CEO at Earthly | 4x Founder | WEF Top Innovator | Wilding Earth Host | Protecting & Regenerating >1% of the planet by 2030
It’s incredible to see this regreening impact over just 6 years from Justdiggit’s 'half-moon bunds' in Tanzania 🇹🇿. What’s even more amazing is that they harness a water conservation technique that has been used for centuries by various indigenous communities around the world. Evidence suggests that half-moon bunds were used by ancient civilisations across North Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia, where water management was critical for their survival. Examples include: 🇪🇬 Egypt: Where they were constructed to manage floodwaters from the Nile and Tigris-Euphrates rivers, the bunds helping to create fertile agricultural lands. 🇮🇳 India: In arid regions like Rajasthan, similar techniques have been used for centuries to capture monsoon rains and reduce soil erosion. Key Benefits: 💧 Water Conservation: The excavated bund soil is placed on the downhill side to form a barrier, with the open end facing uphill to capture runoff water. This method significantly improves soil moisture by efficiently capturing and storing rainwater. 🌱 Erosion Control: The bund structures also reduces soil erosion by slowing down water flow and encouraging sediment deposition. 🌾 Food Security: Often food crops that can survive in poor soils (and can grow quickly) are cultivated in or by the bunds, including Pigeon Pea, Lablab, Sweet Potato, Moringa and Sorghum 🌳 Environmental Restoration: This increased vegetation cover helps restore degraded lands (60% of land is degrading in sub-Saharan Africa), promotes biodiversity and sequesters carbon Other organisations using half-moon bunds around the world include: CIFOR-ICRAF / International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) / Oxfam / FAO / United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) / World Vision / African Development Bank Group / LEAD Foundation Tanzania (the partner for the project pictured) This is another great example that often traditional wisdom can address our modern challenges…we don’t need to over-engineer solutions! (📷 Credit: Justdiggit) #NatureBasedSolutions #Biodiversity #ReGreening
Interesting to see that on the left side of the photos, where no digging has been preformed, its greener than on the digsite. Eventhough I believe this method could contribute to reclaiming desertified areas - I often doubt whether photos like this are actually telling the actual story. In this case it seems that the green situation would have evolved with or without the diggingactivities. So I would be good to start showing proper evidence to strenghting your case. With proper insights on the different variabels (time of year, or after x months of rain in the dryseason) and comparison material. Justdiggit
Yes yes! It’s interesting to see, in a world where we tend to want to throw technology at the pressing challenges we face, how something so simple can do so much. And given its simplicity and ease of replication/being taught to others, without need for expensive or proprietary equipment, makes it sustainanable, in all the senses. It’s for these and many other reasons that I’m proud Shine A Light, my upcoming venture at the intersection of photography, philanthropy and sustainability, will be donating the lion’s share of its profits to Justdiggit and other smartly impactful organisations.
I really appreciate the specificity of this visual representation Oliver Bolton. Showing the same month from different years helps us clearly see the changes. Sometimes, in some 'restoration' projects, I come across starting state photos taken during the peak dry season, and then the progress photos taken during the wet season, which obviously looks greener (Greener is better, but it does not necessarily translate to mean 'restored'). Well done to the organizations making such a difference on the ground.
Every time I see these posts, I think, can I buy a bund or 2? And I do, it makes me happy that how ever small my contribution is, I am part of, a contributor to this great project <3
Got coffee there?
Where in Tanzania is this? I visit Tanzania yearly and would like to visit such a site.
Thank you so much for helping us spread awareness around the effectiveness of nature-based solutions! Let’s regreen our planet together 🌍🌱
Incredible work, Justdiggit and Earthly! It's inspiring to see ancient techniques, like half-moon bunds, making such a significant impact on water conservation, food security, and environmental restoration today. This proves that simple, nature-based solutions can often be the most effective and sustainable.
This incredible transformation over just six years showcases the power of consistent and well-planned nature-based restoration efforts. Soil conservation, water harvesting, carbon sequestration, environmental protection, and more confirm that nature-based solutions are worth our continued support. Investing in such sustainable practices regenerates our planet and secures a greener future for generations to come.
Greenskeeper / Horticulturist at Oxley Golf Club Inc
2moI would love to see a rewilding of Australia! making the the Arid inlands viable for Forest to Thrive. It was once a landscape dominated not by the abundant Eucalyptus, but large conifer like trees Araucaria from East Coast to West Coast. Then about 10 to 20,000 years before present, human habitation changed the ecology and slowly over time the continent dried, and the Eucalyptus took over. Animals such a Koalas , diverged from Wombats and adapted to eating only Eucalyptus leaves. Apparently the the worlds oldest Eucalypts Fossil , is not in Australia , but in Brazil ! So should Brazil , be the home of Eucalyptus, not Australia?? I must say that the farming practices brought by European colonist, did not help the Native Flora and Fauna, either.