Green Water Bunds Within a Grass Seed Bank in Meshanani, Kenya
Drone footage taken in December 2023. After six months since they have been dug, the water bunds within the grass seed bank established in Meshanani village in Kenya are starting to flourish with vegetation. Combining these two nature-based techniques ensures a quicker regreening process.
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.Grass seed banks are small parts of communal land that are used for the production of grasses and grass seeds. The grasses that grow on the grass seed banks are protected from grazing livestock and wildlife by a so-called living fence of local shrubs. They form an oasis of green in the barren surroundings!The grass seed banks are managed and maintained by Maasai women groups in Kenya. Once the grasses are fully grown, the grasses produce grass seeds which are sold by the women on local markets or to other regreening projects.
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