Sustainable Land Management Activities in Gasp Areas of the Savannah Belt of the Northern Nigeria_ Final Technical Progress Report

Abstract

Degradation of natural resources and water scarcity continue to pose great challenges to sustainable agriculture in northern Nigeria. More specifically, farmers face serious challenges related to soil erosion (sheet, gully and wind), soil fertility depletion, and lack of adequate surface water for animal and human consumption especially during the dry seasons of January - May. The project aimed to promote the adoption of climate change adaptation measures through landscape rehabilitation focusing on sustainable land management including soil erosion control, water harvesting, and soil and water conservation. The project adopted a participatory approach which allowed it to build on existing local knowledge, incorporate local contexts including preferences and capabilities to identify and recommend site-specific best-bet practices that can be potentially adopted to address prevalent challenges. Several steps were taken to identify site-specific technology packages including a diagnostic survey used to develop a matrix of options (MOs) for consideration by relevant State representatives who used their expertise and knowledge of their constituencies capabilities to narrow down the options to best-bet practices that can plausibly be adopted. The revised options were then presented to men and women members of the community for further discussion, prioritization, and demonstration. Through the process the project consulted with over 360 farmers, over 60 CDAs, in 16 villages located in targeted States. However, as evidence from the diagnostic survey indicates, promoting adoption of agricultural technologies is not a one-time intervention but needs to be carefully monitored to ensure its proper (technical) implementation to effectively address the challenges. Therefore, ICARDA recommends close follow up and support to farmers to ensure sustainable adoption and promotion of recommended technology packages.