Annex 6
Guidelines for country reports on thestate of land, water and plantnutrition resources

These guidelines constitute a general framework to facilitate systematic compilation of information for the reports. The guidelines should ensure that country reports will be comparable along the lines of common themes, such as land use and land degradation, state of water resources, hot spots and bright spots. The guidelines are exhaustive; they are presented in the form of a checklist of items from which a selection can be made depending on relevance and availability of information in specific situations. If the information is not available or is not relevant to the country or the part of the country considered it should not be included in the report or may be added at a later date. In certain cases the FAO approach (e.g. agro-ecological zoning) has been suggested. Where this information is not available, data gathered using other kinds of methodologies should be presented, and the methods described or a link to the methodology provided. The guideline will be updated from time to time as more experience is gained.

The report is a `live' document. The aim of the report is to bring together the most up-to-date information on land, water and plant nutrient resources. Where possible, information should not be presented as static data but in the form of trends, preferably in a visual format (maps, tables, charts, images). The text should be short but suggestive, enriched with many simple but "attention catching" visual objects. Internet lends itself perfectly for this kind of presentation. Hypertext enables the information to be easily modified: items can be added or deleted at any time and with ease. As new information becomes available and topical issues change (discussed in the challenges/viewpoint section), the report can be updated, new sections inserted and new links made. Combining information and presenting it in this format will make it more useful and also more easily understood by decision makers and users.

In the hydrography, irrigation/drainage section, FAO (Aquastat) information, if available will be provided for the country. A country may then choose to add to this information or replace it with that from other sources.

National or Sub-National report

Users:	National Agencies
	Policy makers
	International agencies/Donors
	Educational/Research Institutions
	NGOs and other interested groups
	Private investors

The guidelines are incorporated into the Internet template which is downloadable from the AGL Gateway site at the following address: http://www.fao.org/ag AGL/swlwpnr/swlwpnr.htm

Tips for preparing the report

• In the first instance, the report can be prepared as a WORD document. This can then be stored, and converted to html format for dissemination via internet or cd-rom.
• Using the hyperlink function it is possible to link the various sections of the report that deal with common issues, as might be the case for example between `Natural hazards'and `Hot spots'. It is possible to do this even under WORD 95 by selecting `cross reference' from the `insert' menu. Links should be made to other web sites where appropriate.
• As general rule the most recent available data must be used. The main sources of information should be inserted in References at the end of the document.
• Where possible, data should be presented in the form of trends, preferably in a visual format (maps, tables, charts, pictures) that supports or replaces text.
• All data must be checked for internal consistency (e.g. percentage values should total 100).
• Text should be short and factual except in the more discursive `challenges/viewpoint' section, which focuses on important topical issues. Here different opinions could be voiced and links made to relevant articles.
• It may be useful to include a list of addresses (e-mail or web sites) of institutions or people that can be contacted, at the end of the document.
• The length of the report should be no more than 30 pages including text, graphics and pictures.

A. Country Overview

Geographical location (description, localization map)

Geomorphology

Administrative units (Capital city, regions, provinces, other administrative units)

B. Socio-economic features

Population (population statistics: size, density, %rural/urban population, population growth/rate, major employment sectors, per capita income and per capita arable land).

Economy (brief description of the main economic sectors of the country)

The role of agriculture in the country's economy (trends, in agriculture's role in the economy, contribution to GDP and employment)

Major food and cash crops and trends in production

Food security (major food source, present and future food demand, methods to achieve this - cropping intensity, crop diversification)

Cropping intensity (general cropping intensity, trends in single, double and triple cropping)

Crop diversification (crop diversification programmes, results)

C. Climate

Climate description (general climate type)

Table of climatic data (humidity range, temperature data, mean annual rainfall, monsoons and average seasonal rainfall)

D. Physiography

Physiographic units (definition of physiographic units; map and area covered by physiographic units)

E. Soils

Soil types and distribution (soil map; area and proportions occupied by general soil types)

F. Inundation land types

Inundation land types (definition of inundation land types; inundation map, area and percentage cover of inundation land types; relation with cropping patterns)

G. Land cover

Definition of land cover, land cover map and area occupied by different land cover types; trends in land cover.

