OPINION : CONVERTING TWEETS INTO FEET
Land-related issues will continue to threaten global stability , especially if the effects of climate change exacerbate existing problems . Deforestation and unsustainable land use have degraded soils , altered rainfall patterns , and increased the incidence of extreme weather events , especially in Africa . Continent-wide , 65 % of land has been degraded , and 3 % of agricultural GDP is lost annually , owing to soil and nutrient loss on farmland .
In Ethiopia , agriculture accounts for 80 % of employment , so even slight drops in agricultural productivity can negatively affect income levels . And across Sub-Saharan Africa , damaged land is not only an environmental burden , but can also spell economic disaster . When trees and vegetation are cleared , heavy rainfall washes away the soil and destroys economic opportunities for local populations .
I saw this firsthand in Kenya ’ s Tata Magadi gully , which extends for 104 miles ( 167 kilometers ) and at first resembles the site of a meteor strike . Gullies are the ditches left after rainwater has washed away the topsoil . When they are large enough , they can sweep away entire homes and the productive farmland on which rural communities depend for their livelihoods .
Fortunately , there are ways to reverse land degradation , while simultaneously augmenting crop yields and household incomes . Tree planting on degraded land , for example , can increase agricultural productivity by anchoring farmland , increasing soil fertility , and providing shade for crops and livestock .
After farmers in Malawi expanded their tree cover , crop yields increased by 50-100 %. And , as a Kenyan maize farmer told me , “ No trees , no rain .” Indeed , farmers have always intuitively known what scientists are now confirming : trees and other vegetation can stimulate more rainfall . To accelerate restoration efforts in Africa , communities must be mobilized , and farmers must be empowered to restore their own land . This basic concept has gained traction in Kenya , where “ community forest associations ” have formed to protect and manage woodlands . In Ethiopia , every Abraha Atsbeha villager volunteers three days each month as part of a self-organized effort to rehabilitate the surrounding landscape ; and other villages in the region have followed suit , giving rise to a growing local restoration movement .
Land restoration is not just a technique to improve subsistence farming ; it can also deliver financial returns for businesses and investors , which explains why many small and medium-size restoration enterprises have emerged . These include distributed plantations and sustainable-beekeeping companies , as well as Green Pot Enterprises , a fast-growing East African firm that leases shares of restoration sites to individuals , who can then collect an annual return on their investment . But for restoration businesses to scale up , they will need more access to growth capital and better-functioning domestic markets .
National governments also have an essential role to play , and 17 African countries have made commitments to restoration through the Bonn Challenge and the AFR100 initiative , which aims to restore 100 million hectares ( 247 million acres , or an area roughly the size of Ethiopia ) in Africa by 2030 . Africa ’ s proactive approach to restoration bodes well , because the effects of climate change are expected to hit the continent harder than any other world region .
Land restoration is not a choice ; it is a necessity . If African countries ’ land is not salvaged , they will fall into a vicious cycle of poverty and political turmoil , similar to what we are now witnessing in Ethiopia . More severely degraded land is tougher to restore , so every day restoration is delayed is a lost opportunity for the environment , the economy , and peace .
2016 | Business Times Africa 17