Going with the flow

Sunday 17^th October Green Drinks Malta will be holding a tea-time & afters event called

Permaculture Propagation – A going with the flow experience

between 4pm and 8pm

at the wonderful oasis Dar Frate Jacoba, Triq Wied iż-Żiju, M’Scala

This event should not be missed by those who are still wondering what the hell is Permaculture?, like the idea and want to implement it, enjoy green gatherings, are looking for an alternative afternoon out or just want to be invited to a unique spot in the South of Malta. Whatever your reason, you will have to apply by sending an email to Natalie: info@greendrinksmalta.org. The maximum number of people for this event is 60.

The event is free (well partly funded by EUPU this time round) but a donation to Dar Frate Jacoba once you’re there will be appreciated by the wonderful and hard working team who run the place.

What to expect: Fair-trade beverages to welcome you, a short intro about Permaculture & the completed training programme and an interactive info fair. All this will be topped off with wholesome hors d'oeuvres & wine in the company of lovely people.

Booking is open.

... by the way, Green Drinks Malta together with the Permaculture Research Foundation & Bahrija Oasis, is commemorating the World Day for the Eradication of Poverty and reiterates that Permaculture is a meaningful process to eradicate poverty. Peppi Gauci had the following to say “Permaculture is actual practical work which involves action to eradicate poverty on many levels, financial, environmental, ecological, physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological”. This is how Peppi explains it:

An insight about Permaculture and its link to Eradication of Poverty

In our modern world, globalization has become a factor of major influence in the way we live. Technology has changed the way humans interact with each other and the planet drastically over these last fifty years. In the western world, civilization has engaged in systems which by now are completely dependent on globalization. What does this mean? This means that virtually everything, from the food we eat to the fuel we use to get from one place to the other, from the tools we use, to the fabrics of our shelters, is dependent on globalisation.

Although, many comforts are owed to this factor in the west, much of the real price of this system is being paid in other parts of the planet to the detriment of other people and the planet itself. Globalisation is dependant on a capitalist system which means that in order for it to function, consumption of energy and materials need to be maintained.

However, not only there is not enough energy and resources to supply the entire world's population with the trend we are used in the west, but since the consumption rates are greater than the natural supply ability our system is generating the phenomenon of poverty. Poverty in the west is linked to the absence of material acquisitions for example money and property. However, poverty goes much further. The inability for us to respect our environment, observe the natural patterns and maintain enhanced growth of our natural resources is a type of poverty which is presently being cushioned by globalization. Poverty in our society is everywhere. We have become nations which are suffering from poverty, be it physical, spiritual, environmental, psychological, communal or cultural. Yet, we fail to see this as the messages in our media and modern life projects otherwise.

However, it is only a matter of time, until we will be forced to see that what we are being led to believe is only an illusion created by a system which is running out of time. It is only a matter of time.

Permaculture and permaculturists around the world are working along the realisation that our planet needs our attention in order to sustain a balanced humanity. The main ethoses are Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share. Once these are cultivated, than we are able to once again be in the abundant state of the planet's capability. Permaculture focuses on symbiotic relationships which foster stronger and resilient communities both in the human aspect and the natural world. Hence, Permaculture is gaining the attention of millions of people who have understood its validity for the survival of the human kind within healthy ecosystems and have joined their potential to cultivate themselves as part of the solution to present problems. To conclude on this I would like to phrase Bill Mollison (one of the founders of Permaculture 1976) and say ''The problem is the solution” and “Everything gardens''.

Relevance of Desertification for Small States

One third of the earth’s surface (4 billion hectares) is threatened by desertification, and over 250 million people are directly affected by desertification. 24 billion tons of fertile soil disappear annually. From 1991 to 2000 alone, droughts have been responsible for over 280,000 deaths; they accounted for 11% of the total water-related disasters.

Deserts in the interior continents are expanding (Sahara, Gobi, Central Asian, Mexico, North eastern Brazil) They all tend to expand. And as ice is melting and sea level rises we have the oceans encroaching from the exterior. Civilisation is slowly squeezed between expanding deserts and rising seas. It’s a little difficult to archeologically separate land degradation and desertification but two of the things that are common to the earlier civilizations that collapsed primarily for environmental reasons are deforestation and soil erosion ( Gerald Diamond writes about it in his recent book ‘collapse’ )

Apart from the geographic factor, one needs to keep in mind the standard of living of the people who are experiencing desertification in their area regardless if they’re situated in a big continent or a small island. In the small islands one is usually more careful how to manage the land, as to keep a balance. In most of the cases it is necessary for these islands to be independent and to be able sustain themselves. When compared to large continents and countries it can be said that it’s more possible for the people to migrate though it may cause trouble as well when tribes have to move to other places. Whereas with small islands it’s a different story, they are cut off from other places.

