Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

This research looks into the process and outcomes of initiating participatory monitoring of land management options implemented in the DESIRE study sites in Portugal and in Morocco. Through a collaborative approach, with this research stakeholders were given the opportunity to further discuss land management options, to experiment with monitoring methods in the field and to decide on the selection of a set of environmental indicators and a participatory monitoring schedule. In these participatory monitoring actions, participants across levels of organization with different knowledges interacted, exchanged information and made decisions. Such approach is grounded on lessons learned from participatory research literature and on concepts of co-management of socio-ecological systems.
The methodology for the implementation of these participatory actions was conceptualized as a sequence of four steps that, through interviews, workshops and surveys, look into the 1) site conditions, 2) what happens during these participative processes, 3) how outcomes are perceived by the participants and 4) how to give continuity and follow-up to the participatory monitoring. The methodology was successfully tested in the three study sites. In Góis and Mação study sites, in Portugal, the main desertification problem is recurrent forest fires and the monitored land management option consists of fuel management strips. In Sehoul, Morocco, the management goal is sustainable agricultural development and the DESIRE project is experimenting with plantation of Atriplex shrubs for gully control, which was monitored within this research. The use of the conceptualized methodology was followed in both Portuguese study sites, but had adjustments in Sehoul. In total 31 participants were present in the participatory monitoring workshops and were asked about their opinions and perceptions on the process. The integrated comparison of the results, done quantitatively, gave evidence that there is relationship between the initial conditions of the participants’ group and the process and their final perceptions. Resulting that in Mação there were better preconditions, because more participants were landowners and were associated to civic organizations, and also better achievement of process objectives and better matching with the final perceptions. This approach aims to give a perspective on how to develop participatory frameworks that reach the objectives and give evidence of outcomes.