Restoring vital ecosystems, supporting wildlife, and sustaining local livelihoods

RANGELAND REHABILITATION

  • Scenic view of a lake with mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.

    From 2023 Borana partnered with True Range to provide technical assistance for a rangeland rehabilitation demonstration site spearheaded by Maiyanat Community Conservancy, to the North of Borana Conservancy, with funding from Lion Landscapes. 

  • The 180 acre site was suffering from extreme land degradation characterised by bare ground and severe soil erosion. This was caused by a lack of cohesive livestock management resulting in overgrazing which in turn led to excessive runoff of rainwater (estimated 98%). 

  • Modern wooden cabin with large window in front of mountain landscape.

    To reverse this, livestock was temporarily excluded, and several kilometres of swales (water-retaining ditches on contour), were constructed to slow, spread, and soak approximately 3 million litres of surface runoff water. Semicircular bunds, or half-moon-shaped pans facing uphill, were dug and planted with grass seed to establish ground cover. Finally, community-owned livestock was reintroduced using planned grazing and corralling to break surface compaction and stimulate biological activity.

The results have been nothing short of spectacular, with dramatic increases in ground cover and massive reductions in erosion. 

Scenic view of grassland with sparse trees, under a partly cloudy sky, and distant mountains.
Aerial view of winding dirt roads through a barren, rocky landscape under a cloudy sky.
Aerial view of a dry landscape with circular depressions and scattered vegetation near a dirt road.
Dirt path through grassy savannah under blue sky with scattered clouds