Exchange of Experience on African Green Belt Initiative

مبادرة مجال فى الخبرات تبادلاألفريقية األخضر الحزام

By

Ahmed Youssef

DRC

June, 2014

http://vb.3dlat.com/

Vegetation degradation map of west Asia and a part of East Africa

Slight vegetation degradation

Moderate

Severe

Very Severe

SandNot affected

Desertification map of west Asia and a part of East Africa

Slight

Moderate

Severe

Very Severe

Sand

Following the serious droughts in Africa (1958‐1963, 1968‐1974, 1984‐1990), it became clearly evident that inhabitants’ food security could no longer be fulfilled due to the fragility of the agricultural systems and ecosystems, and the difficulty of maintaining land productivity in these arid and semiarid regions, especially in the Sahel region bordering the Sahara. Everyone has become aware of the fact that land degradation has a serious impact on local communities that depend on renewable natural resources and are undergoing rapid population growth.

African Green Belt

Algerian Green Barrier

Since the 1970s, Algeria has been involved in a national so‐called ‘Green Barrier’ (sometimes called ‘Green Dam’) programme to combat desertification along the edge of the Sahara (Belaaz, 2003). Initially, it was a civil engineering Aleppo pine reforestation programme carried out by the army on an arid east/west 3 million ha (1 500 km x 20 km) pastoral belt between isohyets 200 and 300 mm. The concept then gradually changed over time. An integrated agrosilvopastoral ‘green barrier’ approach was fostered by the scientific community in 1976 (MADR, 2004), but this was not taken into account. Clearing activities prior to the monospecies reforestation operations generated ecological and social disruptions and the results were therefore below expectations. As of 1980, the green dam concept had evolved into a set of agrosilvopastoral development initiatives. Thirteen species were used in the reforestation operations. The programme was jointly conducted by the army and forestry services. In 20 years, 120 000 ha were reforested out of the 160 000 ha planned, with a planting success rate of only 42% (Bensaïd, 1995). The green dam concept was abandoned in the early 1990s but then relaunched in 1995, with reforestation activities included in the ‘national agricultural and rural development programme’. They were undertaken in areas with suitable conditions (deep soils, an irrigation water supply). The green barrier concept changed in favour of a discontinuous belt combining irrigated high added value crops, managed rangelands and forest plantations. The dune fixation and sustainable rangeland management objectives were maintained and combined with initiatives geared towards infrastructure development and sustainable enhancement of inhabitants’ income.

The Green Belt Movement (GBM) is an indigenous grassroots non-governmental organization based in Nairobi, Kenya that takes a holistic approach to development by focusing on environmental conservation, community development and capacity building. Professor Wangari Maathai established the organization in 1977, under the auspices of the National Council of Women of Kenya.

There are two divisions of the Green Belt Movement: Green Belt Movement Kenya (GBM Kenya) and the Green Belt Movement International (GBMI).

The Green Belt Movement works in six principal areas, known as "core programs":•Advocacy & Networking•Civic & Environmental Education•Environmental Conservation/Tree Planting•Green Belt Safaris (GBS)•Pan African Training Workshops; and•Women for Change (capacity building)

Central valley near Badaguichiri, Tahoua region, Niger., 1980

Agricultural development initiatives (stone walls, mulching, etc.) on the Allakay plateaux, Tahoua region, Niger.

Great Green Wall for the

Sahara and the Sahel initiative

In 2007, African Heads of State and Government endorsed the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative with the objective of tackling the detrimental social, economic and environmental impacts of land degradation and desertification in the region.

The initiative aims to support the efforts of local communities in the sustainable management and use of forests, rangelands and other natural resources in dry lands.

It also seeks to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well improve the food security and livelihoods of the people in the Sahel and the Sahara.

“Great Green Wall” of trees

A harmonised strategy- The first step towards the Great Green Wall was set with the development of a harmonized strategy under a €1.75 million African Union project launched in September 2011.

- The partner countries are: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and the Sudan.

- Supported by the EU, FAO and the GM-UNCCD, the African Union Commission works with thirteen countries and other partners on the development of national action plans and on project portfolios at country and trans-boundary levels using a multi-stakeholder approach.

The strategy has set the following main objectives:• Improve the living conditions of people in the arid zones of Africa and reduce their vulnerability to climate change, climate variability and drought

• Improve the state and health of ecosystems in the arid zones of Africa and their resilience to climate change, climate variability and drought.

• Mobilize resources for the implementation of the Great Green Wall Initiative through the establishment of efficient partnerships between national and international stakeholders

- Meanwhile, capacity development and communication strategies and plans are put in place, as well as a partnership and resource mobilization platform, facilitated by the GM-UNCCD.

- A learning and networking platform will be established for the sharing of knowledge and best practices, for the transfer of technology, and for the promotion, assessment and monitoring of activities and results among the partners involved in the Great Green Wall initiative.

Egypt Case Studies

1- WEST NILE DELTA

)After Sawsan M.M. Ibrahiem, 2005(

Landsat TM false color composite image map bands 4 (red) , 3 (green) and 2 (blue), 1993

(After Sawsan M.M. Ibrahiem , 2005)

Interpretation of Landsat TM image processed using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), 1993 (After Sawasn M.M. Ibrahiem , 2005)

Landsat TM false color composite image map bands 4 (red) , 3 (green) and 2 (blue), 2002

(After Sawsan M.M. Ibrahiem , 2005)

Interpretation of Landsat TM image processed using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), 2002 (After Swasn M.M. Ibrahiem , 2005)

Thematic map showing the land cover of the study area, 1993(After Sawsan M.M. Ibrahiem , 2005)

Thematic map showing the land cover of the study area, 2002(After Sawsan M.M.Ibrahiem , 2005)

The Measures of the Development in the Study Area

(After Sawsan M.M. Ibrahim, 2005) Lakes

(Feddan)Sabkha

(Feddan)Barren Land

(Feddan)Cultivated

land(Feddan)

Year

Artificial Natural

----- 1467.93 9637.63 796473.19 21775.00 1990

----- 2252.59 2718.98 796389.36 27992.76(6217.76)

1993

71.22 1925.68 1740.05 747212.14 78404.64(50411.88)

2002

2- Nile Desert Fringes Area

الصحراوى الظهير

El-Fayum, 1990

El-Fayum, 2000

El-Fayum, 2012

El-Fayum, 1990 - 2012

Difference Year Item

2000 1990

-50.5 1926 1976.5 Cultivated area (km2)

+7.5 63.5 56 Sand dune area (km2)

El-Minya, 1990

El-Minya, 2000

El-Minya, 2011

El-Minya, 1990 - 2011

Difference Year Item

2000 1990+ 216 2393 2177 Cultivated area (km2)

- 75.5 226 301.5 Sand dune area (km2)