Land degradation control in Northern Africa

Abstract

North Africa sub-region represents the entire range of aridity index. The major issues of concern in the sub-region are rainfall variability, recurrent droughts, and possible impacts of climate change. Aridity is manifested by scarcity of water resources and arable lands which represent 26.4% of the total land area with extremely varied distribution among the countries of the sub-region. Presently cultivated areas occupy 45 million ha, mostly rainfed, with 8 million ha of irrigated lands. Rangelands occupy about 13% and forest / woodland represent 8% of the total land area of the sub-region. All land use categories are subject to land degradation processes, through more than three decades, due to several pressures including; rapid population growth, climatic stresses, human mismanagement practices, and inappropriate agricultural policies. Land degradation processes are varied and diversified under the conditions of rain-fed, irrigated, range and forestlands. Land degradation processes are conducive to serious productivity losses, reduction in return from capital investment, lower income of rural households, spread of poverty and increased rural to urban migration. Through the last decade all countries ratified UNCCD and formulated NAPs. Most governments adopted reform agricultural policies. Measures were taken to curtail losses due to inefficient use of water resources in irrigated lands, activating water harvesting practices, enhancing the use of groundwater resources, and supplementary irrigation under rainfed conditions. Activities were enhanced to establish protective belts of trees and shrubs and formulate and implement projects for better management of rangeland and forestland. Setting up of coordination committees, enhancing the role of women and NGOs, and encouraging research activities were also addressed to varied extent. However, the execution of the aforementioned activities does not replace the dire need for adoption of a holistic approach to combat land degradation including formulation of integrated strategies for short, medium and long-terms based on priorities. The adherence to ecosystem integrated approach is a must, in addition to activation of synergies among the major three environmental conventions, i.e., UNCCD, CBD and UNFCCC. An integrated strategy should be planned to accomplish tasks of prime significance including; the elaboration of thematic databases, adoption of sub-regional indicators, activating unified networking for all six countries to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experience, and lessons learned in establishing Drought Early Warning Systems. Elaboration and coordination of activities to establish genebanks for indigenous plant species adapted to the harsh environment, and facilitation of the use of agro-biodiversity to combat desertification is important. National and sub-regional preparedness to mitigate the adverse impacts of drought should be promoted. Rational guidelines should be formulated for the use of vast but non-renewable groundwater resources, available in huge aquifers with varied water qualities. Focus must be placed on demand driven and coordinated research activities in multiple institutions throughout the sub-region. Concerted efforts are needed to curtail conflicts and local wars which present formidable constraints to development and enhance degradation. Implementing meaningful sub-regional projects and coordinating international funding and transfer of needed technologies, capacity building and collecting indigenous knowledge in a sub-region of very similar conditions are equally important.