Innovative Soil and Water Conservation Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture
Searching for solutions
Soil and water conservation technologies and approaches are critical factors toward the sustainable use of the natural resource base for agriculture in Asia. It is estimated that about 80% of all available water supply in the region is mainly used for irrigation. Increasing withdrawals of water for food production is one of the main causes of water scarcity, which several countries are facing today. Meanwhile, soil erosion continuously places many parts of the world in a critical situation. Estimates show that about 35% of the earth's total land surface is significantly degraded. Low crop productivity is also traced to low soil fertility levels.
Effectively applying scientific solutions to preserve and conserve the natural resource base for agriculture requires strategies that cut across social, environmental and political boundaries. Moreover, innovative techniques or solutions must be extended to create learning and sharing environments, and to improve the transfer of scientific and technological advancement to the users.
Against this backdrop, FFTC sponsored the international workshop on Newly Developed Innovative Technologies for Soil and Water Conservation held in Suwon, Korea on 30 May - 03 June 2005. The activity aimed to provide a forum to discuss recent developments and experiences in the application of innovative techniques on soil and water conservation, especially in consideration of the environmental condition and culture in the Asian region.
Scientific and Technological Solutions Beneficial to Small-Scale Farmers
Conservation and sustainable utilization of soil and water are essential in safeguarding agricultural food production in Asia, as well as in improving the economic conditions of small-scale farmers in the region.
Under the principle of sustainable agriculture, farming must not in any way contribute to the degradation of the environment, particularly of soil and water resources. To enable small-scale farmers to contribute to the development of a sustainable agricultural environment in the region, conservation technologies should be easily accessible, available, low-cost and simple to apply. In developing countries, efforts must be geared toward technologies that can help alleviate the plight of the resource-poor upland and lowland farmers, whose desire to earn a better living for the household often outweighs the need to conserve resources.
Exchange and Sharing of Scientific Information
Technological interests in conserving soil and water resources among the participating countries in the workshop differ significanlty, due primarily to differences in the geographical and meteorological conditions, and the stage of economic development in each country. There may not be a unique interest and solution which is applicable to all nations.
However, in better managing soil and water resources for agriculture, each country has much to gain in engaging in mutually benefiting collaborative projects with other countries, where exchanges of knowledge, technologies and information could be effected. In addition, environmental problems of global extent such as eutrophication and global warming could be jointly addressed and resources could be pooled together to lessen the transaction costs of development.
The demand for innovative technologies is increasing parallel to meeting the food demand of the growing population, in relation to meeting the requirements of controlling soil erosion, maximizing the ability of water supply, and developing sustainable farming systems in different conditions.
Toward this end, the use of advanced information technologies such as the GIS is now becoming a necessity. The system can provide information for soil management, fertilization, crop selection and land use recommendations according to soil physicochemical properties, among others. This, as well as a sound database on many aspects of soil and water conservation for proper decision-making and responsive planning, should be a long-term target in any country.
Policy Initiatives
Other recommendations during the workshop focus on the need for policy initiatives, particularly in improving water management, such as quantification of environmental impacts of water use in paddy field, water pricing for agricultural use, and other institutional and development aspects. With water and soil resources becoming more and more limited, new policies for agriculture, new institutions, technologies and better management options will be needed to sustain agricultural production.
In other countries, participatory integrated approaches, such as socio-economic and extension programs involving nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), are contributing to the conservation of soil and water resources in farming villages. Community participation through meetings, consultations, regular reporting, socioeconomic surveys, and well-defined rules and regulations enhanced adoption of soil and water conservation measures. Technology promotion, as well as continuous capacity building through various information, education and communication media and strategies were also found effective in sustaining community participation and farmers' involvement in soil and water conservation projects.
Systematic Management Approach
Finally, it is fundamental to set up a systematic management approach for soil and water conservation in each country. This approach must be able to integrate technological innovations with policy initiatives and interdisciplinary, socioeconomic and participatory approaches to sustain the natural resource base for agriculture, particularly soil and water. This, in effect, will lead to enhanced food production, while improving the overall sustainability of rural livelihoods and economies.
Index of Images
Figure 1 Participants Visit the Lysimeter Facilities of the National Institute for Agricultural Science and Technology (Niast), Rda, Korea.
