Reporter's Notes: China's Desertification Control Program Helps Nigeria Meet the Challenge of Desertification Nigeria Africa | Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Program

Abuja, June 16 (Xinhua) - Reporter's note: China's desertification control plan helps Nigeria tackle the challenge of desertification

Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Jun

Kano State in the north of Nigeria is adjacent to the Sahara Desert. A reporter from Xinhua News Agency recently made a special trip to the desert hinterland of the state to visit the desertification control project carried out by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the African Desertification Control Initiative of Nigeria, and experience how the Chinese program can help Nigeria cope with desertification challenges.

This is a desert eroded village captured on June 5th in Kano Oblast, Nigeria. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Jun

As the reporter left the city center of Cano, the capital of the state of Cano, by car, the buildings on both sides of the road began to decrease, and in front of him was a large area of yellow sand, sparsely dotted with trees, grass, and farmland. The crops in the fields have drooping leaves under the scorching sun, appearing somewhat listless. When passing through some villages, you can also see piles of firewood on the roadside. Omar Danradi Dahiru, the head of the Nigeria Africa Desertification Control Initiative, who was in the same car as the reporter, said that most people in Kano Oblast, especially in rural areas, rely mainly on wood as fuel for cooking and night lighting in their daily lives.

Dashiru said somewhat helplessly that the climate in Kano state is dry, with sparse precipitation and fragile land. Due to population growth and increased demand for livelihoods, unreasonable land use and deforestation have exacerbated land degradation and desertification.

Dahiru, 53 years old this year, is a native of Kano Oblast and previously worked for the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture. More than 10 years ago, he resigned and devoted himself to environmental protection due to concerns about the threat of desertification in his hometown and his love for environmental protection. He has visited China multiple times to participate in training courses and seminars related to desertification control.

According to Nigerian media reports, due to climate change and human activities, more than 10 states in northern Nigeria, located on the edge of the Sahara Desert, have been affected by varying degrees of desert erosion. The affected land area is about 580000 square kilometers, accounting for approximately 63% of the total land area. A report on the website of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations points out that desertification, land degradation, and drought are major obstacles to sustainable development in northern Nigeria.

This is the location of the desertification control project jointly carried out by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the African Desertification Control Initiative of Nigeria, photographed in Kano State, Nigeria, on June 5. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Jun

After driving north on the relatively flat asphalt road for nearly an hour, our car turned onto a bumpy dirt road, with more severe desertification on both sides, fewer trees, and more low shrubs. After bumping along the dirt road for about half an hour, we finally arrived at the project site - a sandy area of about 4 hectares near Gualmai Village in Konchi District, Kano State.

Da Xilu said that this project was launched last year as part of the African Union led "Green Great Wall" initiative in Africa and is currently in its early stages. With the financial and technical support of Chinese partners, they selected 4 species from over 10 local tree species in Nigeria for trial planting and demonstrated and promoted them to local communities.

He said, "Our main focus now is on research and demonstration. Local villagers can learn to do what we are doing when they see what we are doing."

On June 5, maintenance personnel planted saplings at the site of the desertification control project jointly carried out by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the African Desertification Control Initiative of Nigeria in Kano State, Nigeria. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Jun

Da Xilu said that the biggest difficulty the project is currently facing is water shortage. They once dug a water well nearby, but a strong wind recently destroyed the water tower above the well. The well is also unusable due to siltation and sediment. Currently, two maintenance personnel of the project need to fetch water from a water intake point in Gualmai Village, two kilometers away, every day to irrigate tree seedlings.

Taminu Laval was a former employee of the Nigerian Ministry of Environment. He resigned a year ago and joined the Nigerian African Desertification Control Initiative. Currently, he leads a volunteer in the daily maintenance work of the project.

On June 5, maintenance personnel planted saplings at the site of the desertification control project jointly carried out by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the African Desertification Control Initiative of Nigeria in Kano State, Nigeria. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Jun

Laval's home is in another village not far from Gualmai Village. Every morning, he goes to Gualmai Village to call volunteers, bring tools, and fetch several buckets of water at the water collection point. Then, he drives a motorcycle to the project site to water the saplings and dig pits to plant trees.

This is the location of the desertification control project jointly carried out by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the African Desertification Control Initiative of Nigeria, photographed in Kano State, Nigeria, on June 5. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Jun

He pointed to the crescent shaped soil pits in front of him and said that these pits are convenient for storing water and conducive to the growth of tree seedlings. He and the volunteers just planted a small sapling, adding a touch of tender green to this sandy land.

Laval said that planting trees in desert areas faces many difficulties. In addition to water scarcity, we also need to consider how to mobilize local people to participate in the project. He said he greatly admires the mobilization ability of the Chinese government and relevant institutions in major projects to combat desertification. He hopes to go to China and learn the sand control techniques of Chinese technical personnel on site.

This is the location of the desertification control project jointly carried out by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the African Desertification Control Initiative of Nigeria, photographed in Kano State, Nigeria, on June 5. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Jun

There are currently over 50 households in Guaermai Village. During the interview, the reporter saw that the village's roads and a small square are covered with thick yellow sand.

Project volunteer Bala Muhammad and his family lived in the village of Gualmai. Outside his house, he planted a small tree that was less than one person tall. The trunk of the tree was surrounded by a wicker woven shield, which was very prominent. He said that this is a tree species that needs to be taken from the project, because sometimes the wind and sand are very strong, and careful care is needed.

This is the location of the desertification control project jointly carried out by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the African Desertification Control Initiative of Nigeria, photographed in Kano State, Nigeria, on June 5. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Jun

He said that in recent years, some people in the village have been unable to tolerate the increasingly serious sandstorm problem and have gone to the city to make a living, but there are still many villagers who are nostalgic for their homeland and unwilling to leave their homes. Nowadays, this project gives villagers hope, and more villagers are driven by the project to often spontaneously come to the project to help and plant trees in front and behind their houses.

Through participating in the project, Bara learned about China's successful cases in desertification control. He hopes that one day his village can also become an oasis, although it may take a long time.