Africa must manage land efficiently

Africa covers 30,221,000sq km which can fit the United States of America into it at least three times. Similarly, China, India, USA and most of Europe can all fit into Africa.
Clearly, when it comes to size, we are the superpower of the world. Why then is our massive continent still lumped in the ‘third world’ category? Answers to these questions can fill encyclopedias. But a phrase that captures one of the key reasons that continues to shackle Africa is — unsustainable land management.

Our enormous land can be the source of wealth only if we embrace sustainable land management as opposed to putting so much effort to land ownership.

Land anchors the ecosystem services that sustain human wellbeing. In this regard, sustainable land management is a critical key of unlocking human wellbeing.

Sustainable Land Management has been defined as ‘a knowledge-based procedure that aims at integrating the management of land, water, biodiversity, and other environmental resources to meet human needs while sustaining ecosystem services and livelihoods.’

This is inclusive of ecological, economic and socio-cultural dimensions. It is about using land in a manner that progressively benefits both humans and ecosystems irrespective of who owns it.

Clearly, our land is the home and threshold of ecosystem goods and services. Whether arid, semi-arid or arable, our land remains the cornerstone of ecosystems. No Kenyan should ever have to sleep hungry when there is all this land just waiting to be sustainably utilised.

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Of course we must embrace irrigation as part of this process. This must be done within a context of sustainable land management where the irrigation water doesn’t come at the expense of another ecosystem service. It’s one thing to water land and another thing to nurture it.

When our land is both our lifeline and pay cheque, we have no option but to grant it the best possible care.

When we do this, we need to focus on both rapid and sustained paybacks from our land. We should not sacrifice long term sustainability at the altar of short term gains.

To do this, as guided by our scientists we need to adhere to key principles of water use efficiency, soil fertility, plant management and micro-climate utilisation.
We must also do everything possible to fight land degradation as it deprives land of the capacity to provide ecosystem services.

Africa is full of communities that are battling land degradation. They include cases of green manuring in Cameroon, small scale conservation tillage here in Kenya, runoff and floodwater farming in Ethiopia and irrigated oasis gardens in Niger. All these cases flourish because of conservation agriculture, integrated soil fertility management, smallholder irrigation management and agroforestry practices.

Our land is our wealth. Accordingly I suggest that we act at our individual levels so that we make our land yet another case study of sustainable land management. Think green, Act Green!