Status of Soil Survey in sub-Saharan
Africa and Response to an
Increasing Demand for Land
Information
By
Dr Lamourdia Thiombiano,
Soil Expert
FAO Representative for North Africa
Introduction
• Africa is considered to have 64% of available
arable land in the world.
• Increasing Land acquisition by a number of
countries, private companies and Institutions is
increasing
• Global context of land market could impact on
national food security
• Need for accurate and reliable data on land to
inform decisions.
History
• The history of soil knowledge generation and
management in traditional society cultures in
Africa.
• Soils and land as the main asset for agriculture
production and natural resources management
were considered as sacred societal value.
• Soil information managed as an heritage
transmitted from generation to generation.
Modern Soil classification
• Brought with colonial penetration in various parts
of the continent.
• Number of rough land evaluation maps were
developed,
• Improved along building of local soil Institutions
managed by French, British, Portuguese, Spanish
or Belgium specialists.
Impetuous Soil Survey era
• Building of National Soil knowledge and soil classification Institutions
capacity building were mostly in the 70’s
• Supported by the Food and agriculture Organization with support
from donors through UNDP in many countries through sponsored
projects and programs.
• The African continent was known for impetuous soil survey and land
evaluation mapping at various scales from the 70s up to the 90s.
•
• Most countries particularly in West Africa had strong National soil
Bureaux providing good quality soil information for policy decision
and land management operations.
Impetuous
• In schools an Universities: large number of soil
surveyors and land management specialists
trained.
• Golden period of soil knowledge generation
and Development capitalizing on traditional
survey systems (ethno Pedology).
Mapping of the Golden period
• Maps were completed or developed from
1/500.000 to 1/1000
• Various soil classifications:
1. CPCS system in francophone countries,
2. Soil Taxonomy in Anglophone countries
3. Local classification systems (South Africa);
4. and recently the WRB.
Decline
• The challenges in recent years: decreased
available resources invested in soil Bureaux.
• Review of the Current status of existing Soil
Institutions
• Response to increasing demand for soil
knowledge to address future challenges
Status of soil survey and related
institutions
• A desk study shows a diversity of institutional
affiliations ranging from governmental to nongovernmental ones.
• Governmental institutions:
1. National Soil Bureau and/ or Laboratories
(Ministries)
2. research Institutions,
3. University and High Schools laboratories.
• NGOs and Private sector
Status of soil survey and related
institutions
Networks/ Regional
centre
Private Res. Inst
4%
0%
Ministry/Dept
11%
Nat’l Lab
2%
Int’l Lab
1%
National Research Inst./Centre
30%
Higher Edu. Institutions
49%
NGOs/FBOs
3%
Percentage distribution of institutions dealing in soils at various levels
Status of soil survey and related
institutions
Southern Africa
19%
Central Africa
6%
West Africa
36%
East Africa
39%
Percentage distribution of soil institutions by region in SSA
Status of soil survey and related institutions
Institutional capacity of each country per region
Region
Country
West Africa
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cape Verde
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Ivory Coast
Liberia
Mali
Mauritania
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Togo
Cameroon
Central African Rep
Chad
DR Congo
Congo Brazzaville
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Central Africa
Number
Institutions
6
8
1
3
25
4
1
6
1
2
3
4
36
8
2
3
3
2
2
1
5
1
5
of Region
Country
East Africa
Tanzania
Burundi
Rwanda
Uganda
Sudan
Ethiopia
Eritrea
Djibouti
Somalia
Kenya
Madagascar
Mauritius
Number
Institutions
9
6
4
18
22
26
2
2
1
19
5
7
Southern Africa
Botswana
Lesotho
Malawi
Mozambique
Namibia
South Africa
Swaziland
Zambia
Zimbabwe
3
2
5
4
6
23
1
4
10
of
Status of soil survey and related
institutions Cont’d
• Evolving data provided in Table and Figures
• Although almost all the countries across the
continent have soil and land related
institutions,
• Status of these institutions and their effective
capacities to provide accurate and updated soil
information remain of great concern.
Status of soil survey and related
institutions
• Factors affecting capacity of soil institutions
include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Continuous use of classical soil survey approach
Outdated field and laboratory equipment
Insufficient human resources and expertise
Weak capacities to effectively respond to emerging
issues
5. Insufficient if not lack of budgetary resources
Status of soil survey coverage
• An overview of the scales of available maps in
fifteen countries shows the predominance of
small scale maps ranging from 1/250000 to
1/500.000 representing almost 40%.
• Medium scale maps constitute 32% of the
source for soil knowledge derived from soil
survey.
Status of soil survey coverage
Examples of maps in use
a
b
c
Figs 1(a) 1970 soil map of Santiago (Cape Verde) (b) map showing soil associations of
Lesotho developed in 1979 (c)) 1969 soil map of Niger
Status of soil survey coverage
Examples of maps in use
h
i
Figs 1(h) A time series analysis from 1957-1997 showing how forests have been lost
through concessions in Gabon posing a threat to the environment (i) An old soil map of
Nigeria
Status of soil survey coverage
Scales of various maps in use
1:6,100,000
5%
1:10,000
6%
1:5,000
6%
1:2,500,000
5%
1:20,000
6%
1:1,000,000
11%
1:25,000
6%
1:50,000
11%
1:500,000
22%
1:100,000
6%
1:200,000
11%
1:250,000
5%
Challenges
• New challenges emerged with requess for
more robust and diversified soil information.
• Soil data are needed in mitigation and
adaptation to climate change, in bio
products agriculture and in Eco tourism for
instance.
• Opportunities for better soil correlation have
emerged with the WRB classification.
Way Forward
• The development of virtual platforms accessible
through mobile phones, provide opportunity for
an augmentation of the demand for soil
information.
• Increasing teledensity of about 72% in Africa in
2014,
• Digital soil data /information increasing Google
Earth, Remote sensing ….
Way Forward
• Reconcile greater interest in use of soil data positive trend of requests
with overall infrastructure for soils survey/Bureaux
• How to meet the request for new soil information to address the needs for
quality and relevant soil data using the WRB classification and for trainings
of new generations of soil specialists?
• How to disseminate soil information through digital means and virtual
platforms using mobile phones and computerized systems?
• Need to capitalize on the large and significant trend of computerizing and
mobile phones platforms development to build soil database, generate
prospective soil information through modeling and disseminate advices on
soil uses to the remotely village within the continent.
i
j
k
l
m
n
p
q
o
Figs (i,j) masonry check dam and contour stone wall in Cape Verde (k,l) farmers collecting stones to build a weir; in
Niger (m) implementation of integrated watershed management in Lesotho (n) irrigation channels on farms to
supply water in Zambia (o) water pond on a farm in Tanzania (p) converting sand rivers into potential arable lands
in Kelema, Tanzania (q) contour hedgerow and retention ditches to promote upland agriculture in Uganda.
The future of soil
• Knowledge development in Africa:
• capacity of soil Experts and Soil Institutions
supported by substantive investments, to take
advantage of progress made in digital
information tools and equipments to generate
relevant and tailored made information for
land users and policy makers.
Thank you