Water Bunds Dug Into the Soil in Arusha, Tanzania

Synopsis

Rising global temperatures due to climate change are causing longer and more severe droughts to occur across the African continent, which has contributed to an increase in the level of soil and land degradation. During periods of low rainfall, the soil can become very dry and compact, which prevents water from infiltrating through the top layer of soil down to deeper levels. Instead, this water accumulates and forms small rivers that remove the topsoil and all the nutrients within it. Overfarming and overgrazing of animals also contributes to the degradation of soils.An innovative solution to this problem is the creation of water bunds, or “Earth Smiles.” These are semicircles that are dug into the landscape and used to capture the rainfall that would otherwise run off the hardened surface. The collected water gradually seeps into the soil, restoring the groundwater balance, and allowing any seeds present within the soil to germinate. The creation of water bunds has allowed areas of sub-Saharan land to be restored and vegetation to grow in a very short time period. Increased vegetation stabilises the soil whilst improving water retention and infiltration, allowing the land to regenerate and recover. The branches that can be seen within newly dug water bunds are cut from local trees and are used to prevent cattle and wildlife from grazing within the bunds.

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