ABSTRACT
Primary data on soil and terrain as well as on other environmental resources form the baseline for the development of land qualities and for monitoring changes in land degradation. The demand for accurate, up-to-date, and readily accessible data on natural resources is repeated by expressing, and is also reflected, in various international research and development initiatives, such as Global Terrestrial Observing Systems (GTOS); the Soil, Water, and Nutrient Management (SWNM) Program of the CGIAR; and the World Bank’s Land Quality Indicators (LQI) Program. In this paper an approach is described for the assessment of land resources, their potentials, problems, and possible solutions. This approach is based on three internationally endorsed and widely used methodologies: the Soil and Terrain digital database (SOTER), assessments of human-induced soil degradation (global: GLASOD/Asia: ASSOD), and the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT). The individual methodologies are described and examples given, as well as the possibilities and advantages of linking the systems.
