Abstract
The present work describes a transferability analysis for soil and water bioengineering techniques as an instrument for sustainable erosion control in Central and South America based on an empirical data base from the last decades. In total, 31 case studies in Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil generated a database from an area where soil and water bioengineering techniques are not commonly used. The Transferability Analysis is structured in seven steps: (1) Objectives of the procedure, (2) Impacts of the measure, (3) Identification of up-scaling/down-scaling needs (4) Identification of the main phases and its components, (5) Identification of the level of importance of the components, (6) Assessment of the components in the context of the Take-Up Site and (7) Conclusions. For the assessment of soil and water bioengineering via the Transferability Analysis, in step 4 the following main phases have been identified from the data base: (a) Planning Phase, (b) Construction Phase, (c) Use Phase, as well as (d) End of Life Phase of a construction. Within these categories, 14 components have been defined: (a) know-how of soil and water bioengineering techniques, local climate conditions, botany, hydraulics, pedology; (b) materials, qualified labor, equipment and mechanical instruments, economic resources; (c) monitoring, efficiency, sustainability, maintenance; (d) replicability. The following assessment of the components allowed to determine key barriers, as well as key support factors for the transfer of soil and water bioengineering. As a result, barriers appeared to be the components qualified labor, equipment/mechanical instruments, hydraulics, know-how in soil and water bioengineering and pedology. Neither barriers, nor supporting key factors resulted to be the components local climate conditions, economic resources and efficiency. Supporting key factors for the transfer were materials, monitoring, sustainability, maintenance and replicability. The most important key factor of success was assessed to be botany, as various plant species with important characteristics for soil and water bioengineering are available in Central and South America, able to compensate the constraints through barriers in certain cases.
Highlights
Global efforts towards mitigating disaster risks and natural hazards for the protection of resident populations, forests or agricultural land represents a major concern being addressed by communities, governments and NGO’s
As the present study focuses on developing a Transferability Analysis Tool for Soil and water bioengineering (SWBE), constructions built during the last two decades in Central and South America have been selected as Leading Sites
For the last step of the Transferability Analysis, it was important to draw conclusions regarding the conceivable transferability of SWBE to the Take-Up Site, based upon the considerations derived from the identified and interacting factors and assessment values
Summary
Global efforts towards mitigating disaster risks and natural hazards for the protection of resident populations, forests or agricultural land represents a major concern being addressed by communities, governments and NGO’s. Investigation and application of efficient instruments for risk mitigation and erosion control are and will be an important issue for continued work. Within this process, certain parameters, such as minimal environmental impact, economical sustainability, as well as maximum use of local labor and materials, must be considered [2] as what leads to a growing public interest in nature-based solutions (NBS). NBS bring more nature and natural features, as well as processes into cities, land or seascapes, through locally adapted, resource efficient and systemic interventions They support resilience, benefit biodiversity and enhance the delivery of a range of ecosystem services [3]
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