The Sahel and desertification
The lower Sahelain region is a strip of land bordering the extreme fringe of the Sahara. The land extends from Chad to Cape Verde covering a surface area of 5.4 million Km2 for a population of more than 50,000,000 inhabitants
The Sahel is a transition zone between the arid North and the verdant tropical forest that borders the littoral. The vegetal cover is composed of bushes, grasses and trees that become more and more dense as one goes south. Today, the term 'Sahel' applies as much as to a geopolitical entity as to an agro-climatic zone.
A major factor in climate change, vegetation, hydric potential and the future of available natural resources for the populations of the Sahelian populations, desertification is a dire phenomenon for this region of the world. Desertification refers to the destruction of lands in arid, semi-arid, and semi-humid arid areas.
Localization
Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. The GDP per capita is estimated to be 366 US dollars per year, life expectancy is 48 years and the literacy rate is 19%. In the Human Development Index (HDI), Mali is ranked 175th of 177 countries (UNPD 2006), well summarizing the situation.
About 72% of the population live in rural areas, agriculture is the means for existence of 80% of the population and contributes to 34% of the GDP.
The reforestation project concerns the region of Mopti, situated in the center of Mali. This region parcels out in many zones; the interior delta of Niger around the city of Mopti, the Bandiagara Cliff, and the plain of Bankass along the border of Burkina Faso. The Mopti region is divided into eight ranges (Bandiagara, Bankass, Djenné, Douentza, Koro, Ténenkou, Youvarou et Mopti) merging 108 villages. The four villages that the project concerns are found in the Mopti range; one of the sites concerns the village of Mopti, the three others are Fatoma, Konna and Sio.
Agro-silvicultural development
The primary objective of reforestation is to favor local economic development and to improve the quality of life of populations in the areas concerned. The project starts on the family level. 1 to 1.5 ha will be allotted to each family who will be responsible for the agro-forestry production and the care of the plantation. The planted species will be complementary and will provide for many needs: forage production, fruit farming and market gardening.
The living hedges surrounding the parcel will prevent livestock from entering the lot. The production will also allow for alimentary and economic self-sufficiency for each family, around 10 people on average. The garden and fruit productions will also diversify their food intake and making up for vitamin and fiber deficiencies, often very significant in Sahelian zones.
A restraint on the advancement of the desert
The second objective of our project is the adaptation of local populations to climate changes and providing them with concrete responses to the danger that desertification will present for the future of their agricultural activities. In creating a virtuous circle, reforestation allows not only generation and improvement of agricultural revenues but also favors the protection and structure of soils which in turn increases agro-forestry output.
The hedges as well as fruit and forage trees that we will be planting will participate in the hydraulic regulation of the Sahelian biotope. Furthermore, they will limit streaming, store water and favor the replenishment of groundwater.
The species of trees concerned in our project will participate in soil protection against water and wind erosion. In fact, they will play a role in protecting against the harmattan while the roots of the trees improve soil structure and increase its capacity for water infiltration and therefore resistance against erosion.
Performance and energy moderation for the introduction of improved homes in favor of Mali's local populations
(Additional programs are currently under study)
In addition to agro-silvicultural development programs and restraints on desertification in Mali, a program will be drafted for the optimal usage of cooking resources. It tries to propose to the populations of the 5th region of Mali to use 'enhanced' cooking stoves, that is, ones that use two to four times less wood and/or carbon. The pressure on these wooded lands will be greatly diminished (the benefit in terms of CO² emissions is evident) as well as the job of wood collecting for women. |
