Land Restoration in Lowlands-based Systems in Africa
Lowland ecosystems, covering about 3.6% of sub-Saharan Africa (approximately 85 million ha), have traditionally not been used for agriculture except for for irrigated areas which have water management infrastructures. Challenges such as difficult management and water-borne diseases like bilharzia and malaria have limited their use (Verhoeven et al., 2010).
However, due to global factors like population growth and climate change, lowlands are increasingly being utilized for agriculture.
Besides agriculture, lowlands support crucial ecosystem functions such as flood control, water storage, nutrient retention, and micro-climate stabilization. They also serve recreational and tourism purposes and provide resources for crafts and construction, contributing to biodiversity and local cultural heritage (Rodenburg et al., 2014).
With the escalating conversion of lowlands into production sites leading to rapid ecological degradation, there is an urgent need for guidelines on lowlands restoration. This involves understanding the risks, benefits, and developing skills to plan and implement effective restoration strategies, ensuring sustainable management and scaling up of restoration efforts. This workshop will offer a set of master classes on technical sessions, case studies, field trips and group discussions around this topic.
