Sustainable land management technologies: soil erosion control

Sources

Sustainable Land Management contribution to successful land-based climate change adaptation and mitigation: A report of the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI)

soil_erosion

Definition

Soil erosion control is the prevention or control of wind or water erosion that leads to the detachment, transportation and re-deposition of soil particles and the loss of soil fertility. Soil erosion control can be used on different land use types, such as cropland and forest/woodland. There are many approaches to reducing soil erosion, and most fall into one of three measures: 1) structural measures, such as bunds and stone walls; 2) vegetative measures, such as windbreaks and live hedges, and 3) combined or integrated measures, such as river bank stabilization.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), soil erosion control has a high potential to control on-site soil erosion and can provide co-benefits including improving yield/productivity and water availability and retention. In addition, vegetative measures that use perennial woody vegetation (shrubs and trees) or grasses could increase soil organic Carbon (SOC) and support carbon sequestration in woody biomass, and provide other co-benefits, such as increasing plant and terrestrial biodiversity.

Examples of SLM best practices in soil erosion control

Below are examples of best practices in soil erosion control cited in the report on SLM by the SPI.

Rockwall Terracing

SLM - Land use type :

Cropland

SLM - Technology group:

Soil erosion control

SLM - Type of land degradation addressed:

Soil erosion by water

Chemical soil deterioration

Biological degradation

Country

Philippines

Source

WOCAT

Rockwall terracing refers to the piling of stones or rocks along contour lines to reduce soil erosion in hilly areas. Terraces are built to reduce soil erosion and ease land preparation through the removal of naturally-present rocks in the cultivated area. It also contributes to the partial arrangement and diversification of land use. The technology is a traditional practice in the Philippines.

Semi-circular bunds

SLM - Land use type :

Cropland

SLM - Technology group:

Soil erosion control

SLM - Type of land degradation addressed:

Chemical soil deterioration

Physical soil deterioration

Soil erosion by water

Water degradation

Country

Niger

Source

WOCAT

Semi-circular bunds are used to rehabilitate degraded, denuded and hardened land for crop growing, grazing or forestry. The technology involves building low embankments with compacted earth or stones in the form of a semi-circle with the opening perpendicular to the flow of water and arranged in staggered rows.

They are constructed on gently to moderately sloping pediments and plateau areas in order to rehabilitate areas that are degraded, denuded and/or affected by soil crusting. The bunds reduce the loss of water and the fertile layers of the soil.

Gully control and catchment protection

SLM - Land use type :

Cropland

Grazing land

SLM - Technology group:

Soil erosion control

SLM - Type of land degradation addressed:

Soil erosion by water

Water degradation

Country

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Source

WOCAT

Integrated gully treatment consisting of several simple practices including stone and wooden check dams, cut-off drains and reforestation in sediment traps.