A systems approach to the quantitative analysis of
traditional techniques for soil and water conservation in the
African Sahel
The Department of Irrigation and Soil and Water
Conservation of Wageningen Agricultural University (the
Netherlands) has planned research that involves quantitative
analysis of traditional techniques for conserving soil and
water in the African Sahel. The aim is to contribute to
preventing further degradation in the Sahel and to developing
sustainable production systems in the region. In the last 20
years many aid projects have involved soil and water
conservation. It is now believed that one of the reasons for
their limited success is that many of the new conservation
measures that were proposed do not make good use of, or do not
fit in with, traditional local techniques. The research is
therefore based on the assumption that studying traditional
techniques and local knowledge in the context of the local
farming system will yield valuable insights that can be
helpful when developing a theoretical basis for the design of
technically effective, economically viable and socially
acceptable conservation measures. However, the study of
traditional soil and water conservation techniques (TSWCT) is
hampered by the lack of a quantitative analytical framework.
As a result, studies are often anecdotal case studies which
are not useful for purposes of analysis. The aim of this
research is therefore to draw on recent developments in
systems analysis in order to develop a framework that will
elucidate (1) the efficacy of these techniques for conserving
water and/or nutrients, and the physical boundary conditions
to their operationality, (2) the economic conditions conducive
to their cost-effectiveness, and (3) the social conditions
(voluntary versus enforced, private versus communal) conducive
to their construction and maintenance.
Contact: Prof. L. Stroosnijder, Wageningen
Agricultural University, Department of Irrigation and Soil and
Water Conservation, Nieuwe Kanaal 11, 6709 PA Wageningen, The
Netherlands. (L. Stroosnijder)
Program on the Lakes of East Africa (PLEA)
PLEA (started in 1989) is a programme on the socio-
economic and ecological issues of the changing lakes, lake
basins and aquatic resources of East Africa. It is conducted
by the African Studies Center at Michigan State
University.
The programme is committed to developing better understanding
of the lake ecosystems, with special attention for the needs
and interests of the lakes' human users and owners, and for
the possibilities of developing sustainable uses of the lakes'
valuable and fragile resources. The programme seeks to link
scientific information with management in order to achieve
sustained human well-being. The programme also seeks truly
collaborative relationships with African colleagues in the
governments, academic communities, villages and urban centres
of the East African countries. To that end, special attention
is given to policy-relevant research conducted collaboratively
with African colleagues, and to depositing the findings and
data first in the institutions of the African nations who own
and control these aquatic resources.
Social scientists and other specialists with specific skills
and methodologies relevant for service and research in the
lake basins are called into the programme as needed. There are
plans for beginning parallel work on Lake Tana in Ethiopia and
on the Rift Valley lakes of Southern Ethiopia.
Six projects constitute the programme's current agenda:
Sustainable development planning for Aboriginal
communities
This research project aims to establish an
appropriate framework for Aboriginal community planning, based
on the concept of sustainable development. The study will
stress two main themes:
Research dealing with IK under NIRP
The Netherlands-Israel Development Research Programme
(NIRP) is funding research carried out within collaborative
frameworks by research institutes in Israel, developing
countries (mainly in Africa) and the Netherlands. More
information on this programme can be obtained from the
secretariats:
Ms. Miriam Bar-Lev, CINADCO, P.O.Box 7011, Tel Aviv, 61070
Israel Fax: +372-3-6971677 or:
Mr. H.J. Mastebroek, Nuffic-CIRAN, P.O.Box 90734, 2509 LS The
Hague, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-70-3510513.
At the moment two Ik-related research projects are being
carried out:
* Local knowledge and local action in the Mandara
mountains: an interdisciplinary research project on
the dynamics of local knowledge and its importance for
locally-based soil and water management by the Mafa people in
the Mandara mountains in North Cameroon.
This research deals with the interrelated problems of
agricultural productivity and soil and water management which
are faced by the Mafa farmers. The aim of the research is to
bridge the gap between indigenous and scientific knowledge in
the field of soil and water management and to refine and test
a set of research methods that make possible the participatory
development of innovations in soil and water conservation that
are both socially and environmentally appropriate. This
requires information on the strengths and weaknesses of
indigenous knowledge, and of indigenous knowledge development
and extension, as well as information on the dynamics of
indigenous knowledge in the context of environmental, socio-
economic and cultural change; this includes the influence of
external agencies of change (e.g. extension services,
governmental and non-governmental agricultural development
organizations) on the evolution of Mafa knowledge and
practices.
The research approach centres around the notion that
innovations which are both environmentally and socially
appropriate can best be developed in close cooperation with
farmers and local extension agents. Furthermore, the approach
must be interdisciplinary. To make this possible the research
methodology comprises participatory, interactive and/or
interdisciplinary research methods and techniques. The
research period covers four years and began in April 1993.
Contact any of the following:
Prof. Tchala Abina, National Institute of Rural
Development
P.O.Box 222, Dschang, Cameroon.
or:
Dr. W.T. de Groot (coordinator), Centre of Environmental
Science, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
or:
Prof. E. Rawitz, SEAGRAM Centre for Soil and water, P.O. Box
12, Rehovot, Israel.
* Knowledge systems to facilitate sustainable
agriculture: the case of West Africa.
Most agricultural development interventions in developing
countries generally, and in Francophone West Africa
specifically, were based on the Transfer of Technology (ToT)
model and did not reach their goal, because small farmers
could not adopt the top- down extension 'packages'.
Mobilization of indigenous knowledge of how to use locally
available inputs, and improved collective management of
natural resources, are expected to give better results.
Therefore, the processes of 'sense-making' by West African
small farmers will be studied, as these relate to the
sustainable use of natural resources. This will be done in two
ecologically and ethnically different provinces of Benin.
Present efforts being made in Benin and neighbouring countries
to improve farmers' 'sense-making' will be investigated. The
outcome of that study will lead to the development of a policy
model that enhances the contribution of the rural knowledge
system and of extension interventions designed to improve
farmers' 'sense-making'. Soft systems methodology and
grounding theory will be used.
Contact:
Ir. R. Tossou (M.Sc), Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques
Université Nationale du Benin, B.P. 526, Cotonou,
Benin.
or:
Prof. A.Blum (coordinator), Hebrew University, Faculty of
Agriculture, P.O.Box 12, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
or:
Dr. N. Röling, Wageningen Agricultural University, Dept.
of Communication and Innovation Studies, Hollandse Weg 1, 6706
KN, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Indigenous forest and tree management systems
The forestry department of Wageningen Agricultural
University (the Netherlands) is carrying out various research
projects on indigenous forest and tree management systems and
their relevance to development. The projects include studying
the interface between indigenous knowledge and externally
sponsored development interventions. Since 1990-1992 a
research project entitled 'Analysis and development of local
utilization and management systems of woody vegetation in the
Sahel' has been carried out by Mr. K.F. Wiersum. At present
the following Ph.D. studies are being conducted: