UNCCD 2nd Scientific Conference

1. The effect of intense soil erosion
event on farmer and
stakeholder’s perception of
sustainable land management in
Harod valley, Israel
E. Argaman*, B. Yaacoby&
* Soil Erosion Research Station, Soil Conservation & Drainage
Division, Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development. Israel
& Soil conservation unit, Valley region, Ministry of
Agriculture & Rural Development. Israel

2. Background
The problem: Creeping Land Degradation
Aerial view of Ezekiel valley (Mar. 2007)
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3. Location
Shunem
Jezreel
Megiddo
Betshean
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4. Study area
Shunem
Jezreel
Beth Shean
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6. Outcomes
The total eroded
material, of Oct.
2006 rainstorm,
was estimated at
600,000 m3 from
120 km2
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7. Shunem
Mt. Gilboa
Bet Shean

8. Shunem

9. Conventional
tillage
No-tillage
Erosion
[mm]

10. Land degradation
Identify the problem
Soil erosion
event
Workshops & Field
Raising public excursions
awareness
Construct Training courses
implementation
process Subsidies of SLM
approaches
Initiate Policy
implementation
process
Treaty
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11. Implementation process
Measurable & Visible results
• Appraiser estimations showed that fields under
SLM practice resulted with a minor impact of soil
erosion - down to 90% reduction comparing
conventional tillage.
• Infiltration rates in SLM interface areas were
significantly higher comparing conventional
tillage.
• Aggregate stability in SLM areas that treated at
minimum-tillage with organic manure and
compost was significantly high comparing
conventional tillage.
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12. Measurable & Visible results – graphic view
USDA:
1.8 1: clay
2: silty clay
3: silty clay loam
4: sandy clay
23/03/2007 11/04/2007 TBD 100 0
5: sandy clay loam
1.6 6: clay loam
7: silt
8: silt loam
90 10 9: loam
1.4 January 10: sand
Dry Biomass [kg/sqm]
11: loamy sand
December
August 80 20
12: sandy loam
1.2 2008
2005
2007 70 30
2 9 6
6
1 60
1 1 5 87
10
4
10 1
8
8 7
7 40
4 5
9 6 5
2 1
0.8
2 10
4
clay 50 50 silt
11 3
3 11 2
11
9 3
4
0.6 40 60
6 3
30 70
0.4 5
20 80
9
0.2 8
10 12 90
0 10
11 7
No-Tillage Tillage
0 100
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
sand
SWC at 12/03/2007
SWC [%]
15 20 25 30 35
0-10
Soil depth [cm]
10-30
Tillage
No-Tillage
30-45
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13. Policy construction
In order to avoid further land degradation, due to inappropriate
interface, 2 routes of recommendations were taken:
1. Implementation of enhanced SLM interface that include the
following phases:
I. Constructing, with farmers, a mutual workplan where a long-term
treaty was signed, among all partners who were whiling to join this
action, based on watershed management plan.
II. Building of regional steering committee that will guide and direct the
necessary stages toward SLM.
III. Development of subsidizing tools, as well as compensation and
penalties, to urge SLM actions toward the desired route.
IV. Construction of SLM guidance system that provide farmers and
stakeholders enhanced tools and supervision when and where SLM
actions are taken.
2. Support and partially subsidize farmers who are whiling to initiate
SLM acts.
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14. Conclusions
• Demonstration of an extreme soil erosion event and its impact on the
environment led to rising awareness of SLM.
• Following all implementation actions, additional farmers had exposed to
this approach and nowadays, the Valley region is promoting SLM over
additional regions of the country.
• Promoting agro-technical practices were found effective, at the threshold
of 80% subsidize, while farmers are obliged by the signed treaty.
• Encouraging farmers to take agronomical conservation actions as cover
crops, monitoring grazing pressure etc. showed that runoff and erosion
impact reduced significantly.
• However, although SLM was found effective, we have other difficulties:
• SLM is multi-disciplinary approach thus make it difficult to
implement.
• financing SLM actions is a limiting factor, while the demand for
subsidize increases; lacking of SLM standardization.
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