The current pressure on land resources necessitates the development of sustainable land management (SLM) systems. The process of developing such systems requires that methods are available to assess sustainability easily. Indicators of SLM need to include indicators of soil quality and land quality, but in addition they must take account of the environmental setting and include the more human aspects of land management: the social, economic and political aspects. Three case studies were undertaken to assess the sustainability of different land management systems practised by farmers on sloping lands of Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Using the framework for evaluating sustainable land management (FESLM), detailed socio-economic and biophysical surveys were undertaken of 53 farms. The surveys aimed to characterise the land management systems, outline their constraints and potentials, and identify indicators and thresholds of sustainability in line with the five pillars of sustainability in the FESLM: productivity, security, protection, viability, and acceptability. The data were used to develop a suite of SLM indicators, with associated thresholds. These indicators have been included in a prototype decision support system (DSS). Feedback on the indicators was obtained from the farmers after the DSS was used to evaluate their farming systems. The indicators are highly specific as well as simplified, but they make a useful first step towards the development of a more generic system for evaluating SLM and for more accurate site specific and integrated evaluation. Evaluation of this structured and systematic approach yielded encouraging results in a separate study in Nepal.

Monitoring of impact of climate variability and climate changes on both biotic and abiotic components of the environment has to become a part of evaluation of the recent situation and the future development which should be based on convenient selected indicators. The paper presents an example of such choice of indicators on a regional scale

Report of a project aiming at contribute to planners’ and policy makers’ understanding of what policies and institutions are required for effective, equitable, and sustainable management of renewable natural resources. The project aims to achieve this purpose by evaluating a methodology for the application of sustainability indicators (SI) to renewable natural resource management.This paper has sets out an analytical framework based on the Sustainable Rural Livelihoods approach, and used this to generate a matrix of potential indicators compatible with five ‘dimensions of sustainability’ from commonly-used indicator frameworks. In doing this it seeks to bring together disparate components of the ‘sustainability’ literature into a single methodological approach.The conclusions of this paper are: indicators may vary in their relevance according to the local environment and the final purpose of their measurement and monitoring (and the practicality of this measurement) it is important to test externally-defined indicators against local stakeholders’ criteria for valid indicators of the success and sustainability of their agricultural systems and livelihoods. it would also be a mistake if no “external” framework or set of indicators were to be identified based on prior knowledge and technical expertise. This is important to ensure a basis of comparison between different study sites, to assess the robustness of the methodological approach proposed, and to permit valid policy conclusions. For this, success or sustainability of an agricultural system needs to be assessed from different perspectives. It is therefore useful to start off with a core set of indicators around which a final set will be built using stakeholders’ indicators. It follows logically from this that the methodology of identifying indicators will be important. This should deliver: locally relevant and easily measurable indicators indicators which represent the potential diversity of perspectives of different users on success and sustainability– from farmers/local communities (both wealthy and poor), through scientists, to policy makers indicators which encompass both agricultural systems and peoples’ livelihoods indicators which can be “related” to policy; and the smallest number of indicators possible, to make any assessment of success or sustainability of agricultural systems and livelihoods relevant.The research steps set out above are, obviously, presented sequentially. The process in reality should be characterised by loops and feedback between the various people involved (most importantly, the various project teams and the inhabitants of the study areas).

