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Tag: planting

Sahara Circular Gardens Stop Desertification, Provide Food Security

Posted on by dishanth
Sahara Circular Gardens Stop Desertification, Provide Food Security

In the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert, a transformation is taking root—quite literally. Amidst the golden dunes and arid landscapes, Sahara circular gardens are emerging as oases of hope, pointing to a sustainable way forward in the face of increasing desertification. These meticulously designed green patches are symbols of human ingenuity and active combatants against the degrading soil and challenging climatic conditions of one of the world’s most unforgiving terrains.

Desertification refers to the process where previously fertile land degrades into desert. While natural climate fluctuations play a role, human activities—such as unsustainable farming practices and deforestation—have significantly accelerated the process. The Sahara, already the third largest desert globally, continues to expand, threatening local ecosystems and the livelihoods of millions.

This environmental phenomenon doesn’t just result in a loss of usable land. It disrupts local ecosystems, diminishes water resources, reduces agricultural productivity, and can lead to increased regional conflicts over dwindling resources.

Enter the circular gardens—concentric circles of vegetation that stand defiantly against the vastness of the desert. Here’s a breakdown of why and how Sahara circular gardens represent a beacon of hope in various ways.

Efficiency is paramount in regions like Senegal, where water is more valuable than gold. The design of Sahara circular gardens allows for a central water source, distributing the precious resource evenly to all plants. This hub-and-spoke model ensures that every drop is utilized to its maximum potential. The gardens, known locally as tolou keur, are the most recent incarnation of The Great Green Wall project.

These gardens are more than just a sum of their parts. Together, the plants work in harmony to create a relatively cooler micro-environment that maintains a higher humidity level than the surrounding desert. This microclimate is conducive to plant growth and offers a small reprieve from the otherwise harsh conditions.

The Sahara circular gardens’ genius lies in combining traditional desert farming techniques with modern agricultural knowledge. Local communities have long recognized the value of growing in concentric patterns, but today’s farmers are enhancing these methods with contemporary technology and insights.

Against the monochromatic backdrop of the desert, the Sahara circular gardens are vibrant hubs of life. They host a range of plant species, attracting essential pollinators and beneficial insects. This biodiverse setup supports the garden’s health and strengthens its resilience against pests and diseases.

Beyond the environmental benefits, these gardens have profound socio-economic implications. They provide local communities with a sustainable source of food and income. In an environment as challenging as the Sahara, the success of these agricultural initiatives can make a considerable difference to the economic well-being of the local populace.

Every plant in these gardens plays a role in healing the soil. As plants grow, decay, and get replaced, they return essential organic matter to the ground. Over time, this continuous cycle can restore the soil’s structure and fertility, combating the effects of desertification.

The gardens show that sustainable farming is possible even in adverse conditions. With carefully chosen plants, including those that naturally enrich the soil, these gardens can thrive with minimal external intervention.

The emergence of Sahara circular gardens is a testament to human adaptability and resilience. However, their proliferation also highlights the urgency of our environmental challenges. While these gardens offer localized solutions, they also underscore the need for global action against climate change and land degradation.

Researchers, environmentalists, and local farmers are keenly studying the potential and limitations of these gardens. As knowledge grows, techniques are refined, ensuring these green oases become even more effective in their mission.

The Sahara circular gardens are more than just innovative agricultural projects. They symbolize hope, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit. In the face of global challenges, they remind us that with ingenuity and collaboration, solutions can be found—even in the most unexpected places.

 

 

 

 

Source   Happy Eco News

‘Undersea gardeners’ are restoring Jamaica’s lost coral reefs

Posted on by dishanth
‘Undersea gardeners’ are restoring Jamaica’s lost coral reefs
  • Jamaica lost 85% of its reefs due to a hurricane, pollution, overfishing and boat damage.
  • “Coral gardeners” are helping to restore the reefs by growing young corals in “nurseries.”
  • Sea urchins and parrotfish, which protect corals, are also making a comeback.

Jamaica’s coral reefs were once a paradise for scuba divers and a haven for marine life from parrotfish to sea snakes. But that was before a sequence of disastrous events deprived the Caribbean island of its coral.

The destruction started in 1980 when category 5 Hurricane Allen, the strongest Caribbean storm of the 20th century, hit Jamaica with winds of over 185 km/h and a 12-metre storm surge.

Just as the coral was starting to recover, in 1983 a mystery disease killed off grazing sea urchins, which kept harmful algae at bay. Pollution, overfishing and boat damage added to the destruction, and eventually 85% of Jamaica’s coral reefs were lost.

But now these “rainforests” of the oceans are starting to recover, thanks to the efforts of a group of scuba divers who are nurturing young corals in “nurseries” before planting them back on rocks to rejuvenate the reefs.

 

Young coral are grown on ropes in ‘nurseries’.
Image: Jamaica Conservation Partners

 

In the underwater nurseries, located in The White River Fish Sanctuary, one of Jamaica’s 44 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), coral fragments are suspended from ropes to allow them to feed and grow, protected by the coral gardeners who remove predators like snails and fireworms that prey on immature coral.

When the corals are big enough, the divers use fishing line to attach them to exposed rocks in the former reef areas to secure them until the young corals have time to attach themselves permanently.

Safe havens

Corals are not the only living things making a comeback in Jamaican reefs. The areas are also being used to conserve heavily overfished species like parrotfish, which are vital to keeping coral reefs clear of invasive algae. Conservationists are calling for a total ban on catching parrotfish. Black sea urchins, which eat harmful algae, are also recovering and making the seafloor safe for corals once again.

Corals are soft-bodied animals that build a hard limestone-like carapace by converting minerals in seawater into calcium carbonate. It’s this hard outer shell that makes up a reef. Its bright colours come from friendly algae that protect the corals from damage.

But warming ocean temperatures are destroying the world’s coral reefs. Already half of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has been damaged by “coral bleaching,” a process that starts with the death of the coral’s protective algae.

Without the algal covering, corals eventually die, leaving just their white skeletons. Scientists predict rising sea temperatures will destroy 90% of the world’s coral reefs unless we take urgent action to cut global greenhouse gas emissions.

 

The stark differences between healthy and unhealthy coral
Image: US National Ocean Service

 

Rainforests of the sea

Coral reefs occupy just 0.1% of the ocean floor but are a vibrant source of aquatic biodiversity, providing a home to a quarter of all marine life – that’s more species than rainforests. But they are very slow growing, which means they can take decades to recover from damage.

Our seas absorb about a third of all the world’s CO2 emissions. This is turning them acidic, which in turn harms corals. Over the last three decades, half of the world’s coral reefs have been lost, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Coral reefs also provide food and livelihoods to millions of people, worth an estimated $386 billion each year. They also act as a buffer, protecting vulnerable coastlines and communities from storm damage.

Jamaica still has a long way to go on its journey to marine recovery. But the coral farmers are a great example of ordinary people taking action to protect the environment and reverse the damage being done to our planet by climate change.

 

 

Written by

Douglas Broom, Senior Writer, Formative Content

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.