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The role of trees and forests controlling desertification

Arid and semi-arid areas are estimated to cover 61 million km-, representing approximately 40% of the world's land area. These areas are subject-to serious physical constraints linked to inadequate water resources, low plant formation productivity and general vulnerability of biological systems and functions. Whereas on an individual basis animal and plant species are each a model of adjustment and resistance, biological associations and formations are easily disturbed by the pressures brought to bear by rapidly-growing populations and their livestock. Production in such environments should make full use of all the components of the ecosystem and follow integrated systems or models.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been involved in studying and developing arid areas for some time. The integrated management of natural (and particularly plant) resources in arid areas has been pursued in numerous programmes: baseline studies on arid areas since the 1950s; an integrated programme to develop the Mediterranean area in the early 1960s; numerous studies and programmes in the 1970s and 1980s, notably the FAO/Unesco programme evaluating and mapping desertification (1979), the inventory and monitoring of pastoral ecosystems in the Sahel (particularly in Senegal), a study on soil degradation (FAO/UNEP/Unesco, 1975), and the EMASAR Programme (International Cooperative Programme on the Ecological Management of Arid and Semi-Arid Rangelands in Africa, the Near East and Middle East); finally, numerous programmes developed during the last 30 years, with the UNDP or under trust fund sponsorship, to control wind erosion and sand movement at the national and regional levels.

An integrated approach to tree and forest management in arid areas

The multi-purpose utilization of woody species and formations conditions policies and particularly rural development programmes in arid areas. A strategy has gradually taken shape, particularly after the incidence of drought in a number of areas and both regional coordination, such as the CILSS/UNSO/FAO Consultation on the Role of Forestry in a Rehabilitation Programme for the Sahel (1976) and the Green Belt Project in North Africa, and intra-regional and global coordination such as the United Nations Conference on Desertification (1977), FAO's Expert Consultation on the Role of Forestry in Combating Desertification (Saltillo, Mexico, 1985) and the Silva Conference organized by France (Paris, 1986) together with FAO and the EEC.

The emerging strategy is based on: i) a recognition of the role of forestry in arid areas with due consideration of the different ecological, social and economic factors; ii) a framework of principles (integration, diversification of activities, recognition of the role of each plant storey, the return of forest benefits to the local communities), objectives and priority areas for action.

The objectives are mainly to sensitize all interested parties to the importance of tree and forest resources in the sustainable use of the natural resource base; to consider natural resource conservation and enhancement in national development plans; and to channel greater and more varied natural resource management benefits to the local communities.

The Tropical Forests Action Programme (TFAP) has confirmed and consolidated these objectives in its respective components for the control of desertification, the conservation of watersheds in arid areas, the production of wood-based energy and agro-silvo-pastoral integration. Recent developments confirm the need for the integration of forest resource management in arid areas in actions to promote sustainable agricultural development, the conservation of biological diversity and integrated land management.

FAO's recent programme, "the Conservation and Rehabilitation of African Lands", recognizes the impact of deforestation and degradation of tree and shrub cover in arid areas on the degradation of African lands and prioritizes actions for the management of forest resources and plant rehabilitation to control desertification.

This strategy is reflected in FAO's forestry activities in arid areas. Within the framework of its regular programme, it supports national institutions with regard to planting techniques, the improvement of trees and woody species genetic resources in arid areas; it operates related information exchange networks with the regional and subregional organizations; it publishes case studies, guidelines and handbooks on agro-forestry and the contribution of trees and shrubs to agricultural production in arid areas, on the development of fuelwood resources and the enhancement of soil fertility, water use and watershed management.

FAO's field programmes support approximately 100 forestry projects implemented in arid and semi-arid regions and countries. These projects focus generally on: i) soil and water conservation; ii? the development of arid-area plant formations for fuelwood production; iii) silvo-pastoral development; iv) the promotion of non-woody forest products such as gum, nuts and other forest fruits produced for arts and crafts; v) general land rehabilitation and consequently the safeguarding of land productivity, and more generally; vi) the restoration of plant cover in degraded arid areas.

Finally, information and experiences related to arid-area forestry are exchanged through FAO's statutory bodies, particularly the Regional Forestry Commissions for Africa, the Near East and Europe and their joint "Silva Mediterranea" Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions, with its five technical cooperation networks.

February 1992

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