Three hundred drinking water samples were collected from two storage systems (cisterns and roof storage tanks), 150 sample from each. The samples were collected during the summer season from June to October 1999 from two villages (Beit Leed and Safarine) in the district of Tulkarm. Average counts for both total coliform and the rmotolerent coliform E. coli were used as indicators for water quality based on membrane filtration technique. Both indicators gave average counts higher than that recommended as safe drinking water by the WHO. Total coliform counts were 16.1 and 12 CFU/100ml water in cisterns and roof storage tanks respectively, while average counts of thermotolerent coliform E. coli were 7.0 and.5.4 CFU/100 ml water for cisterns and roof storage tanks respectively. Roof storage tanks showed lower average counts for both indicators. A comparison between old style and forced concrete cisterns showed a significant difference in favor of rain forced concrete cisterns using both indicators. Average counts for total coliform and the rmotolerent coliform E. coli in old style cisterns were 17.6 and 7.9 CFU/100ml water respectively, while in forced concrete cisterns were 8.7 and 3.1 CFU/100ml water respectively. Based on the average counts for both indicators no significant variations were observed on the quality of drinking water in the studied villages. Variations in both average counts for both indicators were with significant values with respect to different selected regions especially for Beit Leed center. The degree of contamination based on total coliform counts in both storage systems were similar and the majority were with first degree of contamination according to the WHO classification. Based; on the rmotolerent coliform E. coli with respect to the risk levels, both storage systems were within low and intermediate risk levels according to WHO classification. A noticeable decrease in both indicators is clear up to a distance of 22 meter and above between cesspits and cisterns, however, variations up to 28 meters were of no significant values according to our findings with respect to total coliform count and the rmotolerent coliform E. coli. Neither cesspits’ levels nor animal razing seems to have further effect on the contamination and risk levels compared to the findings on households with no histories with animal razing or having cesspits within the same level or uphill to cisterns. Our findings regard cisterns age indicate a significant increase in both indicators reflecting an increase degree of contamination and risk levels with increased cisterns age. Average counts of total coliform were 7.6 CFU/100ml water for age group greater than 0 to 9 compared to 57 CFU/100ml water for age group more than 90 years, however, the rmotolerent coliform E. coli counts were 7.9 CFU/l0Oml water for age group greater than 0 to 9 compared to 3l CFU/100ml water for age groups more than 90. | Three hundred drinking water samples were collected from two storage systems (cisterns and roof storage tanks), 150 sample from each. The samples were collected during the summer season from June to October 1999 from two villages (Beit Leed and Safarine) in the district of Tulkarm. Average counts for both total coliform and the rmotolerent coliform E. coli were used as indicators for water quality based on membrane filtration technique. Both indicators gave average counts higher than that recommended as safe drinking water by the WHO. Total coliform counts were 16.1 and 12 CFU/100ml water in cisterns and roof storage tanks respectively, while average counts of thermotolerent coliform E. coli were 7.0 and.5.4 CFU/100 ml water for cisterns and roof storage tanks respectively. Roof storage tanks showed lower average counts for both indicators. A comparison between old style and forced concrete cisterns showed a significant difference in favor of rain forced concrete cisterns using both indicators. Average counts for total coliform and the rmotolerent coliform E. coli in old style cisterns were 17.6 and 7.9 CFU/100ml water respectively, while in forced concrete cisterns were 8.7 and 3.1 CFU/100ml water respectively. Based on the average counts for both indicators no significant variations were observed on the quality of drinking water in the studied villages. Variations in both average counts for both indicators were with significant values with respect to different selected regions especially for Beit Leed center. The degree of contamination based on total coliform counts in both storage systems were similar and the majority were with first degree of contamination according to the WHO classification. Based; on the rmotolerent coliform E. coli with respect to the risk levels, both storage systems were within low and intermediate risk levels according to WHO classification. A noticeable decrease in both indicators is clear up to a distance of 22 meter and above between cesspits and cisterns, however, variations up to 28 meters were of no significant values according to our findings with respect to total coliform count and the rmotolerent coliform E. coli. Neither cesspits’ levels nor animal razing seems to have further effect on the contamination and risk levels compared to the findings on households with no histories with animal razing or having cesspits within the same level or uphill to cisterns. Our findings regard cisterns age indicate a significant increase in both indicators reflecting an increase degree of contamination and risk levels with increased cisterns age. Average counts of total coliform were 7.6 CFU/100ml water for age group greater than 0 to 9 compared to 57 CFU/100ml water for age group more than 90 years, however, the rmotolerent coliform E. coli counts were 7.9 CFU/l0Oml water for age group greater than 0 to 9 compared to 3l CFU/100ml water for age groups more than 90.

