1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Book project: SLM in Practice - Guidelines and Best Practices for Sub-Saharan Africa (SLM in Practice)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

CDE Centre for Development and Environment (CDE Centre for Development and Environment) - Switzerland

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

CSE (CSE) - Senegal

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

12/10/2009

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

The bande de filao, a 200 m wide belt of Casuarina equisetifolia trees, was established along the Senegalese coast from Dakar to St.Louis, to protect the adjacent Niayes region from wandering sand dunes.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

The Niayes, a territory of 5-30 km width covering a surface of 4,200 km2, is known for its favourable conditions for vegetable production. However, droughts, deforestation and overgrazing have caused gradual desertification and loss of stabilising vegetation cover on sand dunes. The dunes began to advance at a rate of up to 10-12 m per year and threatened villages and production areas.
The establishment of the tree belt started in the 1970s and continued until the late 1990s. The exotic nitrogen-fixing Casuarina equisetifolia was found to perfectly fit into the harsh ecological environment with its poor sandy soils, strong winds, shifting sand and proximity to the sea. Seedlings were raised in nurseries, then planted on a 2.5 x 2.5 m grid – protected by palisades and irrigated at the initial stage. The filao belt covers an area of about 9,700 ha and effectively halts wind erosion and movement of sand dunes, resulting in multiple positive impacts on the environment and the 120,000 people living in the area: it provides protection of villages, allowing vegetable production in inter-dunal depressions, and last but not least - builds up resources of wood. Without the tree belt, life in the Niayes would not be possible. Furthermore, wind speed was reduced also on the sea side, making inshore fishery possible during the whole year (before it was limited to 3 months).
The big challenge is to gradually replace the stands of Casuarina trees that have reached senescence (after approx. 30 years). A management plan has been developed to assure the continuity of this important protective system.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• 10-50 years ago

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through projects/ external interventions

Comments (type of project, etc.):

en 1925 les colons français ont commencé à expérimenter avec Casuarina equisetifolia mais les premiers plantations qui avaient du succès ont été établiés en 1948

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production
• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• reduce risk of disasters
• adapt to climate change/ extremes and its impacts

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Comments:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Biological degradation: reduction of vegetation cover; Erosion by wind: loss of topsoil: uniform displacement, off-site degradation

Plantation forestry: senescence of settlement

Future (final) land use (after implementation of SLM Technology): Forests / woodlands: Fp: Plantations, afforestations

If land use has changed due to the implementation of the Technology, indicate land use before implementation of the Technology:

Other: Oo: Other: wastelands, deserts, glaciers, swamps, recreation areas, etc

3.3 Further information about land use

Number of growing seasons per year:

• 1

Specify:

Longest growing period in days: 90 Longest growing period from month to month: July-September

3.4 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• windbreak/ shelterbelt

3.5 Spread of the Technology

Comments:

Total area covered by the SLM Technology is 97 km2.

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

Comments:

Main measures: vegetative measures

Secondary measures: structural measures

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

Main type of degradation addressed: Et: loss of topsoil, Eo: offsite degradation effects, Bc: reduction of vegetation cover

Secondary types of degradation addressed: Cn: fertility decline and reduced organic matter content

Main causes of degradation: deforestation / removal of natural vegetation (incl. forest fires), droughts (droughts between 1950 and 1970 have affected the vegetation cover of the dunes), population pressure (people have made the dunes accessible for cultivation land)

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• prevent land degradation
• restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land

4.2 Technical specifications/ explanations of technical drawing

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: high

Technical knowledge required for land users: high

Main technical functions: improvement of ground cover, stabilisation of soil (eg by tree roots against land slides), reduction in wind speed

Secondary technical functions: increase in organic matter, increase of biomass (quantity)

Aligned: -against wind
Vegetative material: T : trees / shrubs
Number of plants per (ha): 1600
Vertical interval within rows / strips / blocks (m): 2
Width within rows / strips / blocks (m): 3

Trees/ shrubs species: Casuarina equisetifolia (planted)

4.3 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

other/ national currency (specify):

FCFA

Indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (if relevant): 1 USD =:

