Indigenous soil and water Indigenous soil and water conservation methods in conservation methods in

Africa.Africa.Presented by:Presented by:

Becky HumphreyBecky Humphrey

(MSc Water Resources)(MSc Water Resources)

IntroductionIntroduction

What is indigenous knowledge?

• ‘The knowledge used by local people to make a living in a particular environment.’

• ‘A body of knowledge built up by a group of people through generations of living in close contact with nature.’

Indigenous knowledge is based on:Indigenous knowledge is based on:

• Adapting to the specific requirements of local people.

• Creating and experimenting with methods to suit local environmental conditions.

• The incorporation of outside influences, together with inside innovations.

• Cultural knowledge• Consideration of social, political, economic

and spiritual aspects of the local lifestyle.

Soil and Water ConservationSoil and Water Conservation

• Need to take holistic approach in dealing with any aspect of environmental conservation.

• Soil processes and runoff processes affect each other, therefore it makes sense to use methods which incorporate both factors.

Types of SWC methodsTypes of SWC methods

• Earth / stone bunds• Bench / step terraces• Improved planting pits• Micro basins• Pitting• Modification of contour ridges• Mulching• Contour stone bunds• mounds

Types of SWC methods (continued)Types of SWC methods (continued)

• Strips• Vegetation barriers• Grass strips• Drainage ditches• Basin irrigation• Ridge cultivation• Raised bed cultivation• Hedge barriers

Focus on AfricaFocus on Africa

• Long history of traditional farming methods.

• Diverse landscape between & within individual countries.

• Inhospitable terrain.• Harsh climatic extremes.• Usually very hot and dry, but problem of

flash floods during rainy season also exists.

Case StudiesCase Studies

• The Dogon Plateau, Mali

• Southern Zimbabwe

• Upper East Region, Ghana

• Harerge Highlands, Ethiopia

Traditional SWC techniques on the Traditional SWC techniques on the Dogon Plateau, Mali.Dogon Plateau, Mali.

Area Characteristics

• Agricultural economy (cereal cultivation & market gardening)

• Subsistence farming with limited cash crops

• Main crops are Sorghum & Millet

• Main garden crops are onions & tomatoes

• Rainfall low & variable

ProblemsProblems

• Droughts lead to poor crop production

• Heavy rainfall leads to severe soil erosion and pan formation

• Soil has poor structure

• Steep hillsides

• Area densely populated

• Only 10-15% of plateau is arable land

Development of indigenous Development of indigenous methodsmethods

• Hillsides originally populated because Dogon people hid from invaders in caves

• Despite the fact that this is no longer an issue and good arable land exists elsewhere, population is concentrated here because of traditional values and cultural reasons

• SWC necessary for survival

Traditional SWC techniquesTraditional SWC techniques

• Cones / mound making

• Terracing of fields and hillsides

• Stone lines

• Bunds / low stone walls

• Square basins

• Planting holes

More unique methodsMore unique methods

• Stalks left after harvest are cleared away and then laid on the soil surface in bands to reduce soil erosion.

• When the organic matter eventually decomposes it provides another benefit through increased soil fertility due to added nutrients

The FutureThe Future

• Labour shortages due to migration are threatening SWC techniques

• Land tenure problems

• However, increasing role of women & assistance through participatory development is promising.

Indigenous SWC in Southern Indigenous SWC in Southern ZimbabweZimbabwe

• SWC has played important role in development of smallholder agriculture.

• Long tradition of indigenous farming methods threatened by mechanisation and political intervention

Historical SWCHistorical SWC

• Farming based on livestock & shifting cultivation• Livestock = food, clothing, transport & manure (also

social status) but not enough draught power.• Main crop was Finger Millet.• Bush clearance led to cultivation of 3-10 yrs, then fallow.• Wetlands also cultivated (ideal during drought)• Hunting & gathering• Traditional values ensured conservation (esp. water &

trees)• Low population & limited tools• Use of intercropping, mulching, bunds & ridges.

The PloughThe Plough

• Plough introduced by white settlers in late 19th century

• Adopted by local farmers on large scale 1920-1940

• Indigenous farming saw many benefits in increased production

• Erosion occurred on large scale (rills & gullies) & land took longer to recover from fallow.

