Presentation from March 1, 2012 discussion on experiences in the Sahel using Climate Smart Agriculture to increase productivity and resiliency including lessons learned from farmer innovations and observed landscape transformations in Niger, Burkina Faso & Mali. FInd out more at http://www.wri.org/event/2012/03/building-climate-smart-agriculture-and-resiliency-sahel

1. CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE, FOOD
SECURITY AND WATER IN AFRICA’S DRYLANDS:
LESSONS FROM EXPERIENCE

2. Urgent to act as a « perfect storm » is brewing
 Temperatures will increase
> Rainfall is more extreme and irregular
☛ Soil fertility is depleting in many areas
☛ Inorganic fertilizers are expensive
☛ World food market prices are high
 Crop yields will decline ( - 20% to – 50%)
Population will double every 20 years

3. CHALLENGE: INCREASE HOUSEHOLD FOOD
PRODUCTION, STABILIZE HH ACCESS TO FOOD AND
INCREASE WATER AVAILABILITY

4. Household access to food is
determined by:
 HH food production
 HH food stocks
 HH productive assets (livestock,
trees, water........)
 Farm and non-farm income
DO NRM INVESTMENTS INCREASE AND STABILIZE
ACCESS TO FOOD AND WATER?

5. The current ag modernisation paradigm:
Inorganic fertilizers, improved seeds, irrigation,
mechanisation, organisation input and output
markets, research and extension…..

7. STUDY AREAS LONG TERM TRENDS
IN AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT

8. TREND 1
FARMERS INVEST IN AGROFORESTRY
TREND 2
REHABILITATION OF BARREN LAND
USING
WATER HARVESTING TECHNIQUES
(500,000 ha in Niger and Burkina Faso)

9. Vegetation in Galma in 1975 and 2003
(before and after)
1975 2003

10. Improved soil fertility and
an increase in fodder production

12. BAOBABS DOMINATE REGENERATION
IN PARTS MIRRIAH DEPARTMENT
(NIGER)

13. The value of the leaves of one mature baobab
varies from 28 $ – 70 US $)
This can buy 70 – 175 kg of grain on the market
Source: Yamba and Sambo (2012)

14. AVERAGE ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME
FROM NEW AGROFORESTRY PARKLAND (US $)
Village
Kouka Doukoum Kirou Zedrawa Daré
Degree Samou Doukoum Haussa
of
vulnerability
Least 200 40 140 125 135
vulnerable
Medium 110 37 120 70 63
Vulnerable
Very 80 83 26 40 100
vulnerable
Extremely 104 50 116 80 45
Vulnerable
Source: Yamba and Sambo (2012)

15. Farmer-managed re-greening in
Niger
 5,000,000 ha re-greened in 20 years
(only labour for protection, no investment
costs, no recurrent costs to governments)
 200 million new trees
 additional cereal production/year:
500,000 ton
 2.5 million people fed
 1.25 million farm households involved

16. Grain surplus Kantché Department
(Zinder/Niger). 350,000 inhabitants; high
on-farm tree density
 2007 + 21,230 ton
 2008 + 36,838 ton
 2009 + 28,122 ton
 2010 + 64,208 ton
 2011 + 13,818 ton
Source: National Committee for the Prevention and Management of
Food Crises and FEWS
Quoted by: Yamba and sambo (2012)

17. Why do farmers invest in
re-greening?
 Soil fertility 58%
 Food production 25%
 Firewood 12%
 Construction wood 12%
 Fodder 11%
 Other
Source: Yamba and Sambo (2012)

19. WATER HARVESTING AND AGROFORESTRY
Simple techniques
1990
Zaï Demi lunes
Important impacts
2004
Piliostigma reticulatum Combretum glutinosum

20. « The man who stopped the desert »

21. ZAI HELP CROPS GET THROUGH
DRY SPELLS

22. IMPACT OF WH TECHNIQUES ON CEREAL YIELDS
IN 2007 (NORTHERN CENTRAL PLATEAU, BURKINA FASO)
Group of SWC technique Grain yield Dry
Villages (kg/ha) matter
(kg/ha)
Average region 434 2472
Ziga Zaï 772 3471
Stone bunds 574 2843
Zaï+ stone bunds 956 3798
Average region 376 2375
Ranawa Zaï 804 3822
Stone bunds 531 2964
Zaï+ stone bunds 922 3968
Source: Sawadogo, H. (2008)

23. Rainfall, WH techniques and cereal yields in
Niger (1991 – 1996)
Rainfall 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Average
Badagui 726 mm 423 mm 369 mm 613 mm 415 mm 439 mm 1991 –
chiri 1996
Illéla 581 mm 440 mm 233 mm 581 mm 404 mm 440 mm
Zaï
T0 ---- 125 144 296 50 11 125
T1 520 297 393 969 347 553 513
T2 764 494 659 1486 534 653 765
Half moons
T0 ---- 86 77 206 28 164 112
T1 655 293 416 912 424 511 535
T2 1183 538 641 1531 615 632 857
Average
Illéla 386 241 270 362 267 282 301
district
T0 = adjacent fields; T1 WH technique + manure
T2 WH technique + manure + urea

24. Internal rates of return to investments in:
Zaï (planting pits) (1) 82%
Zai (planting pits) (2) 39%
Half moons 37%
Agroforestry 31%
Tree planting 13%**
Source: Abdoulaye and Ibro (2006)

25. October 1988 (water harvesting techniques
introduced on barren land in 1985)

26. OCTOBER 2008 (COUNTERFACTUAL 0 kg/ha)

27. WATER HARVESTING TECHNIQUES CONTRIBUTE
TO LOCAL GROUNDWATER RECHARGE

28. Water levels in wells increased by 14 m
in 10 years (1994 – 2004) (picture Nov. 2004)

29. Water levels still – 4 m in January 2012 and
number of gardens incrased from:
0 in 1994
4 in 2004
10 in 2012

31. WATER SPREADING DAMS IN ADOUNA VALLEY
RECHARGED GROUNDWATER AND ALLOWED EXPANSION
OF DRY SEASON GARDENING

33. Natural regeneration and water harvesting upslope…

34. RE-GREENING IN TIGRAY (ETHIOPIA):
AT LEAST 1 MILLION HA (2.5 MILLION ACRES)

35. ….have recharged groundwater levels
downslope…(300 new shallow wells)

36. …and expanded irrigation

37. …which contributed to food security in drought years

38. Re-greening + water harvesting =
asset building for the rural poor……
but multiple impacts still insufficiently quantified

39. AGROFORESTRY IS A LOW-COST WAY TO
INTENSIFY AGRICULTURE AND INCREASE DROUGHT
RESILIENCE;
NO RECURRENT COSTS TO GOVERNMENTS

40. APPROACH: SCALE UP EXISTING
RE-GREENING SUCCESSES

41. Some lessons
 Since the 1980s, a growing number of
farmers practise Climate Smart
Agriculture
 Farmers invest in trees if they have
clearly defined user rights
 Governments need to develop supportive
policies and legislation
 Much has been achieved, much more
remains to be done, but we know what
and how

42. It is possible to improve the food security
and livelihoods of millions of farmers by
increasing investments in agroforestry and
water harvesting (CSA)!!