Dialogue with Islamic courts and compliance of L’Aquila Commitment for sustainable agricultural development essential to address drought in the Horn of Africa

Districts affected by

drought in 2011

On 25 July government and civil society representatives from around the globe gathered in Rome at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s headquarters to discuss emergency relief and funding gaps for the people affected by the drought in the Horn of Africa

According to government representatives, U.N. officials and nonprofit representatives the response was not activated too late to last year’s early warnings

Districts affected by
drought in 2006

While the distribution of food was guaranted in Ethiopia, in Kenya and in northern-central Somalia, a big challenge is in south Somalia, a region mainly controlled by the Islamic courts. In Somalia, a country affected by a constant conflict in the last 20 years; eight regions are in the hands of Al-Shabab, who forbid international organizations from operating with specialized staff coming from abroad. Therefore, by learning from the past it is essential not too repeat the error made with the drought in 2006 when the international community refused the dialogue with the Islamic courts. it is time to start a dialogue with Al-Shabab as it controls eight regions in central-southern Somalia.

Official Map Horn of Africa
 United Nations

Another issue of concern is the fact that the donor countries just respected only the 22 % of the pledges made for agriculture, for food security through the the L’Aquila commitment for sustainable agricultural development in 2009.

Zai in Sahel region. Successful story of re-greening the Sahara

According to an FAO classification based on average annual precipitation and agricultural features there are four different eco-climatic zones in the Sahel region:

Sahel Region

Sahelian zone: Where average annual precipitation ranges between 250 and 500 mm. This zone is at the limit of perennial vegetation. In parts where precipitation is less than 350 mm, only pastures and occasional short-cycle drought-resistant cereal crops are grown; all cropping in this zone is subject to high risk.

Sudano-Sahelian zone: Where average annual precipitation ranges from 500 to 900 mm. In those parts of this zone where precipitation is less than 700 mm, mostly crops with a short growing cycle of 90 days are generally cultivated predominantly sorghum and millet.

Sudanian zone: Where average annual precipitation ranges from 900 to 1 100 mm. In this zone, most cereal crops have a growing cycle of 120 days or more. Most cereals, notably maize, root and cash crops are grown in this zone.

Guinean zone: Where average annual precipitation exceeds 1 100 mm. Guinea-Bissau and a small area of southern Burkina Faso belong to this zone, more suited to root crop cultivation.

The zai method helps farmers cultivating crops in a region characterized by arid soils and limited rainfalls.
However, only the introduction of adequate policies and important investments in infrastructures could leverage the success of local initiatives in the implementation of effective food security strategies  at national scale. A number of important issues to be considered for future action were pointed out in the paper entitled Regreening the Sahel published by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD):

Lessons learned*

Policy changes are essential for the success of on-farm regreening in the Sahel, and the

process should continue. National policies and legislation must support farmer investment

in trees, and farmers should be granted exclusive rights to the trees in their fields.

A wide range of other factors can contribute to this process:

• substantial public support for private investment in soil and water conservation;

• improvement of trunk roads, which reduces transport costs and allows traders to send

their trucks to remote areas to buy new products;

• generally sound macroeconomic management, without discrimination against

agriculture and natural resources;

• substantial local capacity-building by NGOs and other stakeholders (technical,

organizational and management skills);

• government action to increase awareness of environmental problems and their

solutions

Further info also in the following blog:
Global Warming & Terra Forming Terra: Agroforestry Revolution in Sahel

InterAction developed map geotagging food security projects around the world

InterAction has developed a map providing information about 791 projects involving 50 organanizations around the world. Below you could find a screenshot of the original map.

InterAction

Zai in Sahel region. A traditional farming practice to face desertification and climate change

In the West Sahel Region, particularly in Burkina Faso (former Alto Volta), Mali and Niger local cultivation techniques used by farmers for centuries have been adapted to the new climate conditions. Sahelian farmers dig holes called Zai with dimensions varying with the type of soil. Pits are dug during the dry season from November until May and the number of Zai pits per hectare varies from 12,000 to 25,000.(The number of zai per hectare and their dimensions determine how much water they harvest. The bigger the number and the smaller their size, the less water they each harvest.)
After digging the pits, composted organic matter is added and after the first rainfall, the matter is covered with a thin layer of soil and the seeds placed in the middle of the pit.
Zai fulfils three functions: soil and water conservation and erosion control for encrusted soils.
By concentrating water and fertility in pits, crop yields increase. Tiny trees began to sprout amid his rows of millet and sorghum, thanks to seeds contained in the manure. It became apparent that the trees–now a few feet high–were further increasing crop yields while also restoring soil fertility.

The tree-based farming technique adopted in the Sahel could help millions coping with climate change. Already these practices have spread across vast portions of Burkina Faso and neighboring Niger and Mali, turning millions of acres of what had become semi-desert in the 1980s until th 2000s into more productive land.

Further information:

• Donor funds for creation of Great Green African Wall
• The Sahel green again
• The emergence and spreading of an improved traditional soil and water conservation practice in Burkina Faso
• West Africa Land Use and Land Cover Trends Project