Rural development: improve rural economy to fight desertification

Easy, user-friendly methods, should be used to transmit design concepts to rural communities so farmers can improve environmental conditions and the lands they cultivate.
The various designs in the project has different shapes and scales; all however focus on those elementary functions -and complex at the same time- which generate biological events. In shape they are a combination of elements such as vegetable fibers, wood, earth and living plants. These elements are often left to decay naturally, so the designs are immediately integrated in to the landscape and become in the mid-long term, part of the sub-saharian system. The techniques used are either local or any case easy to implement: as for example the blowing of bubbles of Arabic gum, used underground as the underlying weave of living carpets, created by the interlacement of seeds or cuttings from xerophyte plants.

4.2 Geo-climatic bubbles, which reduce the strong evapotranspiration, are moulded with water-soluble resin. Resin is extracted from Senegal Acacia and other Acacia species spp.; with just 1,5 kg of Arabic gum in water solution (1:1) two hemispheres can be shaped, spreading resin layers over two caps of Calabas oiled in advance; the hemispheres can then be joined by humidifying with few water the connection edges.
An element which work as a position indicator has to be inserted in the hollow volume, when the sphere will be underground. Once got the desired shape, in order to make resin stable by keeping water, fat or oil is spreaded on the surface.

5.3 The rehabilitation of saline environments that are common in drylands is also dependent on successful establishment of a vegetative cover. Depending on the site conditions, grasses or trees may be suitable.
"Mats" made of brainded plant-fiber containing cuttings and/or seeds of indigenous wild plants which allow life on the crest of dunes. The "mats" can be pressed into the dunes quickly when the first rains come.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• project
• design
• desertification
• ambiente
• progetti
• deserto
• desertificazione
• artigianato
• handcraft
• africa
• mali
• timbuktu
• water
• harvesting