BACKGROUND

Within the upper watersheds of Southeast Asia, where many of the region’s poorest make their livelihoods, what land and water management interventions can be implemented that meet the twin goals of alleviating poverty and reducing the degradation of the natural resource base.

The research questions

• What are the dominant land degradation processes on sloping lands of the region?
• How do biophysical processes interact with farmer’s practices?
• How has annual cropping intensification affected rates of erosion, weed dynamics and yields?
• What external policy and social forces have caused farming system changes in the study catchments?
• How do farmers respond to land degradation, and what affect do their responses have on degradation processes?
• Are their farming system innovations that can address needs of farmers and preserve downstream water quality?
• Can improved riparian zone management using landscape ecology approaches, compensate for field level practices which result in erosion?

Objectives

The overall objective of the MSEC project is to provide a solid foundation for the implementation of science-based land and water resources management to improve the livelihoods of the people in the upper catchments of countries in Southeast Asia.

Specific objectives include

• Consolidation of detailed bio-physical research on the processes of soil erosion and surface runoff on steep slopes
• Implementation of research on the socio-economic and institutional landscapes of the target environments
• Formulation of practical guidelines for interventions leading to sustainable land and water management practices based on solid bio-physical and socio-economic research findings
• Development of appropriate analytical tools and techniques for appraisal of management and farming systems options
• Continued development of human and institutional capacity to enable them undertaken and interpret high quality research in regional NARES organizations;
• Development of dissemination materials and methods based on research outputs to influence policy makers, development workers, extension practitioners and farmer communities
• Development of policy and implementation guidelines used to improve the sustainable management of upper watersheds

Methods

• The project concentrates on five countries: Indonesia, Lao PDR, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. In each of these countries, the project builds NARES capacity, disseminates information and promotes the exchange of knowledge. The project installed and monitors ongoing catchment experiments, the collection of biophysical and socioeconomic data through field measurements, GIS applications, surveys, and participatory appraisal methods. Simulation models are also used for further validation of the results.
• Capacity building activities include daily project work, networking and hands-on training. The NARES training includes applications of impact assessment methodologies, data management, and technology transfer and promotion. Knowledge sharing and information dissemination of the results of the project have been undertaken through meetings, attendance and presentation of papers at relevant workshops and conferences, through publications and through the MSEC web page.

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