Namibia's New Green Circles
Afforestation of site in Oskop,
Hardap region
There is a problem.
The current income option for the local population is livestock and agriculture. However, overgrazing contributes to land degradation and deforestation, which in turn leads to further depletion of pastures. The Hardap region has the same ecological conditions as the rest of the rural areas. Frequent droughts, water scarcity and traditional farming practices lead to land degradation and desertification.
A solution needs to be developed to stop land degradation through afforestation.
Resources available.
The Oskop Conservacy area is mostly covered with shrubby savannah vegetation. The relief is even with small boggy basins.
Annual rainfall ranges from 100mm to 209mm / 8.2 inches. Rainwater flows into depressions. Formation of salt marshes is possible.
The main source of water in the reserve is groundwater. Water for agriculture is extracted using wells.
Action plan.
1. Determine the area for afforestation. To obtain and evaluate a visible result, such as the impact on the climatic conditions of the area, I propose to create a forest with an area of at least 300 hectares. The optimal shape for a plain is a circle. The circle with a diameter of 1060 meters covers an area of 353 hectares. The circumference will be 6645 meters.
2. To create a forest cover, in the presence of excessive grazing of livestock, it will be necessary to install a fence that excludes the penetration of livestock and large wild animals into the cultivated area. For further repeated use, the fence must be light and durable, as well as easy to install and dismantle. To enter the site, gates are arranged 6 meters wide from the north, south, west and east. If fires and burns often occur on the OC terrain, it is necessary to create a fire-fighting mineralized strip on the outer side of the fence.
3. Through the fenced area, roads are marked that connect the opposite gates and intersect in the center of the circle. We also mark circular roads every 100 meters from the center of the circle. The roads will be used for the passage of construction equipment, water supply, materials and seedlings.
4. Landscape preparation. We prepare flat plots and gentle slopes using the Zai technology. In places of accumulation and drainage of rainwater, we create small dams that will prevent the rapid flow and drainage of water into low-lying areas. For earthworks, you will need to attract heavy equipment: a bulldozer and an excavator. At the bottom point of the site, we create a depression for a pond with a dam and drainage drain.
5. Preparing the soil. Areas prepared using the Zai technology must be covered with biological fertilizers, such as manure, straw, chopped wood waste. This will protect the soil from being blown out by the wind and drying out quickly, and will also provide organic fertilization for the seedlings. Grass should be sown before the first rainy season to strengthen the sod.
6. Simultaneously with the beginning of construction and landscape works on the site, we create a tree nursery. The best place, in my opinion, will be the city of Marienthal, since there is an opportunity to rent irrigated land and it is not far from OC. We grow a stock of seedlings at the rate of 500 pieces per 1 hectare. In selecting the species composition of trees, we are guided by the principle: diversity is the basis of sustainability.
7. In the first rainy season, we check the resistance of the prepared landscape to erosion. After that, within one year, we check the rate of soil drying, the depth of moisture retention. We check the time of water conservation in artificial reservoirs.
8. 2-3 months before the next rainy season, we begin to plant seedlings using the WaterBox technology. In the rainy season, we plant seedlings in an amount that we can water during the dry season. We try to plant more moisture-loving plants along the shores of water bodies in which moisture was retained throughout the dry season.
9. Further work is to support the seedlings and monitor changes.
Development prospects.
In case of successful afforestation of the first site, we plan to fence off the same site and repeat everything. We will do this several times, including outside Oscop Concervacy. In the future, it is possible to develop a plan for the introduction of agroforestry in the neighboring territories.
