Desertification Case Studies

Causes of desertification in the Horn of Africa

Political corruption, long term drought, fasting growing youthful population, malnutrition and famine, low worker productivity, lack of international investment, civil war, extremism, migration

Causes of desertification in the Horn of Africa - Migration

10,000 people per week to neighbouring countries

Causes of desertification in the Horn of Africa - Low worker productivity

Illness and lack of investment to increase exports to generate more income

Causes of desertification in the Horn of Africa - Malnutrition and famine

NGOs are preoccupied feeding and distributing medical supplies - focus taken off desertification issues

Causes of desertification in the Horn of Africa - Fast growing youthful populations

Fewer adults free to engage in sustainable farming as more are caring for children

Causes of desertification in the Horn of Africa - Long term drought

Failures of crops due to climate lead to soil erosion

Solutions to desertification in the Sahel

Education programs, stone lines, planting of shrubs, peace and stability

Solutions to desertification in the Sahel - Peace and Stability

Needed for effective mitigation - West more peaceful than East&Horn

Solutions to desertification in the Sahel - Education programs

Teaching farmers sustainable techniques and water conservation - Oxfam teaching drip-irrigation techniques

Solutions to desertification in the Sahel - Stone lines/bunds

To slow wind and reduce soil erosion

Solutions to desertification in the Sahel - Planting of perennial shrubs and other plants

Binds the soil with deep roots, develops a humus layer through decaying leaf litter, protects soil from harsh winds

Sustainable Land Management - Agroforestry

Integrating trees and shrubs into agricultural systems

Sustainable Land Management - Soil Conservation Techniques

Using contour plowing, terracing and cover crops

Sustainable Land Management - Sustainable Grazing Practices

Managing livestock to prevent overgrazing

Sustainable Land Management - The Sahel

The Great Green Wall Initiative aims to create a mosaic of green and productive landscapes across the Sahel. Countries like Senegal and Burkina Faso have successfully implemented agroforestry systems, combining acacia trees with crops to improve soil fertility and reduce erosion.

Sustainable Land Management - Holistic Management and Planned Grazing

Livestock is used to mimic natural herd behaviours to restore grasslands, used in various regions (Zimbabwe, Mexico, Patagonia, the Horn of Africa) where planned grazing has reversed desertification, improved soil health, and increased agricultural productivity - widespread adoption of holistic management could significantly mitigate climate change, restore ecosystems, and improve food security - low-cost, nature-based solution that can sequester carbon in soils, potentially bringing atmospheric carbon levels back to pre-industrial levels while feeding the world's population

Sustainable Land Management - Salinisation management, Australia

Dryland salinity is emerging as a major form of land and water degradation in southern Australia. Tree planting, in combination with other vegetation treatments, is regarded as a leading solution to dryland salinity. Planting trees can significantly lower groundwater tables, and thereby reverse the causal process of salinisation.

Reforestation

Planting trees in deforested areas

Afforestation

Planting trees in barren or marginal lands

China’s Great Green Wall

Expected to continue until 2050 and aims to plant around 88 million acres of forests in a wall stretching about 3000 miles and as wide as 900 miles in some places - largest tree-planting project in human history - thousands of acres of moving dunes have been stabilised and the frequency of sandstorms nationwide fell by one-fifth between 2009 and 2014

Technological advancements - Satellite monitoring

Using remote sensing to monitor land degradation and inform management practices

Technological advancements - Genetically Modified Crops

Developing drought-resistant and salt-tolerant crop varients

Technological advancements - GM tomatoes, California

By switching to GM tomato varieties, farmers can significantly reduce their water use whilst still maintaining the same yield. The approach can be conducted at scale but does require infrastructure, knowhow and access to the products.

Community-Based Approaches - Participatory Land Management

Involving local communities in planning and implementing land management practices

Community-Based Approaches - Empowering Women and Marginalized Groups

Ensuring inclusive decision-making and resource management

Community-Based Approaches - Niger’s Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR)

Revival of traditional practises of regenerating trees on agricultural land, improving soil fertility, crop yields and restoring millions of hectares of degraded land by managing natural tree growth.

Water Management - Rainwater Harvesting

Collecting and storing rainwater for agricultural and domestic use

Water Management - Drip Irrigation

Efficient water delivery systems that minimize waste

Water Management - Small Dams and Water Pans

Capturing Runoff to recharge groundwater and provide irrigtaion

Water Management - Foggaras, Algeria

A traditional irrigation scheme of man-made tunnels that use gravity fed water to irrigate land. The benefits include a reduction in the need for diesel pumps to extract groundwater, the underground tunnels prevent evaporation and water loss and the locally sourced building materials provides work and reduces the need to import materials from elsewhere.

Water Management - Partial root zone drying, Australia

One side of the plant’s roots is exposed to drought whilst at the same time the other side is irrigated. The irrigation of the part of root system keeps the upper part of crops in favorable water conditions, while the drought in other part of the roots induces chemical signals to make plants close stomata and reduce water loss by transpiration. This can halve water use whilst maintaining or increasing yield.

Water Management - Magic stones, Burkina Faso

Local communities have constructed low lines of stones known as bunds or magic stones along contour lines. These low stone walls are between 0.5 and 1.5 metres high and have been built by local people, using basic tools and trucks to transport the stones. These contour traps prevent soil and water being washed down the slope during heavy rainfall, so more water infiltrates the soil and less is lost through run-off. This has helped increase crop yield by up to 50%, and reduces the risk of desertification significantly.