Title: A Feasibility Study for an International Year of Landcare

Environmental challenges such as land degradation, climate change and loss of biodiversity are steadily growing globally. In order to address these challenges and achieve longterm sustainability, a holistic and interdisciplinary approach such as Landcare needs to be adopted worldwide. Landcare focuses on empowering local people to willingly take action on local problems, and integrates those actions in addressing broader issues. In countries where it has been applied, the Landcare approach has shown to be highly successful in changing attitudes and simulating new ideas among land users. This paper reviews the concept and effectiveness of the Landcare approach, and describes its rationale, strengths and weaknesses. It further explores the feasibility of establishing an International Year of Landcare. The importance of the United Nations declaring a Year of Landcare is examined, and some real cases are cited in support. Activities and processes for gaining support for this concept are discussed, as well as procedures for establishing an International Year of Landcare. Possible goals, objectives and programmes are also outlined. The conclusion of this report is that, if well planned, the concept of establishing an International Year of Landcare is ethically, culturally and environmentally feasible, and an excellent way to contribute to the future achievement and implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, decades, conventions and other sustainability goals.