H. Land use

Definition of land use

Land use types.The following major land use types, (and subtypes) are recognized:

Annual cropping: land used for cultivation of crops, including fallow (field crops, orchards)

• Annual field cropping: land under temporary/annual crops harvested within one year (e.g. maize, rice, wheat, vegetables).
• Perennial field cropping: cropping land under perennial crops. Crops harvested more than one year after planting (e.g. sugar cane, banana, sisal, and pineapple).
• Tree and shrub cropping: producing for a number of years without replanting (e.g. coffee, tea, grapes, oil palm, cacao, coconut, apple, pear).

Grazing: land used for animal production

• Extensive grazing: grazing on natural or semi-natural grasslands, grasslands with trees/shrubs (savannah vegetation) or open woodlands (for livestock and wildlife).
• Intensive grazing: grass production on improved or planted pastures, including cutting for fodder (for livestock production).

Forestry: land used mainly for wood production and other forest products.

Mixed uses: mixture of land use types within the same land unit: agroforestry (trees and crops), agro-pastoralism (crops and livestock), agro-silvo-pastoralism (crops, trees and livestock).

Other land: recreation, road sites, construction sites, etc...

Area percentage of the land use type (For each land use type, the relative area should be assessed as a percentage of the total land use area and displayed in a pie chart).

Land use areal trend. The changes in areal extent of the land use type, LUT can be represented by one of the following five classes:

-2:	area coverage is rapidly decreasing, i.e. >2% per year of that specific LUT area.
-1:	area coverage is decreasing, i.e. 0-2% per year of the LUT area
0:	area coverage remains ± stable as a percentage of the LUT area
1:	area coverage is increasing, i.e. 0-2% per year of the LUT area
2:	area coverage is rapidly increasing, i.e. > 2% per year of the LUT area

Land use intensity trends. A change in the intensity of land use is expressed through changes in inputs, management, or number of harvests, etc., over approximately the last 10 years. Only changes within the same LUT and on the same area (change of intensity) are to be considered here - not changes from one LUT to another.

-2:	A major decrease in land use intensity
-1:	A moderate decrease in land use intensity
0:	No major changes in inputs, management level, etc.
1:	Moderate increase, e.g. switch from no or low external input to some fertilizers/ pesticides; switch from manual labour to animal traction
2:	Major increase, e.g. from manual labour to mechanization, from low external inputs to high external inputs.

Example:

Land Productivity

Average production value. US$ equivalents for the production value per hectare for each land use type will be used as a relative indicator for productivity, and for estimating trends and regional differences. Figures for cropland will generally be obtained more easily than for other land uses, but if figures were known for grazing land or forest land as well, they would be welcome.

Average input. The production value for each LUT is related to inputs of materials, equipment and labour per hectare per year. Hence all inputs, should be estimated, including hidden costs such as the farmer's own labour. Any establishment costs should be averaged over the period since implementation and added to the annual costs.

Inputs: labour - own and hired - seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, mechanization/hire of ox, cost of irrigation, income from outside farm, income from livestock.

Outputs: crop and livestock production

Land productivity trend. Although changes in productivity can be attributed to a wide variety of causes, they may also be an indication of soil degradation or, if positive, of effective soil conservation and appropriate land management. Only a rough indication of trends in productivity is required here:

1:	increasing outputs
0:	no change in outputs
-1:	decreasing outputs

Example:

LUT		Productivity	Av.prod.value (US$/ha/yr)	Av.inputs (US$/ha/yr)	Production Trend
Cropland	1	Contour tillage	125	100	1
	2	Grass strips	145	160	1
	3	Association (1/2)
Grazing land	1	Controlled grazing	?	?	?
	2
	3
Forest land	1	Reforestation	200	250	1
	2	Area closure	180	150	1
	3
Mixed Land	1
	2
	3
Other land	1
	2
	3

I. Agro-ecological systems

Agro-ecological zones (definition of AEZ, AEZ map)

Land capability classes (definition of LCC, % cover)

J. Hydrography

Water resources:

Surface water, groundwater, non-conventional water resources, fossil resources. Major basins (surface and groundwater)

International rivers, agreements...

