Field guide for hill land reclamation and water management

Book excerpt: Estimates indicate that around 20-25 percent of the active population of Lebanon derives at least part of its livelihoods from agriculture. Nevertheless, the majority of farmers live below the upper poverty line of 4 USD per day. The enhancement of food security, rural development and sustainable resources management are, thus, imperative and they are targeted as key priorities. In order to bring effective improvements at field level, however, the joint efforts of all stakeholders are required, from decision-makers to agricultural practitioners. The current Field Guide has been prepared as a practical and technical tool that can well respond to the current challenges in land reclamation for soil and water management and, ultimately, support final beneficiaries and agricultural agents through the provision of clear indicators and potential costs. The Guide, thus, should be considered not simply as a compendium of land reclamation and water management practices, but also as a manual for implementers and specialists. The Guide provides a complete set of instructions to implement an extensive range of land reclamation and water management solutions to achieve optimal employment of resources, and it also takes in due consideration the constraint represented by the availability of resources for farmers willing to improve their practices. The illustrated techniques are presented together with realistic estimates of required manual work, labor employment and financial costs, for a correct evaluation based on local and individual needs and priorities and the subsequent direct implementation.