PROJECT ASSESSMENTS - Science for Agriculture and Rural Development in Low-income Countries - page 159

Cluster 5: Comparison of farmer assessments with scientific methods in order to
assess the validity and employability of farmers' maps in SWC planning. For the
Gikuuri catchment in Kenya the previously developed farmers' map was compared
with the ACED maps. In the Tanzanian site the results of a survey using farmers'
indicators was compared to the ACED maps. The spatial erosion patterns between
the two approaches were compared using cross tabulation and the degree of agreement
was evaluated using kappa coefficient analysis in the SPSS program. The predic-
tions with the LISEM model (Kenyan site) and the MMF model (both sites) were
compared to the ACED maps and the farmers' maps.
Cluster 6: Physical effectiveness of soil and water conservation , to assess the
physical effectiveness of the most important SWC measures used in the East African
Highlands (bench terraces, grass strips and fanya juu. Gerlach troughs, trench ditches
and runoff plots were used to assess the physical effectiveness. Besides, farmers
were interviewed and group discussions were used to obtain farmer's reasons for
preferences of certain SWC measures.
Cluster 7: Financial effectiveness of soil and water conservation , to assess the
costs and benefits of most frequently implemented SWC measures. In the Tanzanian
research site a study was carried out to assess the costs and benefits of bench terraces,
grass strips and fanya juu which are important SWC measures. Cost Benefit Analysis
(CBA) was undertaken to farmers with low, moderate and high opportunity costs of
labour at different slopes and soil types.
Cluster 8: Development of a tool for financial analysis of SWC measures . Based
on the results of the clusters 6 and 7 a tool was made and described that helps exten-
sion workers to make ex-ante estimates of the financial impacts of the implemen-
tation of SWC measures in a participatory way. The method was evaluated and
described.
Cluster 9: Testing of the tools under field circumstances . The 2 tools developed
in cluster 3 and 8 respectively were tested in the field. The financial tool was
developed in Tanzania and tested in Kenya, and the soil erosion mapping tool was
developed in Kenya and tested in Tanzania. The experiences of these exercises
helped to fine-tune the methods.
Cluster 10: Key informants consultation on embedding of the tools in current
approaches . The team consulted key informants of the extension services of the
Ministries of Agriculture in Kenya and Tanzania to determine in which stages of the
currently applied catchment approaches in Kenya and Tanzania the developed tools
best fit and have optimal effect. Interviews, workshops and field visits were organized.
Conclusions were summarized and feed-back workshops were organized with key-
informants and farmers.