Research objectives 

The objectives of this research are set as follows: 1) to deepen understanding of the cultural, social and ecological characteristics of targeted areas in Semi-Arid Afro-Eurasia as a premise to study on desertification; 2) to design and verify some practical techniques/approaches effective for desertification control,ecosystems conservation/restoration and improvement of livelihood in the context of rural development support, with paying special attention to vulnerable people and areas left behind in the trend of economic development and globalization; 3) to disseminate the knowledge, experiences and techniques/approaches for desertification control and rural development to local people, local government and aid-organizations.

 

Background 

Desertification is one of the globally concerned problems/issues with complex phenomena related to land degradation and poverty in sub-humid, semiarid and arid areas of Afro-Eurasia. In ratifying the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 1994, the international community, including Japan,signed its commitment to solve the problems. More than twenty years has past,so far, there have been many efforts made by international organization, local government and NGO. The problems, however, still remain unsolved and become more serious year by year (UNDP, 2003; Easterly, 2006; Tollefson and Gilbert,2012).

Difficulties:Why desertification control have not been successfully achieved and even became worse? It may be explained from the complexity in its causes, social and ecological condition, and diverse livelihoods of local people closely linking with poverty (Mainguet, 1994). As defined in UNCCD (1994), the causes of desertification are both climatic factors and human activities (Geist, 2005;Zdruli et al., 2010). Apart from the climatic factors, such as short and uneven distribution of rainfall, excess and fluctuating rain, and wind (Geist, 2005;Boken et al. 2005), primary causes of desertification are the daily activities to support people’s livelihood and basic needs for survival, such as cropping,animal husbandry and gathering of fuel woods (Geist, 2005, O’Brien et al.,2010; Jana and Majumder, 2010). Difficulty of desertification control, it is to be carried out while maintaining the causes, i.e. daily livelihood activities.

Focus:Pillar actions of the implementation for desertification control in the documents of UNCCD (1994) are summarized into ‘policy making’, ‘financial support’, ‘scientific and technical knowledge’, ‘capacity building (for officials)’, ‘education and training (for local people)’ and ‘extension of technology’. Among them, the most critical action should be ‘scientific and technical knowledge’, since it is directly reflected to the contents of‘capacity building’, ‘education and training’ and ‘extension of technology’. Unfortunately, inadequate understanding and confusion about the concept of desertification (Kadomura et al., 1993) and techniques for desertification control is still remained among researchers. The framework of actions and implementation measures were already established at international and government level. Those at regions and community level are, however, still weak, especially in semi-arid Africa. The project, therefore, puts major focus on the research to create realistic and practical ‘scientific and technical knowledge’ leading the actions at community level.

 

Perception and contribution to global environmental problems

Desertification is one of the problems at global concern and, at the same time, the phenomena of desertification are the combinations of accumulated causes and consequences at local and human-scale under complex socio-ecological environments. This means that solutions should be designed by the combination of the actions at local and human-scale.

【General aspects of the project activities】

Project sites

Semi-Arid Afro-Eurasia contains front-lines of desertification in the world (Middletonand Thomas, 1997). This project set the study areas in the Sahel of West Africa(mainly Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal), Southern Africa (Namibia and Zambia),East Africa (Tanzania), Northeast Africa (Sudan), North Africa (Algeria), South Asia (India) and East Asia (Mongolia and China) where socio-ecological conditions and land resources are deteriorated due to demographic pressure and inappropriate use.

 

Specific activities at each area

1. West Africa and Northeast Africa(so-called 'Sahel zone' of Africa)

  1-a. Extension of some verified techniques of desertification control (Andropogon grass-band system, fallow-band system, extension method incorporated with social-network survey) collaborating with local NGO (Niger)

  1-b. Monitoring of soil fertility maintenance and degradation process under different cultivation practices in semi-arid condition (Niger)

  1-c. Cross-border migration, social and ecological adaptation and process of community formation (Niger, Burkina Faso and Togo)

  1-d. Mechanisms and process of innovation by local people (Burkina Faso)

  1-e. Influences of “Islam” in daily livelihood of urban and rural communities (Burkina Faso)

  1-f. Background and conditions around street children as a vulnerable existence (Burkina Faso)

  1-g. Advisory for aid organizations to make implementation project(Burkina Faso, Senegal)

  1-h. Preliminary survey to identify possible area(s)/site(s) for the transfer of some verified techniques (Senegal, Sudan)

