Re-greening and reversing desertification

7 Dec

An extensive erosion control and re-greening project in an effort to reverse desertification and retain productive soils is bearing fruit after finally receiving a few showers of rain in November.

During April and May, we embarked on a 10-day, extensive erosion control and re-greening project in an effort to reverse desertification.

With the generous help of The British Army Training Unit, we were able to dig 230 semi-circular bunds across approximately 3000 acres of land, as well as collapse deep erosion channels.

Bunds are an ancient re-greening method designed to capture rainwater and retain productive soils that will otherwise get washed away over the dry, barren land when the first rains arrive. The bunds also catch grass and other seed, which in turn build up vegetation banks in highly desertified areas.

A few showers of rain reached Northern Kenya in November and it’s been remarkable to see the impact the bunds have had in such a short time. Scroll down for more photos of the bunds.

Simple, nature based solutions like these, done at scale, could prove to be a highly effective solution in the fight to restore degraded landscapes, cool down the planet and mitigate the effects of climate change.