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Trees against Drought

July 27, 2011: Highlighting the importance of trees in Drought prone regions in the wake of current crisis in the Horn of Africa.
Trees against Drought

Child in front of ironwood tree trunk. Photo: Mark Edwards

Currently the countries in the Horn of Africa are facing one of the severest droughts in over six decades. The UN office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) predicts that at least 12 million people in parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Uganda and Dijbouti face chronic food shortages and are in need of large scale humanitarian assistance.

Aid agencies are crying out for more permanent strategies to combat future food shortages caused by droughts. Droughts are commonplace in the sub-Saharan region, however in recent times due to climate changes farmers are finding it more and more difficult to predict when or if the rainy season will begin. The increasingly erratic weather in this region is further compounding the real need for longer term strategies to enable these populations to cope when shocks such as droughts or failed harvests occur.

So what are some possible long term drought preventing or alleviating strategies? NGO’s have been working in the area for sometime advising farmers on which crops to plant. In arid drought prone regions, crops like millet, sorghum or pigeon peas are being encouraged as they are more resilient in the face of water shortages. Other methods being endorsed are to install rain harvesting tanks and repair existing water sources and drip irrigation schemes which ensure water is directed to the root of the crop to avoid the loss of excess water.

The current issue of Farming Matters focuses on Trees and Farming. It explores various projects and programs documenting examples of Agroforestry around the world. The current crisis in the horn of Africa prompted me to explore the link between deforestation and drought and how Agroforestry can be used against or to survive the adversity induced by drought. “Trees are significantly more resilient to such conditions than the annual crops that most farmers grow” writes Dov Pasternak in his article “Keep Africa covered”. The benefits of trees are well documented. Trees help buffer moisture conditions in the atmosphere and can help to safeguard against droughts in a variety of ways. Their leaves help shade the ground below, this reduces the temperature and slows the rate of moisture evaporation from the surrounding soil. Leaf litter acts as a type of barricade which slows down water runoff from the land surface giving it more chance to seep in and replenish the groundwater system.

Tree roots are also of huge benefit too. Not only can they tap into moisture that lies deep in the ground, helping add more water to the local cycle, tree roots also hold soil in place, keeping it to a certain extent from eroding away. This is a particularly helpful attribute of trees existing in drought susceptible conditions. And of course, as trees grow, they transpire, releasing water vapour into the atmosphere, both cooling the atmosphere and creating new sources of vital rainwater.

However despite the crucial value of the presence of trees to these arid regions, this area like many parts of the world has lost significant percentages of its forests. Due to factors like population expansion, lack of land ownership and need for money and fuel, the deforestation rate in Africa is four times the worlds average.

Of course there are still many parts of the region where the importance of trees is recognised and where they are depended upon for survival. In the Western Lowlands of Eritrea, semi-nomadic farmers are dependent on the management collection and processing of forest products as well as crops and livestock. In times of drought or war times they depend on the harvesting and selling of the leaves from the Dom Palm. They however always take care not to overcut this valuable resource recognising its importance to their survival particularly in difficult times and to the poorer in the community. You can read more about this example of North-eastern African Agro forestry in the “Coping with Disaster” edition of farming matters.

Farm Africa is currently training farmers and locals in Ethiopia. The training was designed to help them identify which non-timber forest products they could most successfully use as the basis for sustainable businesses. Each group then shared their findings with the other participants and together they were able to review the potential markets for cardamom, pepper and honey. The World Agroforestry Centre has been working on arrangements between farmers and communities in exchange for environmental services. A pilot study in Malawi where farmers received financial rewards for planting trees is an example of such an initiative.

However despite the many innovative schemes taking place both through locals and organisations there are many obstacles standing in the way. Governments unfortunately do not yet see conserving trees as a main priority. Forests occupy fertile land with high water tables, which is ideal for irrigated agriculture of cash crop.

Poverty and political instability in many countries that lie in the horn of Africa make long term planning difficult. This region has been long since known as one of the most conflict-driven areas of the world. Also a considerable problem in Africa compared with other areas losing large amounts of forests is the lack of land ownership. According to the Rights and Resources Initiative, less than 2% of Africa's forests are under community control, compared to a third in Latin America and Asia. These are all very serious hurdles standing in the way of a move towards more sustainable ways of life needed to try to prevent near famine situations continually arising.

Perhaps the desperate reality of this current drought induced crisis is the push that governments need to start planning longer term strategies and getting behind projects and schemes to alleviate drought inducing conditions already being implemented on a small scale. With government support more large scale initiatives can be executed. Deforestation is one of the factors making the climate drier. Trees help bind the land, preserve vital biodiversity, retain and funnel water and prevent desertification. There needs to be a realisation amongst those in charge that though timber from trees and the lands gained through deforestation are valuable in the short term, in the long term fight against drought, trees need to be recognised as some of Africa’s most vital allies.

Further reading:

Text: Ellen Naughton

Document Actions
Elijah Nyarangi
Elijah Nyarangi says:
Jul 28, 2011 12:24 PM

I wonder why governments wait till deaths are happening before they take action.
The situation in the horn of Africa is a shame to human civilization. Send those who did not take action to the Haigue. They are as guilty as those that perpetrate violence or even worse!!!!

