to adapt to practical use.

SLM requires the maintenance of a protective biological surface cover (living plants or mulches) on a 'good' soil structure to allow gas, water and nutrient exchanges between soils and plants, and of adequate levels of soil organic matter and their soil-inhabiting organisms as these fulfill many ecological functions. To be effective, "these mainly biophysical perspectives need to be combined with socio-ecological perspectives whereby the driving forces behind land use decision making are clearly understood in terms of the socio-economic context, including livelihoods and markets for products, and the asset base of the land users. This research framework puts sustainable land management (SLM) at the center stage and introduces SLM principles that aim at increasing agricultural productivity ("produce more at less cost"), enhancing sustainability, raising the quality of the environment and natural resources, and increasing biodiversity. This strategy reflects our strong conviction that moving towards reduced- and no-tillage conservation agriculture will have profound positive impact on land management. Resource conserving technologies (RCTs) help produce more at less cost (save labor, fuel/energy, water, and other inputs, and preserve a clean environment), and provide a platform for diversification and intensification of the production systems. Initial results from adoption of RCTs in the region have been very encouraging.