Sustainable mountain development in East Africa in a changing climate

Best practice case studies

Agroforestry A review of the history of natural resource governance in the mountainous areas of East Africa and the plateau lands reveals that there has been a general marginalization of traditional natural resource management systems, which have evolved through centuries of human-environment interactions, knowledge and experience. These important traditional approaches and practices were abandoned in favour of modern approaches, instead of integrating the two to provide more appropriate and sustainable management systems. Examples of such systems are found in the Kigezi, Mount Rwenzori and Elgon regions in Uganda and on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania where traditional agroforestry systems – the traditional blend of crops and trees of different species – have been used throughout the different ecological areas. A mixture of crops is grown to maintain soil fertility, to provide food, to supply shade to crops such as coffee and bananas and to supply materials such as bark, fuel, timber and wood products. The national forest policies in East Africa have been revised to incorporate the promotion of agroforestry practices and to integrate them with modern approaches as a strategy to protect existing natural reserves and improve livelihoods. The kihamba agroforestry system, practised on 120,000 hectares on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, is an example of best practice. It is considered to be one of the most sustainable forms of upland farming and provides livelihoods for an estimated one million people. The kihamba agroforestry system maximizes the use of

limited land. Based on a multi-layered vegetation structure similar to that of a tropical mountain forest, the system provides a large variety of food and substantial environmental services beyond the area where it is practised. With the large quantities of biomass it produces and its capacity to recycle organic matter on farms, the kihamba system also contributes significantly to carbon sequestration. Its trees and dense vegetation ensure that Mount Kilimanjaro can continue to function as a water tower for the surrounding areas. Coffee, an ecologically compatible cash crop, enables the system to adapt successfully to the emerging cash economy in the area. However, there has been a decline in coffee production as a result of unfavourable world market prices. Recently, however, a project to restore the coffee crop was initiated by FAO under the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, to pilot a series of climate-smart agricultural activities with 660 households. The project supports conversion to certified organic coffee farming, the adoption of vanilla as a high-value additional cash crop and the introduction of trout aquaculture along irrigation channels (Kohler et al., 2014). Integrated agroforestry practices can be developed into a hybrid inland resource management system that offers opportunities for the sustainable development of mountain communities in a changing climate. It should be noted, however, that in areas where population pressure is high, these practices are in decline due to a shortage of arable land. Nevertheless, some middle ground can be found whereby integrated practices can be adopted at appropriate scales depending on local circumstances.

Konso terracing, Ethiopia

Soil conservation technologies and practices Mountain farming communities have evolved over centuries and have practised a range of soil conservation technologies to safeguard their soil resources. These have improved over time, especially through the integration of modern technologies and government extension

68

Made with