SUCCESS STORY PLANT SPECIES TO COMBAT EROSION 5

PLANT SPECIES TO COMBAT EROSION - the rescue of Lalibela Primary school

SUCCESS STORY

TKWB

Technique:PLANT SPECIES TO COMBAT EROSION Project:the rescue of Lalibela Primary school Site:Lalibela, ETHIOPIA Location Click the globe to see the technique on Google Earth Continent: Africa Country: Ethiopia Site: Lalibela Coordinates: Lat.: 12.03 Long.: 39.04 Brief introduction Lalibela is one of the most remarkable hypogean monuments in the world. It is universally celebrated for its highly decorated monolithic churches hewn out of basaltic rock. The most imposing monuments date from twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when King Lalibela, from whom the city takes its name, called for it to be hewn out of the rock in the image of a Celestial Jerusalem. Problems, causes and effects The geological and geomorphological survey conducted on the hillside in front of the Lalibela Primary School showed a general deterioration of areas exposed to the northeast and northwest. This phenomenon was due to a lack of regimentation of surface water and to a shallow sliding of land in areas having a western exposure. This in turn was due to erosion at the foot of the slope, which caused niches of detached soil to deepen. Solutions/Project description To stem the erosion, secure the area and restore its environmental properties, the hillside has been restored using traditional terraces that break the gradient of the slope. These terraces have been replanted with original species typical of the region, such as junipers, pines and sycamores. The vegetation is now luxuriant. Conclusions The project has permitted the rescue of a school in the new part of the village, which was destined to slip because of the deforestation of the slopes on which it stands. The Ipogea team and local staff have introduced thousands of plants indigenous to the area, reinforcing the slope and effectively creating a small forest well suited to the extreme climate of the Ethiopian highlands. Images TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUE DATA Technique PLANT SPECIES TO COMBAT EROSION Icon Cathegory D - Soil and environment protection Identification code D5 Other Success stories RELATED TECHNIQUES Author: IPOGEA Reference: DeepeningDownload PDF