Dams, flood control, mobilization of water resources

Water withdrawal

Water use by sector and trends (trends in agricultural water withdrawal - irrigation and livestock watering - domestic water withdrawal and industrial water withdrawal, other uses, future: competition between sectors).

Wastewater, treatment, reuse (agriculture)

K. Irrigation and drainage

Irrigation potential (method of calculation)

Place of irrigation and drainage in agriculture, percentage of cropland which is irrigated

History of irrigation in the country, trends. Description of the different irrigation systems

Irrigation methods (spate, flood recession, full control...)

Irrigation techniques, breakdown by technique (sprinkler, surface..),. Trends in development of drip and sprinkler irrigation. Breakdown by source of water (river, groundwater..). Waste water reuse in irrigation

Irrigation schemes: typology by size and by operating mode: scheme size, number of beneficiaries, management, performance, cropping intensity, fees

Cost of irrigation development, cost of O&M, return from irrigation

Irrigated crops: major crops, areas and production, comparison of rainfed and irrigated yields for major crops

Institutional and policy environment

Institutions in charge of water resources assessment, development of irrigation: mandates of the most important institutions.

Water and land legislation: status, implementation.

Trends in water resources and irrigation development, constraints to development, institutional changes, and perspectives.

L. Plant nutrient resources

Use of plant nutrient resources (types of plant nutrients used, trends in plant nutrient use, projections in plant nutrient consumption).

Trends in mineral fertilizer consumption per hectare (Kg/ha) and yields, per main food crop (also rice types) and cash crops

Types of fertilizer produced locally/imported

Cost of different fertilizer products (port handling, transport price, storage price)

Fertilizer subsidies

Farm budgets in different cropping systems

Farmer cash flow

Impact of fertilizer use on the environment. Nutrient imbalance (effects of nutrient imbalance on soil fertility; the application of mixed fertilizer programmes and results)

Water pollution

M. Natural hazards

Natural Hazards (type, location, frequency, damage to food crops, control methods adopted and their effectiveness)

N. Hot spots: land and water constraints to sustainable agriculture

The detail of items will depend upon particular country circumstances

Hot Spots (definition)

Problem soils (definition of problem soils, localization map and area of problem soils)

Human-induced soil degradation (types, extent, localization and effect on crop yield)

• Water erosion (on site effects): loss of topsoil by sheet erosion/surface wash and "terrain deformation" by gully and/or hill erosion or mass movement
• Water erosion (off-site effects): sedimentation of reservoirs/waterways, flooding and pollution of water bodies with eroded sediments.
• Wind erosion (on-site effects): loss of topsoil by wind action and "terrain deformation, deflation hollows, hummocks and dunes.
• Wind erosion (off-site effects): overblowing of terrain with wind borne soil particles from distant sources.
• Fertility decline: net decrease of available nutrients and organic matter in the soil.
• Salinization: net increase of salt content in the topsoil leading to productivity decline.
• Dystrification: lowering of soil pH through the process of mobilizing or increasing acidic compounds in the soil.
• Compaction and crusting: deterioration of the soil structure due to trampling by cattle or weight/frequent use of machinery; and clogging of soil pores causing development of a thin impervious layer.
• Waterlogging: effects of human induced hydromorphism (rising water tables and flooding).

Map of areas affected by different types of soil degradation

Land use issues

Agricultural prime land encroachment/land conversion

Land tenure and land policy

Conflicts in land use

Water use issues

Conflicts related to use of water resources

Inadequate use of water resources

Other hot spot issues

Concentration of agrochemicals and pollutants

Genetic erosion and biodiversity depletion (risk areas)

O. Bright spots: Examples and perspectives of sustainability of production systems

The detail of items will depend upon particular country circumstances

Bright spots (success stories for hotspot items)

Available lands for sustainable agricultural development

Sound land use/allocation policies

Sustainable land use systems

Land care programmes

Success stories in land use

Biodiversity/genetic resources conservation and use (e.g. crop diversification)

New technologies (biotechnology etc.)

Infrastructures and mechanization/automation (e.g. precision farming)

Sound use of water resources

P. Challenges, viewpoints

The challenges are country specific. They have to be clearly identified especially in land, water and plant nutrition resources management, and strategies developed to meet the challenges.

Q. References