Reclaiming degraded land

1
Reclaiming degraded land

• Using bamboo to reclaim old brickfields in India

2
The location

• Villagers in the district situated near Bamrauli
  Airport in Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh,
  India have been leasing their land to brick
  manufacturers to excavate for bricks.
• The soil in the confluence of the rivers near
  Allahabad is good for brick making.

3
Brick Making

• Brick making involves excavating about 3 metres
  of the suitable soil.

4
Results of brick-making

• The end of agricultural production
• Loss of income to farmers
• Out-migration of people to crowded cities.
• Pollution
• Dust storms

5
The problems to be solved

• The land is lower drainage is interrupted
• Revegetation is very slow
• The land bakes to look like Mars in summer

6
The solution

• An integrated land-use planning and
  rehabilitation project combined with increased
  local self-help and training.

7
Bamboo

• Six species of bamboo were tried (based on
  previous research experience)
• Bambusa bambos
• Bambusa vulgaris
• Dendrocalamus strictus
• Dendrocalamus asper
• Dendrocalamus giganteus
• However B. bambos and D. strictus were the most
  successful

8
Bamboo Nursery

• A bamboo nursery was quickly established to make
  large numbers of plants available.

9
Results

• Bamboo quickly created a canopy
• Cutting down dust storms and moisture loss
• And recreating a living soil

10
Results for people
11
Revitalised industries

• Training has established small scale industries
  based on bamboo.

12
New ideas

• The shade created works very well with
  agroforestry crops

13
Bamboo into milk

• Villagers found that bamboo was a good source of
  fodder for livestock
• thus creating another new income source.

14
Land reclaimed a replicable model and a
revitalised local economy