High-impact, context-specific practices to reduce SDS sources and impacts on the agricultural sector at the local level

Abstract

This Excel database (including macros) consists of three worksheets: 01. “Read me first” 02. “SDS - Full list” 03. “Filter” Sheet 01 “Read me first” provides explanations to all headers of the list of SDS practices in Sheet 02 (“SDS - Full list”). It describes each column of the SDS practices list (Sheet 02) and provides information on the abbreviations and ranking mechanisms applied. The “SDS - Full list” (Sheet 02) contains all SDS source and impact mitigation practices collated and described. Navigating through the longlist of good practices can be pursued through a “Filter” (Sheet 03). Various filters are defined in Sheet 03, which provides connections to all practices and enables convenient user navigation and filtering for multiple attributes. The user can control the various themes (e.g. SLM type, agroecological target zone or scaling readiness) that eventually allow the selection of good practices matching the individually set application context. For each practice in the longlist (Sheet 02), a practice description is complemented by ranking mechanisms, depending on the attribute, indicating how well a certain practice performs (e.g. on SDS source or impact mitigation, scaling and costs or (co)benefits). The ranking was developed in several iterations through an international SLM expert group and in close collaboration with the project partner countries. Site suitability (scaling), technology readiness (ranging from experimental status to market available technology) and technology use level (limited use/widely used) are also reflected through ranking, which subsequently feeds into an overall scoring system that allows comparison of practices. Ultimately, the longlist provides total scores for source and impact mitigation as well as for a combination of source and impact mitigation performances. In addition to the benefit type classification, the SLM and non-SLM (co)benefits and costs are ranked (Low, Medium and High values), which enables selection of highly effective SLM and non-SLM practices within a certain cost–benefit ratio.