World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) Documentation

India

Project Under Domains: Nature-based Solutions; Sub Domains: Sustainable production systems

The World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) is a global network with a shared goal of documenting, disseminating, and applying knowledge related to sustainable land management (SLM). As pioneers in transformative action for SLM, this network creates an innovative platform for sharing and scaling up best practices to combat land degradation, address climate change, and mitigate biodiversity loss.

WOCAT’s vision is to improve land resources, ecosystems, and people’s livelihoods by promoting the sharing and utilization of knowledge in SLM. Without effective knowledge management and evidence-based decision support tools and processes, land management may remain ineffective or lack sustainability.

Furthermore, WOCAT aims to facilitate local, national, regional, and global knowledge sharing and analysis to understand which good practices work, where they are effective, how and why they succeed, and what their associated costs and benefits are. Ecociate is assisting the WOCAT platform in documenting identified agricultural technologies and approaches across India.

Objectives

The primary objective of WOCAT documentation is to support adaptation, innovation, and decision-making related to SLM. It aims to promote the sustainable enhancement of land productivity and water use efficiency, thereby contributing to food security, supporting climate change adaptation/mitigation, reducing disaster risks, and encouraging the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Approach and Methodology

A pre-structured questionnaire from WOCAT was used to document agricultural technologies and approaches. The questionnaire includes questions related to general information, descriptions of SLM technologies, classifications of SLM technologies, and their natural, environmental, and human impacts.

Results

More than ten agricultural technologies and approaches have been documented across India. These technologies and approaches include multilayer farming systems, city compost as a solution for waste management, E-Prakriti as an approach towards GIS planning, biochar production from the invasive species Lantana camara, eradication of Lantana Camara, preparation of bio-inputs such as vermicompost and biofertilizers, Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS), improved cattle shed flooring, biochar production on homestead land, and sustainable biochar production in agro-forestry systems.