Information System –
A Tool of Follow-up the Process of Desertification

Dr. Said Adil

Water, Forestry and Desertification Department
Combating Desertification Direction - Rabat – Morocco
e-mail: adil_said06@yahoo.fr

Abstract

Understanding and management of land degradation processes is a subject of numerous initiatives and programs led by various stakeholders at different scales. The division of stakeholders, sometimes pursuing contradictory objectives, is at the origin of many failures and information redundancy, dispersal, and wasting. Also, the lack of concern for proper filing and of mechanisms that favor the information exchange contribute to the erosion of the already reduced capital information, and express itself more and more in behaviors which are similar to practices of holding back information.

These concerns and constraints suggest the necessity of promoting the concepts of transparency, partnership and information exchange. The adoption of these principles requires the implementation of innovative mechanisms, which institutionalize the practices of dialogue and sharing that favor the information exchange. Naturally, the mechanisms of putting at disposition more information have to take into account imperatives and restrictions which impose rules on the intellectual property rights and the concern for the protection of certain data or information that have commercial values, are confidential or of a strategic importance for national security and sovereignty. The elaboration of a national program of combating desertification, approaches and updates has to address four issues:

1. Favor the exchange of the information between the stakeholders, making the results of their works and their initiatives more easily visible;

2. Implement proper filing to reduce the risks of loss of capital information, avoid redundancy and the wasting of financial means resulting from decentralized efforts.

3. Follow and estimate the process of elaboration and application of the National Action Program.

4. Improve the flow of information and the tools of help make decision relevant to combating desertification.