Deforestation, caused in large part by the expansion of agricultural land, amplifies the vulnerability of the soil to seasonal climatic variations (drought, heavy rains, etc.). The rain, initially perceived as a blessing by the farmers, can then become particularly devastating!
In Keur Maba Diakhou’ municipality, where the "Of earth and rain" project operates, soils are greatly suffering from water erosion. This causes large gullies that threaten both inhabited and cultivated areas.
Faced with this worrying phenomenon, the municipality encourages the populations to put in place anti-erosion control measures, however, recording very mixed success ... Indeed, carrying out an individualized and localized fight generally only displaces or even worsens the phenomenon.
For effective and lasting erosion control, it is essential to think collectively! In order to support the municipality in its approach, IRHA is currently conducting a participatory survey of the most affected areas in collaboration with the environmental commission and local populations.
At the end of this prospecting, collective solutions will be defined together with local actors, based this time on a systemic (landscape) approach and community actions.