Assessing sustainable land management (SLM)

The term 'sustainable development' and its component 'sustainable land mana gement(SLM)' have been receiving increasing attention in development co-ope ration and at the global level. However, practical tools which can help loc al users and multi-disciplinary teams to work together and apply these gene ral concepts at the local to regional levels have emerged only very recentl y. 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 de velop locally useful solutions within a favourable, i.e. 'enabling' institu tional environment. Assessment tools will require transdisciplinary methods that involve natural, social, and political sciences as well as local know ledge systems. Support services for SLM activities will have to include mon itoring and impact assessment, experimentation with innovative ideas, resou rce assessment, information, and training. Examples from different parts of the globe have shown that the proposed tools are now receiving greater att ention and may fulfil the requirements set forth by the concept of SLM. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.