455.0

4.4 Establishment activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing
1.	Initial protection with palisades (1 m high; 70 m from the coast; 1 year before planting)	Vegetative	1 year before plantation
2.	Enclosure: wire Establish 0.5 m high palisades with a spacing of 10 - 20 m (depending on the slope of the dunes), perpendicular to the direction of the wind; In Guiera senegalensis on pickets of Euphorbia balsamiferafence protects young plants from roaming animals	Vegetative	avant la plantation, nov.-juin
3.	Establish 0.5 m high palisades with a spacing of 10 - 20 m (depending on the slope of the dunes), perpendicular to the direction of the wind; In Guiera senegalEnclosure: wire fence protects young plants from roaming animalsensis on pickets of Euphorbia balsamifera	Vegetative	avant la plantation, nov.-juin
4.	Production of seedlings in nurseries / Seedling plantings on a 2.5 x 2.5 m grid (1600 plants / ha)	Vegetative	janvier-février
5.	Custody of the planting site (protection of seedlings)	Vegetative

4.5 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Labour	ha	1.0	88.0	88.0
Plant material	Seedlings	ha	1.0	450.0	450.0
Construction material	Wire fence	ha	1.0	385.0	385.0
Other	Transport costs	ha	1.0	880.0	880.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					1803.0

4.6 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing/ frequency
1.	Watering filaos during first year.	Vegetative
2.	Monitor planting	Vegetative
3.	After 25-30 years, replace the whole stand with new plants	Vegetative

4.7 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Other	Transport costs	ha	1.0	880.0	880.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					880.0

Comments:

The costs are calculated for 2 ha of dune fixation; the costs of labour are indicated per month.

4.8 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Costs for establishment are high. All inputs were fully subsidised. Implementing agency was governmental ‘Service des Eaux et
Forêts’ with funding from ACDI and USAID. Reestablishment starts after 25-30 years when trees reach senescence.

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

5.3 Soils

If available, attach full soil description or specify the available information, e.g. soil type, soil PH/ acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, nitrogen, salinity etc.

Soil fertility: Low
Soil drainage/infiltration: Good
Soil water storage capacity: Very low

5.4 Water availability and quality

Comments and further specifications on water quality and quantity:

Ground water table: 5-50m (20 m during rain season, 30 m during dry season)
Water quality (untreated): Good drinking water (dry season, ranked 1) and for agricultural use only (irrigation) as well as unusable (ranked 2, rain season)
Availability of surface water: Also poor/ none

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

Population density: 50-100 persons/km2
Annual population growth: 2% - 3%
Market orientation: Subsistence (only collection of litter and dead wood permitted)

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• state
• individual, not titled

Land use rights:

• communal (organized)

Water use rights:

• communal (organized)

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Water availability and quality

Other socio-economic impacts

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

Climate and disaster risk reduction

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

Comments:

The technology focuses on off-site benefits!

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• more than 50%

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many have did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 0-10%

Comments:

100% of land user families have adopted the Technology with external material support

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Stabilisationof dunes - protection of villages permission of horticulture in interdunal depressions How can they be sustained / enhanced? promote regeneration of trees
Reduction of wind velocity and therefore mitigation of aerolien erosion How can they be sustained / enhanced? promote regeneration of trees
Increased production of litter used as mulch and for composting by vegetable farmers or by fishermen to smoke fish How can they be sustained / enhanced? encourage techniqules compost techniques
Production of firewood

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Making all year round fishery possible and therefore loosing labour force for vegetable cultivation

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
High establishment costs for large scale plantations	plantation activities need to be taken up again; In the hinterland reforestation with local Cocos should be tried.
Casuarina equisetifolia trees reach senescence after 30-50 years and do not regenerate naturally
Increased demand for irrigation water
Increased amount of plastic waste (due to attraction of tourists).

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Mailly, D., Ndiaye, P., Margolis, H. A., & Pineau, M. (1994). Fixation des dunes et reboisement avec le filao (Casuarina equisetifolia) dans la zone du littoral nord du Sénégal.

Available from where? Costs?

The Forestry Chronicle, 70(3)

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Maheut, J., & Dommergues, Y. (1959). La Fixation par le Reboisement des Dunes de la Presqu'Ile du Cap-Vert et l'Evolution Biologique des Sols.

Available from where? Costs?

Bois et Forêts des Tropiques, (63).