Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices

Photo credit: CIAT

Erosion impact after January 2015 flooding in Ntcheu, Malawi. Photo: J. Braslow/CIAT 

Land management matters: Malawian communities create maps to find answers

by Juliet Braslow

In Malawi, worry creases farmers’ faces as they explain that their maize crop may fail this year. Planting was done on time, but in January intense rainfall and flooding swept away much of the fields, soil and seeds alike.  Our AGORA* team witnessed the force of these rains during a participatory mapping exercise in Ntcheu District. As we drove away from one village, a downpour began and within minutes, rivers of red silty water flowed between the ridges of maize, carrying away the precious fertile topsoil, swelling rivers, creating gullies, washing away seeds and paths.

Because farmers are facing the likelihood of serious food insecurity this year, the AGORA project team acted quickly on community concerns and ideas for addressing food needs. Farmers identified sweet potatoes as a possible solution to meeting their food security needs this year, but said they had trouble getting access to planting material. Sweet potatoes need less time than maize and, if planted soon, could provide much needed food this year if maize fails.  The AGORA team promptly contacted the International Potato Center (CIP), our fellow CGIAR center and together delivered sweet potato vines to farmers. This cross-center collaboration provided a good example of what CGIAR center reform can look like: centers mobilizing to act together on the ground to address farmers’ identified needs and challenges.

Finding long term solutions
This is a great short-term solution, but how can we help mitigate the damage these floods cause in the long-term? Looking down at the soggy soil beneath your feet may not be your first thought, but there are some promising options that start from the ground up.  Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices can keep the soil in place, slow the flow of rushing water and help water infiltrate into the soil.

Read the full article: CIAT Blog