Documenting Field Knowledge for Better Land Management Decisions Experiences with WOCAT tools in local, national and global programs

摘要

Ten years ago, during the ISCO Conference in Sydney in 1992, a global network of Soil and Water Conservation specialists called the "World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies" (WOCAT) was initiated. WOCAT has developed tools to document, monitor and evaluate SWC know-how and disseminate it around the globe in order to facilitate exchange of experience. The present paper reviews some of WOCAT's strengths and weaknesses and shows the way forward. The WOCAT network has a well-established decentralized structure, and depends heavily on institutional as well as individual commitments. The methods, tools and outputs set global standards and fill a gap in documentation and exchange of experiences in SWC. But data collection is demanding and data quality is still a problem. The great challenge ahead is to prove that information can be used and helps in implementing better land management. WOCAT will also contribute to the international years of mountains and freshwater.