[...]... 726 to 256 is likely due to land degradation Mapping of land slides and flood prone areas, and the monitoring of land productivity have also been used as bases for identifying land degradation in selected areas Based on the inventory, degraded land has increased significantly, mainly due to the impacts of drought and flooding in most parts of Indonesia The rate of land degradation attributed to drought... levels However, Malaysia is not free of land degradation problems and there are real and constant threats from land degradation Unlike dry regimes where land degradation is attributed to lack of rainfall, the threats of land degradation in Malaysia are due to excessive amounts of seasonal rain which can badly damage unprotected sites, especially sloping hill land, resulting in severe soil erosion and... as more land was utilized Problem Areas and Degraded Lands Problem areas include land with predominantly fragile ecosystems such steepland, peat, acid sulfate and BRIS soils The steepland and the mountains together are the largest fragile ecosystem and occupy 15.7 million ha of land (78% of the total fragile land or 48% of the nation) Peat takes up 2.6 million ha of land (13% of the fragile land or... various agricultural activities Land Degradation and Mitigation Measures A national program to combat land degradation is built into forestry, water and agriculture resources conservation measures and legislation, resulting in minimal land degradation in the country Sectors involved in land development continue to implement stringent mitigation measures to minimize land degradation These measures are... National Action Programme (NAP) on Combating Land Degradation (CLD) in Indonesia was adopted The strategy of combating land degradation in Indonesia is also integrated into the strategies of the agriculture, fishery, and forestry sectors All strategies in the National Action Plan (NAP) have been incorporated into the National Development Plan 2004 To combat land degradation, sustainable forest management... mitigation of land degradation For the National Agriculture Policy (NAP), emphasis is given to increasing productivity through the efficient use of land resources The opening of new land is discouraged and concerted efforts are made to increase the efficient use of under-utilized land, idle land and even marginal land such as acid sulfate and BRIS soils and mined-out areas For optimal land use, mixed... sulfate soils, which cover 1.31 million ha (7% of the fragile land or 4% of the nation) BRIS and tin tailings together take up approximately 0.5 million ha Steepland and Mountains Steepland refers to land with slopes of 25º and up These occur in both the lowlands (300 masl), while mountains are found in the highlands In general, slope 26 • OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2006 increases... silting, water pollution and frequent flash floods Land degradation is most eminent in fragile ecosystems such as steepland and mountainous areas that are considered environmentally sensitive areas These areas are characterized by shallow soils, which can be easily degraded and eroded Degraded lands comprise problem soils, such as mined-out land, peat land, land with acid sulfate soils, impoverished sandy... Trinidad), an upland watershed municipality, who assigned the municipal technicians to the project, and has further inspired the local community to support the implementation of the project ASEAN BIODIVERSITY • 13 UNCCD COUNTRY REPORTS Desertification and Land Degradation in ASEAN D ESERTIFICATION IS DEFINED BY the United Nations Convention to Com bat Desertification (UNCCD) as land degradation in... decision of the Department of Forestry prohibiting the opening of land above 1000 masl for any form of development, will protect these areas from any man-made degradation process and thus help to preserve the unique fragile ecosystem of the land Legislation or laws to combat land degradation include the Land Conservation Act (1960), National Land Code (1965), Environment Quality Act (1974), Town and Country . to combat land degradation. One is entitled “Philippines’ Best Practice to Combat Land Degradation and De- sertification”. The author shares that the “Philippines best practice to combat land degradation. year after the National Action Programme (NAP) on Combating Land Degradation (CLD) in Indonesia was adopted. The strategy of combating land degradation in Indonesia is also integrated into the. 256 is likely due to land degradation. Mapping of land slides and flood prone areas, and the monitoring of land productivity have also been used as bases for identifying land degradation in selected