SWEET POTATO FARMING IS VIABLE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN ARID AND SEMI ARID AREAS

Introduction

Sweet potatoes may not be as sweet as the name suggest. Honey is definitely sweeter, however their climate resilience and nutrition qualifies the name. Grown in arid and semi-arid areas, sweet potatoes have proved to be a water efficient cover crop whose ability to withstand different weather condition makes them farmer’s choice. Despite low opinion on them by urban and youthful generation sweet potatoes provide food subsidies to hunger stricken rural communities in arid and semi arid areas

Methods of growing sweet potatoes 

1.     Kitchen garden

Sweet potatoes can be grown in gunny bags kitchen garden in areas with land and water challenges. In such areas gunny bag is filled with fertile soil to afifth (1/5) fill, then a tin opened on both sides id filled with stones and put at the middle of the gunny bag. Sweet potatoes vines are then planted and the gunny bag folded from outside. The tin is used for irrigation by filling it with water once per week and depending of water requirement due to prevailing climatic conditions. After a period of one month, the vines are held up, soil is refilled and tin pulled upwards, this increases the root structure which is responsible for sweet potatoes developed. The process continues till the gunny bag is full. By the time of the forth refill the first fill has sweet potatoes which can be harvested from the side of the gunny bag. This method provides continual sweet potatoes provision at household level in a vicious circle.

2.     Zai pit garden method

In zai pit method, a hole of different dimensions is dug and filled with various materials from the bottom to top. The bottom is filled with stones and sand while the second level is filled with dry organic matter. The top column where the sweet potatoes are to be grown is filled with fertile soil and then sweet potatoes are planted. Once they have been planted they are irrigated conveniently to form a canopy which spreads round. The vines are then dug to the ground to increase root structure and thus sweet potatoes production. This method is appropriate for very dry areas with minimal rain and every drop needs to be optimized

3.     Raised ridge Method

In a raised ridge method an elevation of soil structure is made to achieve a suitable site for planting the sweet potatoes vines. The ridges ensure that the soil is loosened and roots can easily penetrate. Once the ridges have been made the vine are grown and irrigated over time to form a covering canopy which reduces water requirement by big margin. During the harvesting time the ridges are harvested from sides to ensure they a maintained and can be replanted in future

Advantages of growing sweet potatoes

1.     They are highly adaptive to different weather conditions which reduces crop failure occurrences

2.     They are resistant to many pests and diseases and are not edible to livestock

3.     They are highly nutritious and convenient  for children, the sick and the elderly

4.     Require minimal labour because activities such as weeding are not a requirement for their farming

5.     Mature within record of short time and have high demand both in urban and rural areas hence providing the highly requirement incomes for rural households

6.     Through forming of soil cover canopy, they are able to ensure water efficiency via reduced evaporation

7.     They are not perishable and can be stored for future consumption

  Conclusion

 Through working with rural communities in arid and semi arid areas of the author has provided basic information through which communities have been able to plant and harvest big volumes of quality sweet potatoes. Such communities have gotten shield from advance effects of climate change. These methods have been tested and proved to work both in rural and urban areas where they provide efficient water and land utilization by households. With such information prevailing in rural communities, climate change menaces are likely to reduce significantly. For more information follow the link below

Article by

Andrew M. Nyamu

Project Coordinator- Coastal Livelihood and Environment Management

Plan International Kenya

www.andrewnyamuonline.blogspot.co.ke

 

 TECHNOLOGY USE IN MANGROVE REGENERATION AND CONSERVATION; case study of Coastal Livelihoods and Environment Management project in Kwale County of Kenya.  

Introduction

Use of technology in development has taken root being referred as ICT4D, however, in conservation it has not been widely applied. Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Management project under Kwale PU has deployed use of technology in mangrove conservation through community led participatory GIS mapping of degraded sites

Participatory community GIS mapping of degraded areas

The project-initiated mangrove delimitation exercise in partnership with Pwani University. The exercise ensured that all degraded sites within six project communities were mapped out and that mangrove regeneration exercise took directional and verifiable approach. To ensure community participation and ownership, 90 community members were trained in GIS mapping while 18 community members participated in the actual GIS delimitation of the degraded areas.

The output od the delimitation exercise was mapping of 1239 acres of mangrove degraded sites and 272,550 mangrove seedlings established within the existing nurseries. The mapping has created community applause and commitment to mangrove regeneration with information on available sites for regeneration and appropriate mangrove species. Within six months of the GIS mapping exercise, the communities have been in a position to plant 51,216 mangroves under direct project intervention.

