Land degradation management in Southern Africa

Abstract

In all eight out of the ten countries constituting Southern Africa region most people live in rural areas and depend on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods. In the region land degradation occurs mostly from soil erosion, chemical degradation (loss of nutrients, depletion of organic matter and acidification) and biological depletion. Other factors which contribute to land degradation in the region include compaction from overgrazing of rangelands, uncontrolled burning and improper cultivation of steep slopes, alternating flooding and crusting, salinization and pollution which all combine to cause degeneration of the fragile ecosystems covering large expanses of the region. Landscapes devoid of vegetative cover deeply incised by gullies that are difficult to reclaim, characterize large land expanses in the region classified as drylands. The portions classified as sub-humid or humid (highlands and wetlands) are prone to rapid soil loss from flash floods or periodic flooding. With a cycle of 2-3 and sometimes 5-6 years, droughts that have occurred in the region for over a century, worsen the land degradation problem making land management a formidable task particularly during the critical moisture deficient periods. Differing land tenure systems combined with high poverty and low literacy levels common among the rural population complicate land management process. Low technological capacity, poor governance, poorly conceived management policies and their implementation further complicate land management issues. Technology development, technology transfer and low adoption rates further exacerbate the situation. Pressure on the land and competition for land is of main concern throughout the region. Governments in the region as well as private organizations (including the numerous NGOs operating in the region), some communities and individuals (including researchers and academicians) have all identified the need to conserve land and reverse degradation to restore its productivity and improve the quality of life for those who depend on it for their livelihoods. The chapter examines the nature and causes of land degradation in the region, linking it to population characteristics, land ownership, low technological capacity, poverty, poor governance, low literacy and inappropriate land management practices. The chapter points out that numerous interventions targeted at reducing poverty and improvement in land resource management have not achieved their targets due to lack of coordination, rigidity and imposition which culminated in failure of the interveners to recognize and incorporate indigenous knowledge and peoples’ preferences and/or indigenous age-old land management strategies. Linkages to trade and unequal market access that encourages poverty and unwise use of the land resources are discussed. Adopting “people centered” interventions is recommended together with smart partnerships between the participating partners both from the north and those from the south. Solutions will largely depend on willingness to change and sharing information that will guide appropriate regional action. The region faces an enormous challenge part of which is to come up with viable solutions that will reverse the degradation of land and manage it sustainably.