Assessing sustainable land management (SLM)

The term ‘sustainable development’ and its component ‘sustainable land management (SLM)’ have been receiving increasing attention in development co-operation and at the global level. However, practical tools which can help local users and multi-disciplinary teams to work together and apply these general concepts at the local to regional levels have emerged only very recently. Some of these tools, as well as programme support services are presented in this paper. The author argues that only a comprehensive, participatory approach involving stakeholders at all levels will have the potential to develop locally useful solutions within a favourable, i.e. ‘enabling’ institutional environment. Assessment tools will require transdisciplinary methods that involve natural, social, and political sciences as well as local knowledge systems. Support services for SLM activities will have to include monitoring and impact assessment, experimentation with innovative ideas, resource assessment, information, and training. Examples from different parts of the globe have shown that the proposed tools are now receiving greater attention and may fulfil the requirements set forth by the concept of SLM. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.