let the roots grow
When a desert is formed it means that its land has transformed from life in verdant bloom into its negation - a dusty, infertile void, absent of fertile soil, thriving plants and human life. For millions of people who rely on soil health directly for their livelihoods, desertification means entering the death spiral. But amidst the world’s increasingly arid conditions, there are the shoots of hope — Desertification can be reversed.
Often it is the simplest traditional techniques, cultivated by indigenous people over thousands of years, which transform these lifeless places back into healthy, life-sustaining habitats.
one man against the desert
Stories of community action against desertification, like the work done by the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust and Justdiggit, can be found all over the world. One of the most famous examples is Yacouba Sawadogo’s incredible work in Burkina Faso.
In recent years, the northernmost Sahel region of Burkina Faso has undergone a terrible transformation, part of which stemmed from its colonial occupation. In a 2016 Smithsonian article, Jim Morrison wrote that “Farmers in the Sahel had learned from French colonists to clear land for agriculture and keep crops separate from trees. Under French colonial law and new laws that countries adopted after independence, any trees on a farmer’s property belonged to the government. Farmers who cut down a tree for fuel would be threatened with jail. The idea was to preserve forests; it had the opposite effect.” This colonial and governmental interference in farming and land management had damaging long-term effects on a region that was already dealing with external threats.
Throughout history Sahel’s climate has fluctuated between extreme droughts and periods of heavy rainfall. Climate change has exacerbated the damage caused by such fluctuations culminating in the catastrophic 1985 famine where the majority shepherd population lost their livestock, and their livelihoods, to one of the worst droughts in the region’s history. Massive migration followed and the international community began to take notice of the disastrous effects desertification was having on the community.
Yacouba had lived through the effects of climate change first hand, as infrequent rain and drought reduced the land around his house to a barren wasteland. Many people in his community moved away but he stayed, resolutely pursuing different methods to bring life back to his beloved land.
justdiggit’s traditional greening techniques
learning from traditional techniques
Like the Maasai people in Rainnmakers II rediscovered traditional methods of land management like Olopololi plots, Yacouba experimented with a series of techniques before he came across an ancient farming technique called Zai - where pits are dug into the soil allowing water to flow in and be stored, to make sure crops stay hydrated.
Once Yacouba realised the Zai technique worked, he began to experiment by making the pits bigger and deeper than normal. He then found that adding manure into the pit allowed more water to be stored, whilst improving nutrients in the soil. Yacouba then added a stone wall around crops and planting pits so that water could slowly trickle through and absorb into the soil without causing topsoil loss.
Perhaps the most exciting of his innovations was the addition of termites to the planting pits. As the termites began to break up the soil and provide more nutrients, they dramatically improved the planting conditions for crops and trees. It is yet another example of innovative regenerative, biodiversity boosting techniques stemming from the adoption and adaptation of traditional farming techniques.
After recognising the importance of trees, he began to plant them on his land to boost his crop yield. The trees gave important shade to crops, acted as windbreaks to prevent wind erosion of topsoil and provided natural fertiliser in the form fallen leaves. Trees also help produce rainfall through evapotranspiration, meaning they are essential for crops and reducing the temperature in the area.
On his land alone, Yacouba has regenerated 12 hectares of forest which boost local ecosystems and produce large areas of fertile croplands to plant on. After cultivating his methods, he began hosting bi-yearly “Market days” on his farm where farmers from over 100 villages gather to share seed samples, swap tips, and learn from one another. From the community these days have developed, farmers in the Sahel region have learnt these vital techniques and are beginning to bring life back to their farms, reclaiming land from the desert.
Yacouba now works with Tree Aid on their Growing Food and Incomes Project, where they create ‘nutrition gardens’ to grow and care for moringa and baobab trees, providing nutritious food to 2,000 households. They also work with local authorities to influence policies and laws, helping to protect trees and promote the use of their products to make things like shea butter to sell. Finally they help provide communities with tools, training, and opportunities to sell their products in shops and kiosks. Tree Aid have a number of projects across Burkina Faso and have achieved staggering figures including planting over 1 million trees in the country in 2019/20 in addition to protecting and restoring thousands of hectares of land.
As communities in Burkina Faso and other drought affected areas adapted traditional techniques and knowledge cultivated by local groups, in congruence with the funding, organisation and support of charities like Justdiggit and Tree Aid, the battle against desertification has the chance, not only to revitalise vast swathes of land that seemed to have been lost, but to lift people out of poverty, empower women to pursue careers and revitalise economies founded on sustainable principles.
