PROJECT ASSESSMENTS - Science for Agriculture and Rural Development in Low-income Countries - page 168

3) Have your results been used, and if yes by whom, where and how?
Most publications have not appeared yet, and those that have were published only
recently. It is, however, expected that the results will find their way to both local scien-
tists, and local policymakers, as the International Journal of Ecology and Environ-
mental Sciences is published in India, and is, therefore, well accessible in the region.
4) What has been the benefit or impact (indicate evidence of impact, e.g., page hit
count)?
Scientific publications are still in the process of being published.
F) Lessons learned
What lessons have you learned from science, policy-oriented and capacity building
activities that could improve:
1) Future research on Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture
An integrated, multi-disciplined approach is crucial to analysing sustainable land use
issues in poor regions. The problems in these regions are usually multi-dimensional
and technical solutions should always be combined with an analysis of the socio-
economic settings and conditions.
2) The role of research in generating policy-relevant information in support of LNV
and other policy institutions
Research questions should closely be aligned to the priorities and interests of
policymakers and local stakeholders.
3) Partnerships and development efforts in the South
Good partnerships with (research) institutions in the South are crucial to the success
of an international research project. Establishing and developing networks with
partners in the South is important to Wageningen UR. Vice versa, research institutions
have a benefit in collaborating with Wageningen UR institutes with respect to exten-
ding their research agenda into new areas or working with new models (and software),
obtaining funds and receiving training.
G) Unfinished business and future challenges
1) Which important things remain to be done that could not be achieved by the
project?
Not enough data could be made available to run the erosion model and the bio-
economic model for all study areas. The reason was political instability, which made