Reclaiming degraded land
Using bamboo to reclaim old
brickfields in India
The location
• Villagers in the district situated near Bamrauli Airport in
Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh, India have been
leasing their land to brick manufacturers to excavate for
bricks.
• The soil in the confluence of the rivers near Allahabad is
good for brick making.
Brick Making
• Brick making involves
excavating about 3
metres of the suitable
soil.
Results of brick-making
• The end of agricultural
production
• Loss of income to
farmers
• Out-migration of
people to crowded
cities.
• Pollution
• Dust storms
The problems to be solved
• The land is lower;
drainage is interrupted
• Revegetation is very
slow
• The land bakes to look
like Mars in summer
The solution
• An integrated land-use planning and rehabilitation project
combined with increased local self-help and training.
Bamboo
• Six species of bamboo were
tried (based on previous
research experience)
-
- Bambusa bambos
- Bambusa vulgaris
- Dendrocalamus strictus
- Dendrocalamus asper
- Dendrocalamus giganteus
However B. bambos and D.
strictus were the most successful
Bamboo Nursery
• A bamboo nursery
was quickly
established to make
large numbers of
plants available.
Results
• Bamboo quickly
created a canopy
• Cutting down dust
storms and moisture
loss
• And recreating a
living soil
Results for people
Revitalised industries
• Training has
established small scale
industries based on
bamboo.
New ideas
• The shade created
works very well with
agroforestry crops
Bamboo into milk
• Villagers found that
bamboo was a good
source of fodder for
livestock;
• thus creating another
new income source.
Land reclaimed; a replicable model and a
revitalised local economy