Climate Resilience Programme
Village Aid is supporting subsistence farmers in the drought-prone Sahel region of Senegal to adapt their farming practices in the face of climate change.
Our Climate Resilience Programme is promoting improved soil management practices among women smallholder farmers to make them more resilient to the adverse effects of climate change, and increasing awareness about climate change amongst the wider population in order to empower communities to make practical changes to their lives and livelihoods.
Climate change is increasing pressure on water supply and agricultural production in Senegal, which is also affected by soil salinization, coastal erosion and diminishing groundwater. Poor soil quality and rainfall deficits are affecting agricultural production which is affecting food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty. In turn, farming livelihoods are also contributing to climate change through unsustainable farming practices caused by a limited access to training and inputs.
Project activities in more detail:
• Introduce low-carbon soil management practices including low cost drip irrigation and soil conditioners (to reduce nutrient leaching and the soil’s capacity to hold water, and make more effective use of rainfall)
• Introduce Sunn Hemp as a cover crop, which recycles plant nutrients, conserves water in the soil and reduces soil erosion
• Spread the word and encourage uptake among farmers using innovative communication methods including voice-based mobile phone messages and interactive radio broadcasts in local languages, as well as farmer field visits and mentoring.