The Present State of Soil and Water Conservation in the Sahel: paper submitted to Club du Sahel

This paper outlines the present (1988) state of soil and water conservation (SWC) in the Sahel (focusing on Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali). It focuses on conservation structures rather than the biological measures of erosion control (e.g. windbreaks, range management etc.). Section II describes and analyses major SWC systems recently introduced in the Sahel. Each system is analysed with regard to (i) impact on yields, (ii) construction and maintenance requirements, (iii) size of areas treated, (iv) the extent to which the techniques can be carried out by the population without external support. Indigenous SWC systems are described in Section III. Section IV deals with trends in Sahelian SWC. Section V indicates elements of a strategy to strengthen SWC in the Sahel and the final section presents some recommendations for governments, donor agencies and rural organisations. There is some discussion of the need to improve knowledge of indigenous systems of SWC and to maximize local participation