Climate change adaptation and mitigation

Through mangrove regeneration, the community are able to become more resilient to climate change. Mangroves are heavy carbon sequesters and their planting provides carbon sinks hence creating “cooling” effects to the lower atmosphere. Through commercial mangrove conservation, the communities adapt to climate change by having addition income stream to their declining ecological livelihood streams.

Protecting girls and young women in crisis and climate related disasters

Climate change continues to pose threat to girls and young women whose vulnerability to climate change related disasters is optimal at household level. With increase in mangrove degradation, there is decline in food supplies, water availability and energy sources, this phenomenon exposes girls and youth women to the burden of additional labor to fed for their families through exploitative and unpaid or underpaid wage labor. The project has provided level playing grounds where young women are participating actively in mangrove conservation thus creating enhanced agencies for the girls and young women

Conclusion

Through use of technology to map degraded area, the project has created new frontier in conservation. The communities are in position to understand magnitude of degradation, the levels of conservation and efforts needed to carry out the whole mangrove regeneration exercise. Coupled with registration of Community Forest Association and development of Participatory Forest Management Plan, the community has conveniently taken leading role in management of their mangrove forests.

 

CLIMATE CHANGE: Christmas gift for future generation; a tree seedling!

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in present day Israel, wise men from the East brought him precious gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Christians worldwide and even non-Christians have marked His birthday with color and pomp. Giving of gifts has characterized Christmas holiday. In Kenya Christmas is marked by heavy travels, expensive holiday, merry making and family reunions.

The birth of Jesus symbolized redemption of humanity in the verge of eternal destruction occasioned by Adam and Eve disobedience at the garden of Eden as recorded in the Holy Scripture. Despite the eternal redemption of humanity, other challenges continue to cause death and suffering of the human beings, among them, Climate Change

Climate change Menace

Climate change is a global and local threat to humanity and continues to pose survival threat to humans, animals and vegetation. In Kenya, loss of livelihoods has become synonymous with climate change. Crop failure, death of livestock, floods and landslides have continually increased the vulnerability of populations living in prone areas. Noble lieutenant, the late Prof. Wangari Maathai once said; mother nature is unforgiving when provoked! The last few months Kenya has witnessed mother natures’ fury over negligence of our part. Delayed October-November- December countrywide, death of livestock in Northern parts of the country and crop failure across countries food basket are among evidence of mother nature furry. This phenomenon calls for decisive actions by all stakeholders to combat the effects of climate change at local and national levels.

Global and National treaties

Persistency of climate change has seen many forums held on global, regional and national platforms. On 12^th December 2015, 196 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), during COP 21 conference held at Paris adopted the Paris Agreement, a legally-binding framework for internationally coordinating efforts to tackle climate change culminating six years of international climate change negations under the auspices of UNFCCC. The framework set out four articulate steps which are putting emphasis on the processes rather than goals. Unlike the Kyoto protocol which had specific emission targets, this framework relies on voluntary mitigation contributions by member states. The Paris Agreement also establishes global warming goal well below 2°C, this requires party states to formulate progressively more ambitious climate change targets consistent with the goal the agreement also establishes the obligation of all parties to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The agreement too recognizes the different starting points and responsibilities of countries and emphasizes the agreement to be implemented in accordance with the principal of common but differentiated responsibilities in respect to capabilities

Kenya being a party to the UNFCCC, has enacted climate change act 2016 in its determined efforts to curb effects of changing climatic condition. The act provides opportunities for social entrepreneurs working on climate change related issues to have their voices heard and prosecution of climate change related offenses. The act either envisage creation of climate change fund and provision of incentives to innovations geared towards climate change adaptation and mitigation. The climate change act 2016 is a bold step in the right direction for present and future generation

Gift for future Generation

Kenya continues to receive below average rainfalls for the last one months. Despite loss of livestock, destruction of infrastructure and properties, the rains have provided conducive environment for vegetation growth. As the festive season begin, people will be looking for gifts for their loved ones, seasonal urban to rural migration taking place as families unite to merry making and fanfare. Kenya population census provisional results indicate population of about 48 million people, if every Kenyan received and gave a tree seedling as Christmas gift, future generation will be safe, our environment will be habitable and mother nature will be happy.

Andrew Muendo Nyamu

Young Africa Leaders Initiative (YALI) fellow 2018

Project Coordinator- Plan International

Email: nyamu1895@gmail.com