Development of specific techniques to protect and irrigate the plants

The community tested various techniques to fend off stray livestock following the planting period. These included protecting the area with a dead hedge made of thorny branches, with pink morning glory (Ipomea carnea) woven rods supported by poles and with iron wire from the carbonization of worn car wheels. These efforts were, however, without much success. In addition, following the long dry season and the low rainfall in the region in 2017, the community’s water source dried up and the plants withered. The idea of collecting water with empty cans at the community’s water borehole (~ 3 km) was not feasible due to the lack of financial resources.

However, another system through drip irrigation devices made of used bottles collected in the city was also used. Drip irrigation devices were attached to the foot of seedling. The water was then drawn from barrels and stored on site. This system permitted the seedlings to be watered three times a week allowing nearly 40% of the wilted plants to grow again. The construction of a permanent plant nursery with an onsite water borehole has been as well finalised.

  • Capacity building of the local facilitators in the ‘learning by doing’ method to develop restoration techniques allowed the production of 2600 plants in 2017
  • Ability to develop one-off actions that can be improved depending on the situation. 

  • Individual plant protection approach. e.g. use of a mat to protect the plants (see pictures)

  • Use of a drip irrigation system with reused water bottles
  • Promotion of the separate production of livestock fodder
  • Difficulty to access water, which is primordial for the growth of fruit trees that require irrigation during the long dry season. Of the 4022 seedlings planted, 2162 are alive and 1860 dead on eleven blocks containing eight fruit and forest species in August 2017
  • The benefits of constructing a village plant nursery with an onsite water borehole (permanent production of quality plants, livestock watering, human consumption and therefore reduction of waterborne diseases, which causes the high infant mortality rate in the community)
  • The possibility of dividing the plot into sub-plots of approximately 500 m2, which will be gradually restored (year 1, year n+1, year n+2, ..., year n+5), in order to make it more secure