Desertification Control in Niger: The Medium Term Action Plan 2006–2011 - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 187

Fig. 10.3 Niger is a Sahelian country faced with many problems of desertification including loss
of precious topsoil that threaten food security

3.1 Soil Degradation

Every year, thousands hectares of arable soils are lost from croplands and rangelands
by the erosion. In the regions of Agadez, Diffa, Zinder, Tillabery, Tahoua and
Maradi wind erosion is the most important factor of environment degradation. The
siltation of croplands, water basins, rivers and infrastructures (road and water points)
by moving sands is one of the most devastating forms of desertification. In the
regions of Tahoua, Tillabery, Niamey, Dosso, Maradi and Zinder, water causes
enormous erosion which takes away the fertile topsoil, creates ravines and silts
up the watersheds, including reservoirs. Finally, the sandy cropland soils of the
departments of Maradi and Zinder, zones of cereal crops culture, are drastically
losing their fertility due to depleted soil organic matter levels, loss of topsoil and
shortened rotations - all due a high demographic pressure (Figs. 10.4 and 10.5 ).
In the context of advanced and generalized degradation of soils, the natural
resource capital is characterized by low productivity and accessibility. Despite the
exploitation of more marginal land, the increasing of basic cereal productions (2.5 %
by year) is still much less than that of the population (3.1 %). It is the same for
fodder productions and planting of shelterbelts. Under the demographic pressure,
the extension of cropland reduces significantly the sylvo-pastoral space which is in
constant deterioration. This deterioration is translated by the decrease and even the
complete extinction of species (herbaceous as well as ligneous), thus dangerously
compromising the development of the secular activity of cattle breeding.

3.2 Regression of Forests and Vegetal Diversity

Habitat of fauna and source of energy, food and environment stability, the forests
and protected sites are nevertheless very threatened by recurrent droughts and in
particular soil clearing for agriculture, abusive exploitation of fire wood and non
ligneous forestry products, bush fire etc.