The relationship between physiological status and theability to withstand the stresses of lifting, cold storing and planting was evaluated from 1992–1995 in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.)2 + 1 transplants of Washington/northern Oregon origins growing in Ireland. Needle primordium initiation continued until later and cold hardiness developed more slowly in the mild lifting season of 1994/95. The seasonal decline in shoot mitotic activity was generally similar each year, with apices becoming inactive in December. Cell divisions in roots ceased in November or December. Shoots began to deharden in early February each year, but the rates of dehardening were slow until March. Cell divisions in root apices resumed in February each year, compared with March for shoot apices. The vitality of the seedlings following cold storage was high for most lift dates except the October and April dates. The period of highest stress resistance (as indicated by cold hardiness levels) for lifting for immediate planting was from about late November/early December to early March; shoots were cold hardy to about −20 °C (LT50) at this time. Seedlings could be lifted and cold stored (1–2 °C)until May/June when shoots were cold hardy to about −30 °C or lower, which coincided with the period from mid- to late December until March.

Geographic targeting is perhaps the most popular mechanism used to direct social programs to the poor in Latin America. The author empirically compares geographic targeting indicators available in Peru. He combines household-level information from the 1994 and 1997 Peru Living Standards Measurement Surveys and district-level information from the 1993 Peru Population and Housing Census. He then conducts a series of simulations that estimate leakage rates; concentration curves; the impact of transfers on poverty as measured by the headcount index, poverty gap, and [poverty] measures of the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke family; and nonparametric (kernal) densities when transfers are based on alternative indicators. He concludes that there is substantial potential for geographic targeting in Peru. The differences in outcomes across geographic targeting indicators are small and not statistically significant.

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has carried out research to develop Criteria and Indicators for sustainable forest management (C&I) in eight countries since 1994. In the CIFOR framework C&I are organised hierarchically as principles, criteria, indicators, and verifiers. Based on an analysis and synthesis of the C&I research a set of C&I has been identified that can form the starting point for developing localised sets of criteria and indicators. This set is called the "Generic Template". A Knowledge based system called CIMAT (Criteria and Indicators Modification and Adapation Tool) has now been developed to support the process of developing locally adapted C&I using the Generic Template are represented as items that can be modified by the user. The modification can only take place when users explain their reason for the change. All the reasons in the system can be made dependent upon one to another, they can be revised during modification, and they can be counter-argued by other users. The need to represent and maintain these reasons and their interdependencies is resolved through the use of a reason maintenance system (RMS). Another meta-level component of CIMAT is its ability to compare and analyze multiple knowledge bases.

Article includes results of studies in developing information system on farm account data - farm accountancy data network (SUDAT) in Latvia, systematically collecting and accumulating structural, financial and other data linked to agriculture and farm business. This system should be developed to represent Latvian agricultural producers varying in production capacity, type of farming, production structure and other indicators. It is necessary to classify these farms and for this reason to develop methodology for farm classification. During studies several approaches in farm classification have been investigated based on different indicators like physical or economical size of farm, type of farming, location, full or part time farming and some other features.

Evaluating the sustainability of any land use system poses challenging methodological questions. The study conducted at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India revealed that management practices under different land use systems have altered soil functions and processes. The biological changes observed in man-made systems relative to the natural systems are important indicators of the impacts of management practices. Strategies based on these biological indicators and correlating them with productivity of an ecosystem would be a tool to evaluate sustainability of the land use systems such as grasslands and mixed forests, gave higher soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and ureas) than the agricultural systems. The results suggest that biomass turnover and disturbance through cultivation, pesticides, fire, etc. determine the nature and degree of biological activity in an ecosystem. Microbial biomass and enzyme activity can be used as indicators to evaluate land use system sustainability