Land Stewardship through Watershed Management

Abstract

We must enhance the effectiveness ofland stewardship and management of the world's natural resources to meet a growing global population's need for conservation, sustainable development, and use of land, water, and other natural resources. Ecosystem-based, multiple-use land stewardship is necessary when considering the present and future uses ofland, water, and other natural resources on an operationally efficient scale. We need holistically planned and carefully implemented watershed management practices, projects, and programs to accommodate the increasing demand for commodities and amenities, clear water, open space, and uncluttered landscapes.An international conference in Tucson, Arizona, from March 13 to 16, 2000, examined these needs and increased people's awareness of the contributions that ecosystem-based, multiple-use watershed management can make to future land stewardship. The conference was sponsored by the

Source water protection in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia: Lessons for building local capacity

“…In this research, a broader perspective on technical capacity was adopted. We argue that the ability of local organizations to undertake watershed-based source water protection also depends on the ability of municipal government employees and municipal consultants to access reliable data such as hydraulic gradients, surface water flow, water quality, chemical characteristics of potential contaminants, and geochemistry of the aquifer or watershed (Ffolliott et al, 2002;Focazio et al, 2002); monitor source water bodies to provide baseline data on water quality and quantity, provide information for watershed planning, track protection efforts, and provide early warning of potential contamination events (Meyer, 1990;Robbins et al, 1991); delineate water supplies including the watershed area above a surface water intake or the zone of recharge around well fields (Trax, 1999); and identify and reduce the threat from potential sources of water contaminants, such as petroleum tanks, pesticides, and waste disposal sites (Herrick, 2001). Thus, the technical capacity of local governments to protect source water supplies can be demonstrated by the existence of watershed monitoring programs; the availability of easily accessible watershed data, delineated source water areas, and inventories of potential contaminants; and the presence of management plans focused on protecting delineated source water areas from potential source water contaminants (Table 1).…”

Recent changes in global dryland temperature and precipitation

“…Drylands are a crucial part of the earth's environment; they are considered to be the largest biome on earth (Safriel et al, 2005). The ecosystem provides rich diversity, including forests, grasslands, agricultural lands, and wetlands (FAO, 2016), which play critical roles in the global biophysical processes (Ffolliott et al, 2002). These ecosystems are considered to be very sensitive to changes and variations in the climate as well as anthropogenic activities (Huang et al, 2016).…”

Integrated watershed management: evolution, development and emerging trends

“…Watershed management has evolved from a focus on water resource management and the hydrological cycle to the current integrated approach of managing the biological, physical, and social elements in a landscape within a watershed's boundaries (Ffolliott et al 2002). A strong global consensus is emerging around the notion that watersheds are the best units for the management of not only water resources, but also ecosystems in general (Montgomery et al 1995).…”

“…It involves socio-economic, human-institutional, and biophysical inter-relationships among soil, water, and land use and the connection between upland and downstream areas (Ffolliott et al 2002). In essence, it is resource management with the watershed as the basic organizing unit.…”