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1. Definition
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Name
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RUNOFF WATER STORAGE
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Brief
definition
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Volume
of runoff water stored in soil or in small ponds.
 |
Small
pond around an olive tree concentrating water runoff and
increasing infiltration and starage of water into the
soil (photo by C. Kosmas) |
|
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Unit of measure
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mm, or % of the total
runoff water stored.
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2.
Position within the logical framework DPSIR
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Type
of Indicator
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Response
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3.
Target and political pertinence
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Objective
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To
increase soil water storage and water availability
to the growing plants.
|
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Importance
with respect to desertification
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Whenever
water flows over unprotected soil it may pick up and
carry along soil particles. If such flows are concentrated
by natural topography or works of man rills or gullies
may develop and destroy valuable farm land by transporting
large amounts of soil sediments.
|
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International
Conventions and agreements
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Transboundary
and interbasin legal agreements.
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Secondary objectives
of the indicator
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Percentage of water
demand satisfied, economic and environmental issues.
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4.
Methodological description and basic definitions
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Definitions
and basic concepts
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Storage
of water runoff is defined in terms of land management
for reducing surface water runoff and increasing soil
infiltration rates. For example, presence of adequate
shrubby or annual vegetation cover, construction of
terraces, shallow ploughing of the soil parallel to
the contour lines, concentrating the runoff water
in small ponds and retarding runoff, keeping plant
residues on the soil surface, etc. Contouring, strip
cropping, and land terracing are important conservation
practices for controlling water erosion. These management
practices require the adjustment of the tillage and
crop-row direction from uphill and downhill to a contour
operation. Small ridges and depressions increase the
storage of water on the surface, thus increasing infiltration
and storage of water in the soil profile. Terraces
are a method of erosion control accomplished by constructing
broad channels or benches across the slope or building
walls using stones.
|
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Benchmarks
Indication of the values/ranges of value
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- adequate,
- moderate,
- low,
- very
low,
- no
measures for runoff water storage
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Methods
of measurement
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Assessment
in the field if management practices for runoff water
storage are applied, and how efficient they are.
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Limits
of the indicator
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Measurement
of the indicator is based on self-assessment subject
to personal judgement.
|
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Linkages with other
indicators
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Rainfall, Vegetation
cover, Slope gradient, Tillage operations
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5.
Evaluation of data needs and availability
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Data
required to calculate the indicator
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Detailed
management practices data applied to each farm.
|
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Data
sources
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Necessary
data are usually available and accessible and the
cost/benefit ratio may be reasonable.
|
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Availability of data
from national and international sources
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Data may be obtained
from various regional institutions involved in the
collection and analysis of land management practices.
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6.
Institutions that have participated in developing the indicator
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Main
institutions responsible
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Agricultural
University of Athens, Greece
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Other
contributing organizations
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Universities
of Lisbon, Murcia, Basilicata, Amsterdam, Leeds
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7.
Additional information
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Bibliography
|
Troeh, F., Hobbs,
J., and Donahue, R., 1980. Soil and water conservation
for productivity and environmental protection. Prentice-Hall,
Inc.Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 718 p.
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Other
references
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Follett, R., and
Stewart B., 1985. Soil erosion and crop producr\tivity.
American Society of Agronomy. Madison Winscosin. USA
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Contacts Name and address
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Dr
Constantinos Kosmas
Agricultural University of Athens,
Laboratory of Soils and Agricultural Chemistry,
Iera Odos 75,
Athens 11855, Greece
email: lsos2kok@aua.gr
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