Watford, England—One hundred thousand trees, six artificial watering holes for cattle and the recovery of thousands of acres of precious agricultural land are some of the ecological improvements that the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) office in the United Kingdom aims to bring to the semi-arid Sahel region of Burkina Faso.

The N'Gurdam Leydi Project, which means "protection of the earth" in the Fula language, is designed to counteract increasing desertification by improving water and soil conservation measures, in addition to soil fertility in the Sahel. The project will work with 6,000 farmers in 30 villages in the Province of Séno, in northeastern Burkina Faso, near the towns of Bani and Gorgadji. Around 150 model farmers will be educated as local trainers, who will then teach others how to protect and manage their natural resources through methods like promoting hedgerows, naturally assisted regeneration and the cutting and conservation of animal fodder.

Techniques to improve soil fertility such as scarifying the land, half-moons, stone cordon dykes, "zai" fertilizer holes, and the treatment of ravines will be applied to 3,700 acres (1,500 hectares) of degraded or unused land. This land will then be available for agriculture and pasture. In addition, ADRA will help build 450 compost pits, 370 acres (150 hectares) of land will be forested, and 6 small dams will be constructed for the animals to drink from. The project is also expected to develop a community approach to natural resource management by developing and implementing two communal environmental action plans, setting up 30 natural resource management committees at the village level and establishing and monitoring 20 local land-use plans.

The 36-month project, funded by the European Commission on December 1 and worth $1.03 million (£675,000) with ADRA-UK contributing some $261,000 (£170,000) will also help improve local food availability in order to reduce poverty in the area. Expected to start on February 1, 2009, ADRA plans to benefit more than 40,000 people.

The target area has been struck by frequent droughts and locust swarms, making for a fragile and difficult existence. Living conditions continue to worsen due to global warming, deforestation and the advance of the desert. Human development in the region is also the most fragile in the country, with low literacy and life expectancy.

The Sahel, an extensive semi-arid region that spans several West African nations and forms a transition between the Sahara Desert and the lesser arid savanna belt to the south, encompasses a section of northern Burkina Faso, making it the least developed part of the country. An overwhelmingly rural area, the nomadic Fulani have traditionally used it as pastureland for their cattle. The increasing population pressure on the land has, however, resulted in the erosion of fertile land and the advance of the desert.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.

Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.

Authors: Bert Smit, ADRA-UK / Hearly Mayr, ADRA International

Media Contact: John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager, ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.6357 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org