TITLE:
Local Initiatives of Land Rehabilitation in the Sudano-Sahelian Region: Case of Hardé Soils in the Far North Region of Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Désiré Tsozué, Bertand Roger Haiwe, Jean Louleo, Jean Pierre Nghonda
KEYWORDS:
Local Initiative; Hardé Soils; Land Degradation; Rehabilitation; Cameroon
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Soil Science,
Vol.4 No.1,
January
22,
2014
ABSTRACT:
Local initiatives of hardé soils rehabilitation in Maroua region have been analyzed.
Fieldwork consisted of conducting observations and surveys beside farmers in
two study sites, Mizileng and Zokok. Investigations on perception of land
degradation signs by farmers show that appearance of encrusted surfaces and
loss of vegetation cover are signs more expressed in both study sites. Causes
expressed include acceleration of water and wind erosion processes, excessive
falling of trees, inappropriate farming techniques and climatic hazards. The
main consequences are declining of crop yields, lack of farming land and loss
natural pastures. Rehabilitation actions undertaken by local communities
surveyed include earth dikes, tillage including cart or hoe ploughing,
application of organic matter, integrating farming techniques such as
fallowing, association and rotation of crop, and lastly, parking of animals on
plots to be rehabilitated. Populations assert in their majority perceive in six
months to three years signs of real change on planning plots. Constraints to
those rehabilitation actions include material requirements that are mostly not
available or accessible to farmers in the study area and access to land.
Globally, there is no integration of local knowledge in the implementation of
projects and consequences are localized and ephemeral efficiency, but also not
conclusive results. Implementation of an innovation in rural areas must take
into account the factors of ownership and inscribe in a well-defined
trajectory. This trajectory must be dynamic and reflexive where local knowledge
will cope with expert knowledge to ensure impact and sustainability of innovation.