The Sahel is the name given to the semi-desert region in Africa to the south of the Sahara Desert. The Sahel stretches right across the African continent, and includes parts of Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chand and Sudan. Life there due to the conditions is a constant battle to survive. Sustainability is the development of the quality of life that do not do any lasting damage to the environment.

I would agree in saying that they Sahel is a constant battle to survive. The increase in population, which is currently at about 260 million and is going to double every 20 years, would mean that there will be a greater demand in food production. This would put pressure on the land to be more productive and this would lead to over-cultivation and over-irrigation.

The climate has also made conditions worse and a constant battle to survive. There has been a decrease in rainfall of about 29-49% which would mean that they land is badly managed due to the lack of water. The average temperature of the region has increased meaning that desertification has increased by the increase of evapotranspiration which reduces ground and surface water supplies.

Factors such as political instability would also mean that the government would probably spend more money going to war and buying arms rather than looking after its people.

On the other hand I do not feel that the “use of this region can never be sustainable. There are strategies in which they help the people come together as a community to help with the management of the soil. The Eden project in Niger has been very sustainable and been at a great advantage in helping the people in the Sahel. This project provides tree seeds, which are suitable for arid and dry conditions. These seeds will be able to dig deep into the ground with long roots and stay alive even during the arid conditions. These trees/bushes will protect the plants from wind erosion. This will reduce the soil erosion and this will provide fruit on the trees, which can be eaten or sold. Another project that has been successful is the PAF 2 project. This is a system that means simple lines of stones are built on contour lines. This reduces soil erosion. By doing this system it will increase the yield by 40-60% in the first season. It would also make the people work as a community and it has been an old technique that has been used before and is very sustainable.