2. Southern Africa

  2-a. Impact of transformation in local animal husbandry on peoples' livelihoods, communities, vegetation and land resources (Namibia)

  2-b. Monitoring of soil fertility maintenance and degradation process under different cultivation practices in semi-arid condition (Namibia)

  2-c. Changes of local livelihood activities and land use systems after compulsory trans-migration (Zambia)

  2-d. Local rules in utilizing land resources and ecosystems (Zambia)

3. South Asia

  3-a. Data-base of indigenous tools, its manufacturing processes, and literature of traditional farming systems to seeking appropriate techniques useful for rural development assistance in semi-arid Asia and Africa (India)

  3-b. Co-existence of local livelihoods between the pastoralists and cultivators in highly populated area, Rajasthan  and Tamil Nadu (India)

  3-c. Seasonal movement of pastoralists and its contribution of soil fertility maintenance (India)

  3-d. Preliminary survey to seek possibility technology transfer between India and Africa (India, Senegal)

4. East Asia

  4-a. Requisites of resilience mechanisms in the pastoralists’ livelihood to reduce vulnerability against natural disaster (Mongolia)

  4-b. Indigenous knowledge/techniques of land resource management by pastoralists (Mongolia)

  4-c. Preparation of a field experiment for re-appraisal of dry farming techniques described in antique books (China)

5. Inter regional sites

  We make comparative studies on 1) Adaptation strategies in agro-pastoral systems between high/low population areas, tropical/temperate climate regions, and cultivation/pastoral system” and 2) Possibility of technology transfer, e.g. land use systems,restoration of degraded land, farming tools and soil management practices in Africa and Asia.

 

Project activities and the framework of UNCCD

UNCCD has already set the framework for action to address desertification. We focus on ‘scientific knowledge’ and ‘techniques’ which may be associated with some shortcomings in the framework. Many techniques employed to control desertification to date, however scientifically sound and rational they may be,unfortunately are often not matched to the needs and situations of local people if, for example, they are too expensive or require too much time or labor. Some techniques are highly dependent on materials and machinery that may not be locally available. Our project modifies such shortcomings and adds more knowledge and techniques through the activities in Semi-arid Africa and Asia. In West Africa the major focus of project work is on collaborating with local people in the innovation of practical desertification control techniques and extension methods, especially related to the livelihoods of vulnerable people. In Southern Africa, basic studies are being developed to describe agro-ecosystems,local livelihood systems, and adaptation strategies under demographic pressure and environmental fluctuation. In South Asia, we have inventoried local knowledge (e.g. indigenous knowledge, techniques and tools), in order to identify pastoral peoples’ adaptation strategies in high population areas experiencing fluctuating social and agro-climatic conditions. In East Asia, we re-appraise indigenous knowledge in the traditional upland farming systems. Comparative studies within Africa and between Africa and Asia are also underway in order to evaluate the possibility of horizontal technology transfer.

 

【Progress】

1. To deepen the understanding of targeted areas in semi-arid Afro-Eurasia

Researches in Africa: Basic information related to social, cultural and ecological characteristics of the targeted areas are were collected. The causes and background of desertification were also identified. We paid special focus on resilience or adaptation strategies of local people against extreme weather(e.g. drought and flooding) and social changes (e.g. influx of refugees and intervention through rural development activities by local government and aid-organizations). We documented the livelihood systems, social relations and coping behaviours during the year of crisis in pastoralists' community in Burkina Faso(Katakura Motoko Award, Association of Arid Land Studies, Y. Ishimoto, 2014), in agro-pastoralists community in Niger (Young Scientist Award, Society of Agricultural Systems, Y. Sasaki, 2013; Best Presentation Award, Society of Agricultural Systems, Y. Komura et al., 2012), and in Namibia (Best Poster Award, Association for Arid Land Studies, K. Teshirogi, 2012).  Soil fertility mechanism and its management practices were identified in sandy soils under semi-arid condition in the Sahel(Best Poster Award, 20^th World Congress of Soil Science, H. Shinjoet al., 2014).  Situation of education and social support for children, including street children, in urban area of Burkina Faso were reported and pointed out that the realities were far different from our general understanding (Superior Presentation Award, African Educational Research Forum, T. Shimizu, 2013). The fact that a time-lag occured in behaviours and decision-making of local people when received external technique, identified in the case of Burkina Faso, was useful information to design rural development approach (Best presentation Award, Society of Agricultural Systems, Y. Machi et al., 2014).  We identified some requisites of resilience against extreme weather (flooding) in rural communities of semi-arid Zambia(Poster award, World Water Week 2012, Umetsu et al., 2012). Use of mobile-phones was helpful to the recovery of household economy after flooding(Best Poster Award, Association for Arid Land Studies, Y. Ishimoto et al.,2013).

