Plant Trees to Stop Desertification

It is well understood these days that just a few thousand years ago the Sahara was a lot wetter and greener than it is now. These cave paintings from the very arid region of North-eastern Chad depict cattle and are thought to have been made only 2,000 years ago. (Source Wikipedia)

(Image by David Stanley)     Attribution

This rock art and similar petroglyphs from all over North Africa tell us that our planet's climate can change very rapidly and right now the Sahara is expanding southwards at an alarming rate, as shown by the red arrows in the top image. The communities of sub-Saharan Africa and the Sarhel in particular understand the threat that they face from this steady creeping desertification but many probably aren't so aware that it is human induced climate change that is very likely driving this current southwards advance of the sands... Much  of the soil around Boré is very sandy and can erode very quickly if trees are removed and the rains fail.

Neem trees planted on one farmers' shamba in Boré to reduce erosion and desertification. Neem are particularly xerophytic (drought-resistant) and so are our favourite tree for planting on sandy soils such as these. Once established they develop a dense fibrous root network that binds the soil particles together and helps stop the wind turning this area into Sahara Number 2 (Southern Version).

Back in 2022, during a particularly extended drought, camels infiltrated the Boré area for the first time in living memory. Somali-heritage pastoralists were bringing their cattle and camel herds south in search of fodder. Recently its been wet in Boré so these desert animals have migrated northwards again but when you see a camel you know the desert is not far behind...

Camels in Bore in 2022

Its hard to stop a desert but trees grow very fast in the tropics and once established, trees like Neem and Cashew can withstand very long periods of drought. Then when the rains do finally come, those root networks can quickly grow and re-bind the soil back together.

Plant a tree in Boré and make it Trees - 1; Sahara - Nil