• What is Desertification?
• How is it possible to plant trees in arid conditions?
• How does it work? - Plantation stages
• What trees species do we plant?

What is Desertification?

"Desertification is about land degradation: the loss of the land's biological productivity, caused by human-induced factors and climate change. It affects one third of the earth's surface and over a billion people." United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD - IYDD)

How is it possible to plant trees in arid conditions?

There are many forestry techniques to plant in arid conditions and many examples of success all over the planet. The question is not actually if it is possible but more on how to make sure it will work. In such, there is a serie of rules to respect to make sure the plants will survive. Here are the main ones:
- Only plant local species that are adapated to arid conditions
- Prepare them adequately with a nursery period
- Use specific planting techniques to retain water (see below)
- A good planting timing to match the rainy season

With more than 90% of its land beeing arid, our Niger forestry experts have an extensive experience on planting in arid conditions. Not fighting against desertification and only planting in favorable regions would nearly mean stop planting trees in Niger. Let's remember Niger is not by chance one of the poorest countries in the world. The desertification that it suffers is considered by many experts one of the root causes of poverty for this country. Therefore, not planting in arid areas would mean eliminating one of the most promising development tools for the country.

How does it work? - Plantation stages

1- The nursery stage takes place in February and April. The trees then stay in the nursery during 3 to 5 months, always depending on the species and the growth stage. In the nursery the trees benefit from ideal conditions and water is given twice a day at the beginning. This frequency gradually diminishes and at the end the trees are given water every 3 days. This method helps the plants to adapt to the environment they will encounter on the terrain.

2- The planting stage is always undertaken at the beginning of the rainy season (July-August). Here the timing is essential in order to achieve good results. Tree-Nation uses “natural” planting methods, meaning no chemicals and no irrigation. On the one hand, this keeps costs down and it helps to avoid CO2 emissions due to the transportation and fabrication of materials used for irrigation. On the other hand, our method is realistic, given the local environment and terrain and most importantly it sets a good example in terms of sustainable and successful planting methods in the region.
Our planting methods are designed for the plants to be able to fully take advantage of the 3-month rainy season, and thus capturing enough water for the reminder of the year. In case rainfalls are scarce we can decide to manually give water.

3- Right after the initial planting stage, in September, we organize a re-planting mission. The objective is to immediately replant a new tree in case the initial tree could not take hold.

4- During the year we organize maintenance and upkeep missions on the terrain. This also allows us to exchange ides and thoughts with the villages and plantation guardians.

5- As soon as harvesting is possible (3 to 5 years), our local experts will coordinate the picking of the fruits and the other productions generated by the trees (such as arabic gum).

6- Also, please do not forget to log on to Tree-Nation.com and visit the virtual companion of your real tree and make him listen to some comforting classical music!

What trees species do we plant?

See the list of trees species we plant and click on Details to get more information about the species.