In a session held in May 2008 by the U.N. the issue of land was addressed. Concerns about land competition, drought, degradation, limited resources, and desertification, warning that development capacities are necessary to strengthen land management, otherwise the result will be a food crisis. He asserted that we must “strive to raise the voice of Small Island Developing State” because they have the least means in responding to these complex problems that threaten their existence.

Subsequent to this presentation, the Security-General’s report was introduced. The report stated that land resources are becoming more limited because rising populations create a greater demand. While many populations depend on agriculture for income, the agricultural industry has been declining for two decades. The report also found SIDS to suffer from closed economies, limited capacities, inadequate physical structures, a lack of financial resources, susceptibility to natural disasters and insufficient access to information technology.

Island-scale adaptation to prevent and reverse desertification

The prevention of desertification in small islands is direly important because of its small land area. Thus measures to combat the turning of arable of productive land into arid and non-productive are a no-no especially for small islands. Each parcel of land is especially important and must be safeguarded.

An important premise upon which this notion is based is prevention. The ‘prevention is better than cure’ catch-phrase applies most significantly in this case. Combating desertification must be an ongoing effort bringing together all stakeholders but especially the inhabitants of deserted areas and policy makers. By working with science and through the populations of the area, much can be achieved to prevent this ecological disaster from occurring.

A key method to prevent desertification, not less in small islands, is the integrated management of land and water especially those which protect soils from erosion and salinization- which are practically the prime causes of desertification. Thus, land practices which prevent overgrazing (such as using grazing species which only consumes the top part of the grass and preventing livestock from grazing the same area repeatedly so as it has time to recover), overexploitation of plants and trampling of soils. A very important aspect of preventing desertification is a sustainable use of water use in agricultural irrigation.

Unsustainable irrigation practices can exacerbate water resources, depleting the aquifers of their water and thus turning the surrounding land into a biological desert because of a lack of water. This will be especially pronounced with the onset of climate change and its subsequent extreme weather conditions which will accentuate drought.

Some important solutions include transhumance of rangelands and well sites which involves the rotational use of these important resources, the rate of stock extracted be less than the carrying capacity of the ecosystem and diverse species composition.

The management of water is also of utmost importance and this can include traditional water-harvesting techniques, water storage and efficient water conservation measures. The latter can be especially applied during intensive rainfall episodes in preventing the water from being lost as surface run-off which also carries away the thin, fertile, moisture-holding topsoil.   

Protecting the vegetative cover is also instrumental since vegetation protects soil from wind and water erosion. A loss of vegetation can also lead to reduced rainfall.

Other measures can include:

• Mixed farming practices combining livestock rearing and cropping so as to ensure a more efficient recycling of nutrients. For example, fodder can be sowed and thus prevent the pressure of livestock on the land.
• Applying traditional technology to work with ecosystems since traditional knowledge was more in sync with natural processes.
• Turning to alternative livelihoods that are not as demanding on the land such as dryland aquaculture and tourism. 

Can we rehabilitate a deserted and arid land?

The main challenge of rehabilitation is to restore ecosystem services that have been lost. Thus one seeks to repair damages sectors of the ex-native ecosystem so that it will then have multiple benefits. This involves the efforts of a multi-tier system from the government and policy makers to the inhabitants of this area. This interlinking is vital as the process is complex and involves, amongst others, seed banks, restocking of soil organic matter and organisms that promote higher plant establishment and growth and the reintroduction of selected species.

Other rehabilitation practices include: 

• Terracing to counter soil erosion;
• Control of invasive species which can be more hardy and extract more water;
•   Nutrient replenishment;
• Reforestation

 Policies that create incentives for rehabilitation include capacity building, capital investment and supportive institutions. It is very important, as discussed above, that the community is involved throughout the whole process. 

This blog is the result of a workshop held in Bahrija Oasis between the volunteers of the Youth in Action Project 'Go with the Flow'.