UNEP INITIATIVE ON
SUCCESS STORIES IN LAND DEGRADATION/ DESERTIFICATION CONTROL
The Background
The Criteria used in Evaluating and Submitting Success
Stories to UNEP
SUCCESS STORIES IN AFRICA
Mossi Plateau
in Burkina Faso
Agro-ecological
Project Burkina Faso
Project in
SãoJoão Baptista Valley, Cape Verde
Agropastoral
Development in Mauritania
Sonnleiten
Ranch Project,Namibia
Project in
Kano and Jigawa States, Nigeria
Restoration in the Louga Region of Northern Senegal
Mr. Serigne
Samb’s Farm,Thiambène Till, Senegal
SOS Sahel
Community ForestryProject in Ed Debba, Sudan
SUCCESS STORIES IN ASIA
Project on
Desertification Control in Naiman Banner County in China
Controlling
Drifting Sand in Cele County -Western China
Afforestation
and Salinity Control Using Tamarix; in Western China
The Integrated
Watershed Development Programme, Jhabua District, Madhya Pradesh, India
Jhanwar Watershed
Project, India
Joint Participatory
Forest Management; Shiwalik Hills Haryana Province, India
The Barefoot
College Project,Tilonia,Rajasthan,India
Desert Reclamation
Using Shelterbelts in Thal, Pakistan
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The project location
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Louga region in the northern Sahelian
zone of Senegal with low and irregular precipitation (200-300mm /year).
The problem
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Loss of vegetative cover, overgrazing
and deforestation, soil erosion and water shortages accelerated by severe
and prolonged droughts;
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Loss of the traditional Tokeur
land use system with introduction of
monocultures: peanuts and millet;
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Decreased crop yields due to reduction
in fallow and rotation periods.
The solutions
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Use of a participatory approach
towards sustainable land-use management;
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Revival of the traditional Tokeur
system of land management;
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Training programmes on protection
and conservation of the environment;
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Training for improvement of living
conditions through income-generating activities;
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Promotion of education and illiteracy
eradication, especially among girls and women.
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The project achievements
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Four hundred and fifty eight boreholes
with manual or wind-driven pumps drilled since 1987;
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Establishment of wells in settlements
with more than 250 inhabitants;
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Establishment of the Tokeur
live fences systems, which consist
of euphorbia to protect cropping land and home gardens from livestock;
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Regeneration of several tree species,
including Faidherbia albida through
the Tokeur system of protection in the
last 10 years;
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Reduced grazing pressure on surrounding
pastures by growing of fodder crops in Tokeurs;
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Increase in shade trees which were
previously scarce;
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Establishment of 10 village horticultural
nurseries, five fruit tree nurseries and 133 for agroforestry;
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Promotion of food security and nutrition
income by diversify cropping;
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Economic empowerment through community-controlled
revolving funds for income generating projects.
The overall achievements
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A general acceptance among the population
in the Louga region of the Tokeur system
and the natural regeneration of trees;
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Assured sustainability through social
cohesion of community groups;
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Local women integrated as future
partners in development;
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Project’s success in disseminating
an appropriate technology;
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Establishment of a firm foundation
for generating revolving funds and training programmes for beneficiaries;
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High level awareness of the populace
on innovations to address environmental degradation sustainably.
This project was implemented
by World Vision International (WVI) and the local communities with funds
from WVI, Senegal.
Success Stories: Africa |