Government InterventionGovernment Intervention

• 1930 onwards: erosion became serious problem• Colonial government forced building of contour

ridges and lowering of stocking rates• Also prohibited wetland use• Unpopular, esp. as ridges unsuitable for dry

climate• Shifting cultivation & bush fallow ended• Use of plough encouraged• Poorly constructed ridges increased gully erosion

The Liberation StruggleThe Liberation Struggle

• 1976-1980 = liberation struggle

• Farmers encouraged to abandon ridges

• New government could not enforce SWC

• Farmers associated SWC with ridge building & therefore opposed to SWC

• Village development committees established

• Gradually, need for SWC realised

ProblemsProblems

• Attitude based on historical contempt for local knowledge in favour of Western mechanisation

• Previous indigenous SWC methods inappropriate due to increased population density

• Confusion over land rights

Solutions for the futureSolutions for the future

• 2 projects: Food Security & Conservation Tillage

• Incorporation of traditional SWC methods

• Participatory approach has led to encouraging response

• Membership of farmer clubs increased

• Particular interest in garden crops & SWC

The Yaba-itgo system in Upper The Yaba-itgo system in Upper East region, GhanaEast region, Ghana

Area characteristics• Savannah grassland belt• Erratic rainfall May-September, but often lull in

growing season• Dry & dusty winds during dry season• Sandy soil with little OM• Rain fed crops (millet), subsistence farming• Garden crops during dry season• Small livestock

ProblemsProblems

• Farmers cannot afford livestock & equipment for ploughing

• Renting land discourages SWC• Women deterred from SWC, despite being good

at it• Isolation during rainy season• Exploitation by middle men• External intervention usually abandoned by

farmers

Yaba Itgo: ‘Grandfather’s way of Yaba Itgo: ‘Grandfather’s way of doing’doing’

• Wide range of SWC methods

• Usually aim to conserve moisture on steep slopes

• Also encourage runoff if area prone to flooding

• Methods never used in isolated way

• Clear division of labour between gender and age

Erosion ControlErosion Control

• Dependant on household labour availability

• Stone bunding

• Contour tillage

• Border grasses

• Strip cropping

• terracing

Drainage controlDrainage control

• Dependant on communal labour availability

• Focus on flood risk due to cash crops

• Land smoothing / levelling

• Graded furrows

Recent ChangesRecent Changes

• Driving force changed from cultural reasons to production incentives

1) SWC blended with agronomic practices e.g. mixed cropping, cultivation of groundnuts, mulching

2) Bush burning greatly reduced, so soil fertility improved

3) Some incorporation of live fencing & use of livestock for ploughing (opposed still by women)

Indigenous SWC techniques of the Indigenous SWC techniques of the Harerge Highlands, EthiopiaHarerge Highlands, Ethiopia

Area characteristics

• Hilly terrain (low-moderate relief) interspersed with sloping valleys

• High population density

• Stony soil, rocky outcrops

• Erratic rainfall regime (2 seasons)

• Erosive tropical storms

ProblemsProblems

• Lower & more unreliable rainfall

• Decline in soil fertility

• Shortage of fertilizer (organic & inorganic)

• Shortage of livestock for ploughing

• Prevalence of pests & disease

• Migration of farmers to urban areas

Traditional SWC methodsTraditional SWC methods

• SWC methods have increased due to decline in agricultural productivity

• Use wide range of agronomic, biological & mechanical measures

• Knowledge has evolved over time in response to local needs

• Crop rotation, intercropping, cactus / grass strips• Focus on increased soil fertility, reduced erosion

& diversification

Stone bundsStone bunds

3 benefits:1) Remove stones from field, easier to

plough2) Slows runoff & traps moisture3) Stops erosion & traps nutrientsSoil bunds also used:• Not as stable but easily moved / rebuilt• Can evolve into terraces if left to mature

Outside interventionOutside intervention

Development programs have gone wrong:

• Farmers not consulted

• Large scale engineering as opposed to gradual build up when needed

• Livestock / human passage ignored

Disadvantages of traditional SWCDisadvantages of traditional SWC

• Most methods require a high level of manpower, but many younger members of families are leaving rural locations in search of more prosperous employment

• Often cannot be carried out on a large scale

• Need for some inclusion of modern methods

Advantages of indigenous SWCAdvantages of indigenous SWC

• Local people have managed the land for generations and know what is needed

• Low cost

• Simple methods that can be learned quickly

ConclusionsConclusions

• Indigenous methods of SWC are long established and work well

• However, their success is largely affected by political factors and intervention by developed countries, NGO’s etc.

• There is an ever increasing need for cooperation and understanding between researchers, engineers, local farmers etc.

• Some cultural traditions & gender issues need to evolve in order for indigenous SWC to survive in Africa.

The importance of indigenous The importance of indigenous knowledgeknowledge

‘Incorporating indigenous knowledge into research projects can contribute to local

empowerment and development, increasing self-sufficiency and

strengthening self-determination.’