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Moreover, the trees they plant produce, at least, a six-month supply
of fodder for on-farm livestock, as well as firewood, fruit and medici-
nal products for home consumption or cash sales. The forests absorb
the excess carbon in the air and are important biodiversity sanctuar-
ies providing global benefit.
In India
Prosopis cineraria
based agroforestry helped to control
wind erosion and water erosion, improvement in land productivity
and conservation of soil and water resources.
Prosopis cineraria
is a
hardy, leguminous tree species of desert regions, which farmers have
been growing for ages because of its multi-purpose uses, soil fertility
enhancing ability as well as symbiotic effect on associated crop yield.
It provides food, valuable fodder for cattle and firewood for domestic
use (from the lopped material). By virtue of its multi-purpose uses
it gives a kind of insurance to the farmers during drought and crop
failure. Facilitating effects are observed on the crop yield because
of increased nutrient availability and a balanced resource sharing
between the tree and associated crops. People of the Indian desert
worship the species and the state government has declared it as the
state tree owing to its importance in sustainable livelihood of the
local people.
11
In Peru afforestation and reforestation of degraded lands is being
done by planting trees, regenerating natural ecosystems and control of
pastoralists to improve the living conditions of the affected population
and improve the conditions of affected ecosystems. The dryland forest
area of the Ignacio Távara community has been severely degraded.
9,500 hectares of degraded area are now in the process of being
reforested with domestic species, while the local communities are
benefiting from the selling of the generated carbon credits.
12
The relevance of policies on land degradation and desertifica-
tion must target soil stabilization, arresting water and wind erosion
and maintaining nutrient cycling in soils. Agroforestry
action, agroecology practices are suggested here, as
well. Another option is through the recognition and use
of goods and services provided by the forest ecosystems
and the development and implementation of agrofor-
estry systems. Payment for ecosystem services is an
approach that can help to harness additional funding
for smallholder farmers.
Therefore, there are some guiding components for poli-
cies on dry forests that can target increased livelihoods:
1. National policies should foster local governance
and institutional decentralization
2. Policies should aim at good management, fostering
market development for local products and services
3. Forest communities in drylands should be
supported to make the move from reactive-
regulation of proactive-use of services;
empowerment of local communities is a must
4. National level policymakers could keep in mind
the cost of inaction, as well as the costs that
deforestation and degradation represent to the
livelihoods of rural populations.
Dryland forests still need increased visibility in the
policymaking and policy implementation processes.
Increased partnership building for the implementation
of priority actions that address increased livelihoods
of populations that are especially vulnerable to land
and water degradation and support to international
initiatives on forests and forest ecosystems, especially
Women are key to sustainable land and forest management
Image: Stafford Ondego - UNCCD photo contest 2009