THE ROLE OF ECOSYSTEMS IN ADAPTATION

RESTORATION OF DEGRADED LANDS OF DJIMBALLACASE OF THE PALM GROVES OF M'BETOU

Mouhamadou Farka Maiga ONG AMADE-PELCODE CLACC Fellow Mali

DHAKA from 24 to 31 march 2011

PRESENTATION OF PROJECT

• The project is located in the Djimballa, and is based on the principle of participation and empowerment of rural communities along the inland delta of the Niger River, to restoration of degraded lands overpowered by palm groves.

• This species, despite its economic and ecological value, is neglected by policy makers and destroyed by the same people who get his needs. Advisory support was provided by the NGO APSAGA and its partners including the GEF and the technical services of the state to get people to organize themselves to facilitate the regeneration capacity of palm trees and their sustainable management in the village of M'Betou.

• The project has included in its agenda a series of counseling, consultation, organization, demonstration of techniques for restoration of marginal lands and fragile, and the potential for regeneration and sustainable use of doum palm. Then a process was undertaken with local people and policy makers to adopt a local agreement management of palm groves on the basis of social and cultural norms.

Between Djenne, Mopti and Timbuktu, lies a vast floodplain: there is the inland delta of the Niger River. A vast area of about 35,000 km2 and where a million people live.

There are and have been since the dawn of time: fishermen, herders and farmers who each in turn exploits the land and water, consumes and exports the resources.

This criss-crossed of each and others according to the height of water is provided by an organization based on social values that have proven themselves up to the advent of drought of 1970-1980.

The environmental degradation due to climatic and human pressure are the two interrelated linear axes on which the environmental moves in a cyclical manner during the year

CONTEXT•In Mali, the Sustainable lands Management has become a real concern of authority. Also, it is important to note that the continuing degradation of the environment is now a major concern especially as it is undoubtedly a real obstacle to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the fight against poverty.•The latest report on the state of the environment published in 2008 mentions an uncompromising degradation of environmental situation in Mali. This report highlights the extreme fragility of ecosystems and the palpable risk of evolution to very advanced state of degradation •The east side of the inland Delta of Niger River is characterized by natural palm Hyphaene thebaica (doum palm), which offer many advantages for people in regions of Mopti, Timbuktu and Gao.•This interest has long been recognized by the highest authorities of the country, has motivated the creation of forest reserves in the area.•On the fifteen (15) forests of the circle of Niafunke, the eight (8) are Hyphaene thebaica. They are in a situation of complete degradation and characterized by a gradual regression of size and density of wood and farmland).•These changes bring multiple effects on the balance between man and nature, which humans must adapt, but he also needs to limit and manage.

Young foot palm doum

The Niger River valley, which remained the only place of fallback for northerners is attacked by the dunes. The loss of pasture and lands resulting causes annual often deadly conflict but also farmland

Land degradation affects soil structure and leads to their depletion by processes such as erosion by water or wind. The main causes are

inappropriate land use, especially farming systems that are no longer viable. People tend to focus on their immediate economic needs, to the

detriment of the environment

THE FOREST AREA COVERED 100 MILLION HA, ONLY 32.4 MILLION HA (26% OF THE COUNTRY) HAVE A REAL FOREST PRODUCTION) 15.7 MILLION HA OF AGRICULTURAL PLANT FORMATION AND ANTHROPOGENIC (CROPS AND FALLOW)

DECREASE IN PLANT COVER, ESTIMATED TO 500,000 HA / YEAR (100.000 HA DUE TO THE CUT OF WOOD AND 400,000 HA CAUSED BY LAND CLEARING)

THE DECLINE OF RAINFALL IN MALI

• 20%This is the rate of rainfall recorded in less between periods 1951-1970 and1971-2000

• Isohyets 1200 no longer exist on the map of Mali

ACHIEVEMENT• On the ecological front increasing the resilience of palms fixation of sand dunes forming thresholds bulky arms and crop areas

and the lakes; a rise in biological flora and fauna• On the economic front: an increase in monetary income resource of users, particularly women The development of IGAs for women an increased level of receipts from the affected communities.• Socially a mastery of management techniques by actors strengthening social cohesion and development of mutual aid Prevention and management of conflicts between different resources

users. Improved nutritional status of the community

The sustainable land management is "the rational use of land to meet the evolving human needs while maintaining and or restoring the potential for long-term production of these resources"

The climate change is both, challenges but also opportunities to grasp the climate change is a major challenge which faced the humanity now.

The increasing of its effects in trend and frequency that define her unpredictability, where the necessity to act now, through a transformation at global scale . To this effect, there is the best alternative which privileged the development in low carbon. It will be the only way to preserve the ecosystems and the services that they provide

Africa didn't much invested in fossil energy and therefore has of abundant resources in lands and water. This is an ideal position, to benefit greatly from the opportunity for activities carbon sequestration and adaptation action related to the sustainable management of resources.

SUITE It is essential to use of ecosystem approaches: The Ecosystem Assessment Millennium Challenge has identified the many services that ecosystems provide, and the 2010 Report on the green economy has accurately identified the way forward.

In Mali, a major program implementation is called the SLM. It is an integrated program

Through this program, Mali is committed strongly to promote best practices in sustainable land management

The technical for Sustainable Land Management are an opportunity to adapt to climate change in Mali.

CONCLUSION

In considering that the role of ecosystems is the maintenance of the integrity of ecosystems to reduce the risk of vulnerability, it is at level to international institutions, national, regional and local decentralized, to prioritize the various possibilities to use the ecosystems in response strategies to the climate challenge.To this fact :• It should be recognized at international level that the preservation of

ecosystems can permit to adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects• the establishment of financing mechanisms for climate change• At national level: Integrating the role of ecosystem services in strategies et

national action plans for climate change• The synergic of action between the different actors who intervene in the

processes

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION