The Future of the SahelThe Future of the Sahel

Phil Dobie, Antoine Kalinganire and Jules Bayala

World Agroforestry Centre

Challenges for the SahelChallenges for the Sahel

66

Challenges for the SahelChallenges for the Sahel

66

Challenges for the SahelChallenges for the Sahel

66

Challenges for the SahelChallenges for the Sahel

66

Challenges for the SahelChallenges for the Sahel

66

Rising population Rising population implies increasing food implies increasing food demandsdemands

Poor farming practicesPoor farming practices

Overgrazing and Overgrazing and excessive tillage leave excessive tillage leave exposed soils to exposed soils to erosion and increased erosion and increased water loss due to water loss due to runoffrunoff

Land, forests and tree Land, forests and tree tenuretenure

Loss of biodiversityLoss of biodiversity

Challenges for the SahelChallenges for the Sahel

66

Rising population Rising population implies increasing food implies increasing food demandsdemands

Poor farming practicesPoor farming practices

Overgrazing and Overgrazing and excessive tillage leave excessive tillage leave exposed soils to exposed soils to erosion and increased erosion and increased water loss due to water loss due to runoffrunoff

Land, forests and tree Land, forests and tree tenuretenure

Loss of biodiversityLoss of biodiversity

More people means more More people means more labour and productivitylabour and productivity

Improve in response to Improve in response to crisiscrisis

Existing land Existing land management practices management practices built on faulty built on faulty “knowledge”: animals “knowledge”: animals and trees vitaland trees vital

Must respond to needMust respond to need

Integrated livestock and Integrated livestock and farming systemsfarming systems

Challenges for the SahelChallenges for the Sahel

55

Fragile environment with Fragile environment with sparse vegetative coversparse vegetative cover

70% area is already 70% area is already naturally degraded to naturally degraded to different extents different extents

Limited arable land Limited arable land resourcesresources

Recurrent droughtsRecurrent droughts

Sahelian areas and people Sahelian areas and people are under continuous are under continuous threat from land threat from land degradation, degradation, desertification, food desertification, food insecurity and povertyinsecurity and poverty

Trees, grass, cereals, Trees, grass, cereals, legumeslegumes

Restoration of Restoration of environment for environment for productionproduction

Maximize productionMaximize production

Water penetrationWater penetration

Transform landscapes to Transform landscapes to transform livelihoodstransform livelihoods

Challenges for the SahelChallenges for the Sahel

55

Fragile environment with Fragile environment with sparse vegetative coversparse vegetative cover

70% area is already 70% area is already naturally degraded to naturally degraded to different extents different extents

Limited arable land Limited arable land resourcesresources

Recurrent droughtsRecurrent droughts

Sahelian areas and people Sahelian areas and people are under continuous are under continuous threat from land threat from land degradation, degradation, desertification, food desertification, food insecurity and povertyinsecurity and poverty

Trees, grass, cereals, Trees, grass, cereals, legumeslegumes

Restoration of Restoration of environment for environment for productionproduction

Maximize productionMaximize production

Water penetrationWater penetration

Transform landscapes to Transform landscapes to transform livelihoodstransform livelihoods

Animal production

• Fodder for animals• Increase biodiversity• Fruit production• Traditional medicine• Increased soil fertility• Decreased soil erosion• Reduced wind speed• Increased crop yields• Increased water infiltration• Decrease in temperature• Inexpensive and easy to adopt• Increase in biomass and carbon• Contribute to mitigating and adapting to climate change

Trees on farms Trees on farms

Sustainable land & soil Sustainable land & soil managementmanagement

1818

Improved fallow Improved fallow systems, introduction systems, introduction of leguminous cover of leguminous cover crops, help restoring crops, help restoring soil fertility to degraded soil fertility to degraded landslandsTrees when Trees when

intercropped with intercropped with crops crops add nutrients and add nutrients and organic matter to the organic matter to the soil and also reduce soil and also reduce weeds and soil surface weeds and soil surface evaporationevaporation

Maize farming in a Faidherbia albida parkland, Niger

Sustainable water managementSustainable water management

2020

2222

The future & way forward…The future & way forward…

2222

Focus on land stewardship

Make policies work for people. Shift extra-legal norms into legal frameworks

Invest in agroforestry as a springboard for development. Agroforestry gives people food, opportunities, hope. They then need education, health, knowledge, markets

So what are we waiting for?