Researches in Asia: Indigenous knowledge and techniques, which give insights to identify the requisites of social and ecological adaptation of livelihood systems in semi-arid condition, were collected in India. The situation of traditional animal-driven water well, which is almost disappearing, was recorded (Best Poster Award, Association for Arid Land Studies, H. Endo et al,2014).  The background of agrarian changes and livelihood diversification in Tamil Nadu state was explained by recent demographic movement due to overseas and inter-regional transmigration (Best Poster Award, EMASS-2014, M. Jegadeesan et al., 2014). Factors to decide resilience in pastoralists' livelihood found after natural disaster in cool arid environment were identified in the field research in Mongolia (Best Poster Award, Society for International Development Studies, H. Nakamura, 2014).

2. To design and verify some practical techniques/approaches

Basically using local resources and indigenous knowledge, we innovated practical techniques concurrently enabling livelihood improvement and desertification control. Some of them include a bold idea of introducing Indian traditional knowledge to semi-arid Africa, which can be a model example ofso-called ‘south-to-south technology transfer’ on innovation.  As an attempt of ‘co-designing’ and‘co-working’, we involved local people to the process of innovation, demonstration,monitoring and dissemination, and confirmed its validity. Due to the novelty and achievement, the studies were highly evaluated and given many academic awards, e.g. 2012 SSPN Award, K. Ikazaki et al., 2012; Best Poster Award,Society of International Development, U. Tanaka and K. Ikazaki, 2013; Best Poster Award, Society for International Development Studies, Y. Sasaki, 2013; Best Presentation Award, 20^th World Congress of Soil Science, K. Ikazaki et al., 2014;Young Scientist Award, Society of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, K. Ikazaki,2014; Achievement Award for Young Scientists, Foundation of Agricultural Science of Japan, K. Ikazaki, 2014; /Environment Ministers’ Award by Hitachi Foundation, Tanaka et al,, 2014; Nikkei Award for Global Environmental Techniques, Tanakaet al., 2015.

Innovated practical techniques: Soil erosion by wind (wind erosion) is one of the causes of desertification/land degradation in semi-arid Africa. In Niger, we made an apparatus to measure wind erosion, revealed its processes,and innovated a prototype technique ‘fallow-band system’ to control wind erosion and concurrently to improve crop yield.  Soil erosion by water (water erosion) is also serious and damage land resources. We devised a practical technique, called‘contour-line of Andropogon’, which concurrently enables reduction of soil erosion by water, encouragement of water-harvesting to soil, and increase of household income. The technique is basically a revival one based on some indigenous practices in Burkina Faso, such as Zai (planting pit) and Kukokse (line of grass). Combination of traditional tools from India and cow pea cultivation in pastoral area is useful to conserve soil moisture, convert degraded grassland into productive land, generate household income and, thus, stabilize the livelihood of pastoralists. We modified the method of tree planting under semi-arid environment. Tree planting was one of the standard measures against desertification so far, however, not necessarily effective. Using an indigenous technique ‘Zai’, the survival rate of planted tree seedlings were drastically improved. Not only innovating practical techniques, we devised an improved agricultural extension method incorporating some steps of ‘social network survey’ and demonstrated its applicability in Niger. 

3. To disseminate the knowledge, experiences and techniques/approaches

The technique ‘fallow-band system’ was implemented in Niger through JICA Grassroots Project in 2010 through 2013 (http://www.jica.go.jp/partner/kusanone/partner/niger_01.html). Using our research results, Ministry of Environment of Japan published a technical brochure ‘Lifestyle and Measures against Desertification’ in 2013 (http://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/desert/download/against%20desertification_eng.pdf). One of our technique (fallow-band system) was introduced in the high school textbook published by Geography Teachers' Association of Victoria (GTAV), Australia,in 2016.  We made many presentations in Africa, India, Europe, China and Japan.

Since our project is entering its final year, we are accelerating the dissemination of our research results through publications, and international and domestic workshops. For social implementation, we are providing some of the practical techniques developed in the project to the ‘Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative’, an international desertification project initiated by the African Union and other entities. We are also preparing proposals which should be helpful in linking our academic results to specific future social implementations.