Mohan Reddy Vishwavaram
Mohan Reddy Vishwavaram says:
Jul 28, 2011 03:30 PM

So what are some possible long term drought preventing or alleviating strategies? The question looks rather naive? The nature has its own strategies, which are perfectly resilient. We have trampled with the nature so much so that it recoiled on us in the form of weather pattern distortions. You do not know when the rains occur? Nature never knew droughts. Droughts are our own creation. Little do we realize that the droughts are caused by the fatal collapse of the recycling of rainwater. Far little is the realization that the weather pattern distortions are a continuation of the droughts and caused by none other than the collapse of the recycling of rainwater. Little also do we realize that it is the recycling of rainwater, which ensures assured/perpetual crop moisturisation for the best part of the year. Little do we realize that the direct wetting by the rainfall events plays only a small part in the crop moisturisation. Help reinvigorate the recycling of the rainwater we can double crop the upland rain fed areas. And our ancestry used to raise two rain fed crops in succession. Let me sum it saying a) it is the Sun, which triggers the recycling of rainwater, which in turn ensures rhythmic pattern of rainfall. The rain god is regulated by the Sun in the ultimate analysis? But we need to regulate the Sun, without which it goes bizarre and robs the farmers for no less than 70% of their rainwater besides leaving the rain god unruly. The agro forestry (trees)play a very critical role in regulating the Sun. Agro forestry thus makes in to a necessary condition in reinvigorating the recycling of rainwater but it falls far short in providing a sufficient condition. There is lot more left desired to generate food and water surpluses.

Ross Hagan
Ross Hagan says:
Jul 30, 2011 11:12 AM

Population management, wherein numbers of people and other users do not exceed land carrying capacity, is an essential but untalked about component of natural resources management. Planting trees and improved agroecological farming practices will do no good if the number of people expands faster than the improvements yielded. Drought is nature's way of balancing and it is futile to fight it, better to take advantage of the opportunity to improve.

B.J. cowen
B.J. cowen says:
Jul 31, 2011 07:37 PM

Very good article. Limiting deforestation is certainly part of the solution, it helps against the effects of drought, there are many other actions that need to be taken to prevent overuse of the land which inevitably leads to erosin and desertification. Limiting grazing, population control and improving irrigation are all important. Perhaps these issues will not get the attention they deserve until there are impacts on the large western nations, perhaps through ever increasing migration as the effects of climate chamge intensify.
I enjoyed your article and look forward to reading another soon. BJC

Sebastian Müller
Sebastian Müller says:
Aug 01, 2011 04:33 PM

With an ever growing population and its demand for more resources, working on the environment should be combined with drastic changes in the way the government handles their population's growth. Female emancipation is a key to this issue. Men decide the family size,they want their families to be wealthier, more prestigious as a big family, leading to a bigger demand for resources. Especially because the death rate in infants is still very high. Children are also an insurance for the parents once theyre older. This huge demand on the countries resources mostly focussing on economic growth results in deforestation.

As the human tragedy unfolds in the horn of africa. I hope the world doesnt forget about it, and realizes how big this problem really is. My thoughts are with the 10 million faced by extreme drought and hunger.

Leo Welsh
Leo Welsh says:
Sep 22, 2011 12:47 PM

This is interesting. Like the author points out this is only part of possible solution or at least that trees should be valued more in the fight against drought. However I am intrigued to know what exactly are the population managment strategies that some of the commentors have in mind?

Balucuc
Balucuc says:
Aug 22, 2012 12:36 PM

I just picked this book up from our local lbiarry yesterday and should start reading it within a day or two, so I'm glad you're posting tidbits as you read the book.Where I live (west-central Texas), we're already seeing temps that we usually do not see for another month or two -- we've had a number of days in the high-80's and low- to mid-90's, and we've not had a good rain since last September. This does not bode well for May thru August, which are typically high-90's and into the 100's and dry-ish.Yes, I can imagine 10,000 people dying in one of our cities due to heatstroke, especially in cities along the southern coast where humidity remains high and your body simply cannot cool off (I'm specifically thinking of Houston, where I lived for many years), especially when brownouts and blackouts occur because of high temps and A/Cs being run more than usual. Public spaces may be useful during the daytime, assuming those people who cannot afford to run their A/C have a way to get to those public spaces, but what about nighttime? Nighttime can be quite brutal when it's been 100+ degrees during the day and the nighttime temps are still in the mid- to high-80's for days on end. You just don't get a sense of relief from the heat at any point.Our little city of 100,000 is the big city for many of the surrounding rural areas. When my kiddo was sick Jan. 2007, the doctor wanted to admit him to the hospital overnight, but then the doctor found out the pediatrics ward was full because so many kids were in the hospital because of the flu (dehydration) -- this is a typical scenario around here during flu season, kids and the elderly being admitted for dehydration when sick with the flu. We ended up bringing kiddo home, much to his and our relief, and that worked out just fine. But I definitely believe bottlenecks at our two local hospitals would be a huge problem if we started having lots of people needing to be treated and/or admitted for heatstroke, especially if folks from the surrounding rural areas were also needing that medical assistance.

Shaida
Shaida says:
Aug 24, 2012 08:15 AM

I live in Paris and we were here at the start of that heat wave in 2003. It got to be really hot. It soptped cooling down at night, at least to any level of relief. I think all those deaths came about partly because people here aren't used to dealing with temperatures THAT high (you need to adopt ALL the tricks: closing windows and curtains during the day, not moving too much until the sun goes down, drinking lots of water, even wetting your arms and head, and letting evaporation help to cool you, with the help of a fan).The other big factor was older folks, who don't always notice that they are thirsty and can get really dehydrated. People didn't realize how big the risks were, and how people needed to be looked out for.In Greece, where we visit family a lot, it often gets up to well over 100 F in the summer. There, the people are more used to dealing with it (think "siesta"). They don't even drive with AC, since that would cost too much in gas. Instead you drive with the windows open and a big scarf on, if you have long hair that you want to keep unmatted.It's true that in the U.S., people are less at risk from the heat due to all the AC (which IMHO maintains the temperature WAY too low - I have to go outside periodically to warm up). But then if breakdowns or blackouts occur in the electricity supply, people will be all the more vulnerable and unused to coping without the AC.

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