Desertification in the Sahel (LEDC)

How big will the green wall be?

15km wide and up to 8,000km long.

Example of large group of displaced refugees/ people within the Sahel?

1998-99 - 30,000 people fled to Sudan during the Ethiopia/ Eritrea war.

Since the Eden project's arrival, how many families have they served?

20,000 households in the region.

How big is the Sahel region?

3 million km^2

What is the natural increase of the Sahel?

3.1% per year.

How much of the Sahel's GDP comes from agriculture?

40%

What proportion of people did the Club de Sahel estimate to use wood as energy?

82% of total energy needs in region supplied by wood.

What will the Great Green wall be?

A living green wall of trees and bushes, full of birds and other animals. Just south of the Sahara, from Djibouti in the Horn of Africa in the east, all the way across the continent to Dakar, Senegal, in the west.

Where was contour bunding introduced?

A local scheme operated in central plateau of Burkina Faso, occupied by the Mossi people.

What is the Great Green wall initiative?

A pan-African programme launched in 2007 by the African Union (AU). Goal: •reverse land degradation and desertification in the Sahel and Sahara •boost food security •support local communities to adapt to climate change.

Majority of Sahel population are

Agrarian and herd livestock and cultivate crops

What is the Sahel?

An eco-climatic, biogeographic zone of transition in Africa between Sahara in the north and Sudanian Savannah to the south.

What has project Agro-Forestiére (PAF) introduced the idea of?

Contour bunding in 1982.

What are the suggestion that desertification of the region is in fact a natural process?

Cycles of aridity proven by fossil evidence, showing the desert has experienced pluvial periods.

What is the main subsequent effect of deforestation?

Degradation of soil, because no longer bound together by roots, loss of soil structure leading to erosion.

What is a form of irrigation which involves appropriate technology?

Drip bucket irrigation.

What is the main cause of deforestation within the Sahel?

Energy insecurity.

Why are GM crops so important?

Improve success rate when farming and make it less likely that crops will fail.

What is the annual average rainfall?

Low. 100-600mm Most rain falls in June and September.

What is a form of soil erosion prevention which involves appropriate technology?

Magic stones, trap soil carried away by rainwater. This is important because poor soil structure of baked desert surface is very susceptible to aeolian and water erosion.

Why is the agricultural education so important in this agrarian society?

Most people are farmers and need to understand the importance of sustaining their land quality for the future.

Where is the Eden project mainly focused and why?

Niger - one of the driest countries in the world, the people are poor and have neither money nor water to spare.

What is the population of the Sahel?

Over 50 million people.

What projects have been introduced in Chad?

Project to convert all wood fired stoves to manure fired stoves. This has decreased number of respiratory diseases, less smoke.

How many countries does the Sahel run through?

Runs east to west across 10 countries in Africa: Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Eritrea.

What other foundations for solar energy are based in the Sahel?

SELF - Solar Electric Light Fund in Nigeria.

Where is the Sahel located?

Southern region of the Sahara desert in Africa.

What is the Eden Project?

The Eden Foundation have been trying to reduce the impacts of desertification by education and appropriate technology.

Main social conflict within the Sahel has been over:

The lake Chad, which has been depleted to less than 10% of its original size.

What project was introduced, and who by, in 1979?

The project Agro-Forestiére (PAF) by Oxfam.

How are the plants and trees planted by Eden project appropriate for the area?

The trees and bushes have been researched at a local field station and need neither irrigation nor chemical fertilisers to grow.

What is the Eden Project's solution?

To bring them trees and bushes that can grow naturally in this dry area and give food, even in times of need.

How much has the Lake Chad been depleted by?

To less than 10% of its original size.

How much more do treated plots by contour bunding yield?

Treated plots yielded 972 kg/hectare Untreated plots yielded 612 kg/hectare.

How much has the Great Green wall initiative cost?

US$3billion

When does the Sahel receive rain?

When the ITCZ shifts, causing occasional rain.

What is the method of farming called used by the Eden Project?

direct seeding - adapted to the farmers' means.

What has pledged money to the Green Wall Initiative?

• Global Environment Facility (GEF) promised up to $115m to support construction. •International development institutions made investment pledges to support building the wall, of up to $3bn.

Physical causes of desertification in the Sahel:

•1968-1997 rainfall in the Sahel decreased between 29% and 49% •Low rainfall led to a 5 year meteorological drought from 1968-1978 •Resultant famine and death of more than 100,000 people and 12 mn cattle.

Anthropogenic causes of desertification in the Sahel:

•1968-1998 population increased from 274mn to 628mn, more pressure on services/ resources. •Total area of land used for agriculture increased from 8mn hectares in 1960 to over 16mn hectares in 2000. •Political instability and war has led to migration of people to refugee camps •Pressure on surrounding environment to provide enough food for enlarged population. •1998-99 - 30,000 people fled to Sudan during the Ethiopia/ Eritrea war.

What are the benefits of contour bunding?

•Cheap and popular erosion control method •Successfully used to maximise water use and prevent soil erosion •Increased some yields by 40%

Small-scale initiatives to tackle desertification:

•Diguettes to reduce soil erosion. •Early drought warning systems (to prevent food shortages) •Efficient farming techniques •HYVs •Afforestation programmes: 'Sahel Eco.'

Environmental impacts of desertification in the Sahel:

•Erosion of top soil = reduced area of productive agricultural land in the Sahel. •Mauritania, all thats left is a 200km wide strip running across the country. •Niger loses 2,500km of land each year (area size of Luxembourg) •Leaching of soil •Salinisation

Demographic impacts of desertification in the Sahel:

•Food production is increased by 2% per year •Population growth of 3.1% per year •This is disproportionate and food production does not keep up with growth in population. •Leaving 21 million more people to feed every day. •Malthus situation.

When did Niger put in its section of green belt and what did it comprise of?

•Greenbelt around capital, Niamey, 2,500km hectare plantation of local and introduced species. •2 hectare recreational park.

Social impacts of desertification in the Sahel:

•Over 2mn people migrated from Mali to Burkina Faso. •Reduced agricultural production •Increased food prices bring risk of hunger from 34% to roughly 70% in Mali by 2030. •Cattle population in Gourma decreased by 80% 1971-1988 => loss of livelihood and now starving.

Economic impacts of desertification in the Sahel:

•Some of Niger now produces less than a 20th of the food they could have produced 40 years ago, loss of livelihood and possible famine. •Chad - 9% negative growth rate in 1973 •Chad's GDP per capita reached $120 by 1975 •Yield losses of over 20% of wheat, corn and other corse grains.

What education is given by Eden Project?

•The seeds are given for free and then shown how to be planted and irrigated efficiently. •Advice on preventive health and other practicalities.