The Dunes of Tsihombe, Southern Madagascar - The Case for Action
Mountains of sand now cover what were once productive fields, large villages, forests and elaborate Tandroy graves in the littoral coastal region south of Tsihombe. The largest dune (Afondralambo) covering about 500 ha. initiated about 20 years ago when single bladed plows were first introduced to this area. 
The baring of the surface soils effected by the plow - a radical change from traditional soil and soil moisture conserving practices - allowed the strong eastern trade winds to blow all that soil westward dropping the heavier sandy portion locally and sending the fines beyond. Within a few years the area turned into an advancing sea of sand with large billows advancing westward like a tide of ocean swells covering everything in the its path. Three fokotany (counties) are currently affected by this dune though the Afondralambo (Afo) clan on the hill has been hardest hit having now had to displace 6 villages northward - hence the name give to this dune.
The people personalize these dunes, calling them beasts like the fabled ndrimo that could swallow houses. The Afo communities having been pushed to the crest of the escarpment that drops to the Manambovo River, had planted over 50,000 sisal plants on the fork of this dune 
which was moving directly toward the line of 6 villages on the crest. The composite photo link following shows the stabilized portion from center to left, and moderately stabilized portions to the near right (south). They know that this was only a Band-Aid measure and that the real effort had to begin at the head end of the dune system, to slow the winds down and stop the shifting sands from the source.
With help from the British Embassy through the Andrew Lees Trust (ALT) for truck transport as well as seed and seedling purchases, together with the UN World Food Program (or PAM) providing food for work, the three fokotany (counties) cooperated in an effort to plant rows of sisal perpendicular to the direction of the prevailing winds. Sisal was chosen as it is the most available drought resistant and transplantable plant available in the area. Dune vines and 
grasses were planted between the rows of sisal, these primordial plants will in turn, by natural recycling begin to form thin layers of soil which will support larger varieties of flora for the area. This process has already proved itself on portions of the Tsimena dune that were stabilized the previous year. Anakao (Causerina 'pine') and hazomalane (a local variety of morenga) and a few of other tree varieties were also planted in the rows.
The sisal is too distant for hand carrying, and due to loss of cattle due to drought in the region there are too few for ox-carts available for transport. The other major factor in this effort is nourishment. The Faux Cap commune is currently classified by the Early Warning System (SAP), financed by the European Union, as in 'severe economic difficulty' - they cannot afford to purchase food, having lost their collateral in successive recent drought years.
Zoemana, the Fokotany President living in Afo, speaking as director of the combined local effort against the Afo dune, declares: “Just give us trucks for transport of sisal, and corn and beans to live on and we will defeat this monster.” PAM is willing to offer the food portion if a counterpart organization that will provide transport for the sisal seedlings.
A half dozen other smaller coastal dunes have sprouted in the Faux Cap commune in the past 5 years, dating from the installation of water supply wells (financed by ER: International Development Fund) which were placed directly on the shore of the Indian Ocean. These collect sweet groundwater flowing from inland over the top of saline water. The problem is that no community training was provided to afford protection for the fragile coastal flora in the vicinity of the wells, from the herds of goats and cattle that would descend on these wells. And since water is hand pulled numerous herds waiting their turn for water continued to graze and trample the hillsides. As soon as the hard Sara winds of September /October hit those denuded hillsides the sand began to move westward as described above. For some communities like Faux Cap the commune center, the dunes are a very present menace: the southerly of two parallel dunes is within 300m of the high school which is in its direct path.
| Dunes of Faux Cap Commune | ||
|---|---|---|
| Length (m) |
Area (ha) |
|
| Ambatolire | 1,000 | 10 |
| Ampary | 1,500 | 40 |
| Ezizy (near Tanandava) | 750 | 6 |
| Tsimena | 3,500 | 157 |
| Faux Cap | 1,000 | 15 |
| At mouth of Manambovo River | 1,500 | 15 |
| Afondralambo | 7,500 | 490 |
| Total Coverage: | - | 733 |
For a case in point: it only took three years for the Tsimena dune to stretch 3500 metres to cover about 160 hectares of fields, spiny forests and tombs and it now threatens the fokotany center of Tsitindroke. Thanks to the help from the UK Embassy here also, which enabled the communities to cover 90% of this dune with rows of sisal and interstitial lalanda - a dune crawler. The next phase of this project, given financial help will be to reinforce the seaside barriers up to the first crest, as this is the hardest hit and requires extra protection for the plantings from such as the densely branched avoha plant.
Considering that PAM is willing to donate food incentives and the local populace is willing to work for no other gain than to stop the dunes, the remaining cost (for transport) comes to only $40 per hectare. This cost also covers providing about 1000 causerina pine seedlings and about 200kg of morenga seed for direct planting.
© The Andrew Lees Trust 1995 - 2008