Desertification
Desertification is of major and continuing concern to communities living in dry regions. It is the cause as well as the effect of poverty and endangers the welfare and livelihoods of future generations.
It is generally acknowledged that the causes of desertification are mainly human in origin. To combat desertification effectively, we need to understand these causes and underlying socioeconomic and cultural processes. This issue give an insight of the problem and present some solutions to cope with it.
Table of contents:
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4 - 5written by ILEIA editorial teamDesertification, better defined as land degradation, is of major and continuing concern to communities living in dry regions. It is the cause as well as the effect of poverty and endangers the welfare and livelihoods of future generations. This issue of the ILEIA Newsletter focuses on community action to combat desertification and on participatory methodologies to support communities in their efforts to devise effective ways of regaining their livelihoods.
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6 - 6written by Edit TubolyThe Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) is a UNCED convention. Unlike the Convention on Biological Diversity and Framewotk Convention on Climate Change, the CCD is still low on the political agenda. Its potential and importance for sustainable developement is generally underestimated. The CCD came into force in December 1996 and has been ratified by more than 150 states.
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7 - 7written by Juan Luis MeregaThe development of partnerships between the government and NGOs, a relatively new phenomenon in Argentina, is the resul of increasing democratisation following the fall of the dictatorship 15 years ago. However, the process of participation has not yet reached all levels. It is thus fortunate that, in ellaborating the National Action Plan against Desertification, the Argentine government, working through the Soil Conservation Directorate, has adopted an open and receptive attitude towards NGOs.
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8 - 10written by Karen Schoonmaker , Eric WoodThis article is derived from a study on the interaction between humans and their environment in the arid Sahel region of northern Senegal. It compares the pastoral community of Maka Ndandary to the sedentary agriculturists of Teud Bitty. Both villages are situated in the Pal-Mérinaguène sylvo-pastoral reserve, an area of declining rainfall. In the period 1931-1960 average rainfall was 473 mm. Twenty years later average rainfall had declined to 258 mm and was considerably more variable. The research was part of the Long-term Environmental Monitoring in Senegal Project and was carried out by EROS Data Center (EDC), the Centre de Suivi Ecologique (CSE), and two local NGOs. The study analysed information collected by remote sensing techniques (satellite and aerial photographs) and Rapid Rural Appraisals in both communities.
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11 - 13written by Anil Agarwal , Sunita NarainIndia is in water crisis despite its relatively high average rainfall. Water harvesting can offer a solution. If 5-10% of the land were used for rainwater collection there would be enough water for irrigation and household needs. Recent initiatives, both at community and government level, have made use of long-neglected water harvesting traditions. The results show that reviving water harvesting systems stimulate rural development and restores local ecosystems. This article discusses some of these initiatives and explores how community-led natural resource management can be facilitated.
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14 - 15written by Shree PadreIn 1985, the Tarun Bharath Sangh (TBS), a conservationist orientated NGO, started an initiative in Alwar district to combat rural poverty. In the years that followed, they mobilised the rich experiences of traditional water harvesting and created one of the largest nature regeneration movements India has seen. Revitalising the water harvesting tradition and reforestation recharged wells. This set in motion a whole chain of economic and ecological improvements that created new hope for the local villagers .One of the results of this initiative was the transformation of local rivers from ephemeral monsoon waterways into perennial rivers.
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16 - 17written by CDK MuhiaUHAI in Kiswahili means livelihood. It is the name given to a model designed to empower people to manage their natural resources sustainably and to enhance their livelihood through dynamic people\'s forums. The approach was developed in the early 1990s by KENGO (Kenya Energy and Environmental Organisation) as an alternative to failing conventional development. Conventional approaches tend to over-emphasis economic development at the expense of indigenous culture, wisdom, spirituality and social values, knowledge, technologies, experiences, skills and aspiration of the people. The UHAI model has been established in 15 Kenyan communities both in rural and urban settings and has proved to be an effective approach to regenerating the natural environment and to controlling desertification. This article discusses the main elements of UHAI and the experiences gained using this approach in the community of Wamburi.
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18 - 19In 1995, BAIF Development Research Foundation initiated the Adivasi Development Programme in Dharmapur, South Gujarat, India. The programme, which involved more than 11,000 families and 4000 ha of marginal land, is based on community-led participatory livelihood development. It seeks to promote horticulture, forestry species and crops. The `WADI\' (orchard) model, as the approach is known locally, is becoming a very popular way of regeneration degraded lands and developing sustainable livelihood for the rural poor. The programme has been selected for presentation at the UNDP Forum of Ministers on Poverty and Environment in New York, USA and EXPO 2000.
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20 - 21written by JA SoccalAccess to water is an essential condition for human development in the semi-arid zone and for combating desertification. Civil society in Brazil has successfully promoted some very inexpensive but effective technologies for water management. These are now beginning to be included in the federal public policies for the semi-arid northeast of the country. This article presents three of these technologies.
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22 - 23written by Roland Bunch , Gabino LopezIn Central America farmer experimenters are taking over some of the roles conventionally associated with researchers. COSECHA has been facilitating farmer experimentation in the hope of finding profitable ways of using micro-catchments for water-harvesting. On the bases of these experiences the authors challenge researchers to support this trend and adapt their roles to the farmer experimenter situation.
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24 - 25written by IFDC-AThe Soil Fertility Initiative was launched in 1996 under the aegis of the World Bank and in partnership with many institutions. The SFI aims at helping sub-Sahara African countries achieve sustainable increases in agricultural production while preserving the environment. These countries have been called upon to elaborate national strategies and action plans to secure improvements in soil fertility. Burkina Faso and Ghana were the first countries to formulate National Action Plans.
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26 - 28written by Jan Joost KesslerGiven the growing need for systematic participatory environmental analysis, planning and stakeholder coordination of activities to combat poverty and land degradation, AID Environment and the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) developed the Strategic Environmental Analysis (SEAN) methodological tool kit. In this article, the main characteristics of SEAN are discussed, using its application in Atacora Province in Northern Benin as an example.
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