Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : Enkangala grasslands / Drakensberg, South Africa (AfroMaison)

Ce projet est une des composantes du Programme : AfroMaison

Date : 2013

Pays : Afrique du Sud

Programme Afromaison
The AfroMaison project was set out to contribute to the challenge of putting integrated natural resource management in practice at meso-scale by providing a practical approach and tools that can be applied in a variety of environmental and socio-economic conditions.
AfroMaison has made use of what is available regarding INRM and has contributed to a better integration and fitting of the following key components : * Landscape functioning (regarding the delivery, use and access to goods and services provided) * Livelihood & socio-economic development (incl. vulnerability to global change) * Indigenous knowledge and practices (to take local traditions, cultural norms, specific acceptance structures into account) * Institutional strengthening and improved interaction between sectors, scales and communities.

Following five case study areas were chosen :
Enkangala grasslands / Drakensberg (South-Africa)
Inner Niger Delta (Mali)
Albertine Rift & Rwenzori Mountains (Uganda)
Oum Zessar Watershed (Tunisia)
Headwaters of the Blue Nile (Ethiopia)

Présentation du projet : Afrique du Sud

Site description
This case study is located along the northern areas of the Drakensberg range of mountains which form the border between Lesotho and South Africa. The region is extremely important for its watershed-services as it drains predominantly into the Vaal River which supplies water to Johannesburg. It is also important from a biodiversity perspective and comprises largely high altitude moist temperate grasslands.

Pressures
Significant pressure is placed on the ecosystem by grazing livestock, alien plants and other poor land management practices. In areas of communal ownership, no overall management policy is in place and overstocking, frequent burning and lack of soil protection measures have meant that vegetation cover is irregular and that sheet, rill and gulley erosion is commonplace. In areas where commercial agriculture predominates, grasslands are managed to provide optimal grazing for cattle. Annual controlled burning of the grassland is common practice largely to encourage new growth and to lower the risk of runaway fires. Both management scenarios result in a degrading of the grassland ecosystem, and especially reduced vegetation basal cover, which is thought to reduce the level of watershed and carbon sequestration services delivered by the ecosystem. Less water is produced by the catchment more erratically, siltation levels are higher and less carbon is retained in the soil

Agence d’exécution : Institute of Natural Resources (INR)

Financement : Commission Européenne

Présentation : Afromaison