The deserts of Saudi Arabia are amongst the biggest on the planet and controlling the pure migration of sand has at all times been a problem not simply to farmers, who wish to improve agricultural productiveness, but in addition to communities that wish to guarantee a extra affluent future or search funding for development.
The Al Ahsa oasis within the japanese province of the Gulf state, one of many nation’s largest and most efficient oases, is threatened by encroaching sands.
Villages like this one near the Al Ahsa oasis have been totally submerged by sand.
No less than 9 villages within the speedy space have been inundated by sand dunes which might attain as much as 15 metres excessive. Some have been dug out, others have remained buried.
Holding again desertification
“This isn’t a brand new phenomenon,” stated Mona Dawalbeit from the UN’s Meals and Agriculture Group (FAO) which has been working with the Saudi authorities and native communities on trials to carry again desertification, “however communities and farmers particularly do want additional assist as they don’t have the assets to do that alone.”
Local weather change has made the problem extra urgent as increased temperatures and decrease floor moisture contribute to drier sand and the elevated probability of desertification.
The state-owned oil firm, Aramco, which extracts oil and gasoline within the japanese desert has over many many years protected infrastructure, together with roads, mechanically eradicating sand amongst different measures, however the prices are excessive, so FAO has been selling extra sustainable approaches.
Palm fronds organized in quadrants might help to decelerate the tempo of desertification.
It’s trialing low-level sand limitations product of palm fronds that are cheap and use materials might in any other case would go to waste.
Varied designs may be tailor-made to guard farms and repair services primarily based on the geographical and geomorphological circumstances,” stated Mona Dawalbeit.
These designs might embody checkerboard and linear patterns with various heights, starting from 10 cm to at least one metre, relying on the particular objective of the sand barrier.
Environmental advantages
The checkerboard method successfully reduces sand encroachment and promotes the expansion of pure vegetation together with createing beneficial circumstances for planting bushes or the spreading of seeds.
“The palm limitations won’t totally stop the wind from transferring sand in the direction of land you wish to shield,” stated Mona Dawalbeit, “but it surely does sluggish the pace and utterly change the move of the sand.”
There are extra environmental advantages of utilizing palm fronds as usually they’d be burned as waste, releasing the dangerous carbon dioxide gasoline which is fuelling local weather change.
Palm fronds are collected and reused as sand limitations.
FAO can be piloting climate stations primarily based on world requirements which offer information on the sophisticated science of sand actions.
Preventive motion
By analysing sand grain ‘deposit suspension’ (particles are suspended in mid-air and are blown by the wind throughout land), ‘saltation’ (smaller particles that are blown in jumps throughout the floor) and ‘floor creep’ (particles that are rolled over the bottom) the amount and path of sand encroachments may be predicted along with different climatic components corresponding to wind pace and path, humidity and temperature.
Preventative motion may be focused in particular places the place sand tends to maneuver onto beneficial agricultural land eroding the topsoil.
An FAO-supported meteorological station measures sand actions.
FAO collaborated with Inexperienced Setting Society in Al Ahsa to implement sand limitations aimed toward defending Al Ahsa Nationwide Park, a government-managed entity.
The initiative sought to strengthen the connection between governmental establishments and native communities whereas constructing the capability of NGOs to assemble sand limitations utilizing palm fronds.
Group involvement
“This strategy not solely ensures native sustainability,” stated FAO’s Mona Dawelbait “but in addition promotes neighborhood involvement in environmental conservation efforts”.
“In Saudi Arabia and in Al Ahsa specifically, there are considerations about land degradation and the lack of productive land,” she added, “however collectively we will change these challenges into alternatives.”
Local weather change is contributing to elevated sand actions in Saudi Arabia.
“I’ve labored with desert communities for 20 years. They’re resilient folks with sturdy spirits and I consider, the wind of change by way of holding again land loss will stick with it past this FAO intervention.”