FARMING THE DESERT: GEOGRAPHY OF THE SAHEL
Subjects: Geography, History, Social Studies
Grade Level: 8-10
Purpose and Overview:
This lesson plan includes two activities. The purpose of these activities is to introduce students to the
geography and people of the Sahel region and to have them discover the challenges and conflicts faced
by the inhabitants. In Part 1, students are introduced to the central figure, Yacouba Sawadogo, a farmer
from Burkina Faso who has made great strides in pushing back the desert and improving his lands.
Students compare and contrast the ideas introduced in the video to more in-depth articles on the topic of
“regreening the desert.”
In Part 2, students participate in a jigsaw activity in which they explore five aspects of the geography of
the Sahel through research, including the physical and human characteristics of the Sahel, the economic
interdependence of humans on the Sahel, cooperation and conflict in the Sahel, human modifications to the
Sahel, and how the changing conditions of the Sahel are impacting human systems. In this jigsaw, students
conduct internet research in the five areas and then share with each other to create a final profile of the
region.
Time:
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Part 1: One to two 45-minute class periods.
Part 2: The research phase will take one to two 45-minute class periods. The sharing and debrief
phases will take one 45-minute class period.
Introduction:
The Sahel region is a unique part of Africa that exists as a thin band bordered on the North by the Sahara
desert and on the South by more lush, tropical savannahs. In the image below, the Sahel region is
represented by the brown band that stretches from west to east and includes eight African nations. The
Sahel is considered to be one of Africa’s most productive regions; however, it is prone to highly erratic
rainfall, which can lead to severe drought.
This lesson plan accompanies the EARTH A New Wild video “Faming the Desert” about Yacouba
Sawadogo, who lives and farms in the part of Burkina Faso that lies in the Sahel region. Burkina Faso has
four seasons: from mid-November to February the weather is dry and cool with temperatures around 600F,
from mid-February to June the weather is hot and dry with winds that blow from the Sahara Desert named
“harmattan” and temperatures around 1000F, the rainy season is from June to September, and from
September to mid-November is an intermediate season between the rainy and dry times. The difference in
rainfall amounts (during the rainy season) can vary widely between Northern Burkina Faso, which lies in the
Sahelian Zone and Southern Burkina Faso, which lies in the Sudanic zone. The annual rainfall amounts in the
North are less than 10 inches, compared to the South where the annual rainfall can reach up to 40 inches.
It is important to note that dry seasons are a normal part of the climate of region and are not to be
confused with periods of drought.
1|Teacher Guide - Farming the Desert - GEO
Drought can occur when the precipitation during the rainy season is less than normal. Several years in a
row of rainfall anomalies can lead to severe droughts that have long-lasting effects. The graph below
shows rainfall anomalies in the Sahel from 1900-2013. The bars that are positive indicate more rainfall
than the June-October (rainy season) average and the bars that are negative indicate less rainfall than
average. Rainfall fluctuation is a normal occurrence in the Sahel, and the graph depicts several consecutive
years having positive rainfall anomalies leading up to the 1970s. Beginning in the 1970s, however, the
Sahel experienced several consecutive years with negative precipitation anomalies. This prolonged
deviation from the average rainfall led to a serious drought in the 1970s, which had dire consequences for
people living in the region.
One of the consequences of prolonged drought is desertification. Desertification is a process by which land
that was once productive can no longer support the same plant growth that it had in the past, which can
have huge implications for the people that live in the region. In addition to drought, other main causes of
desertification include poor farming practices, deforestation, overgrazing, and fire.
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If plants are removed from an area, either through overgrazing or deforestation, the nutrient rich topsoil
can blow away, leaving farmlands less productive and making it harder for more plants to grow. Dry
conditions can cause the soil to change to a hard, crusty surface that rain can’t penetrate, perpetuating the
dry conditions. If the factors that caused desertification are stopped and the land doesn’t return to a
productive state, then the land is “desertified.”
This lesson will focus on two different populations that exist in Burkina Faso and the Sahel: the farmers and
the nomadic pastoralists. Agriculturalists like Yacouba Sawadogo live on settlements and farm for a living.
They are particularly vulnerable to droughts because they depend on the land for food and income. As
shown in the video, the droughts of the 1970s forced many farmers to abandon their lands. Farmers like
Yacouba Sawadogo have stayed behind and made massive improvements to their lands, which have
helped to stave off desertification.
Nomadic pastoralists are herders who own large numbers of grazing animals like cattle and they move
their animals from place to place with the change of the seasons. As the rains move through the Sahel, the
nomads moved their animals with them in search of more food for their herds for their animals. The number
of nomads has decreased since the droughts in the 1970s as the desertification of traditional grazing
lands has threatened their way of life. In recent years, another threat to their way of life has been the
development of still fertile grazing lands by farmers.
Land conflicts between these two groups and the ever-present threat of drought and desertification leave
both populations in a highly vulnerable state. As mentioned previously, droughts are not uncommon to the
Sahel—the region has been plagued by droughts for hundreds of years. But long-lasting droughts in the
Sahel have led to serious famines and have impacted the livelihood of both the farmers and the nomads.
Additionally, these drought-stricken areas are very sensitive and cannot support large population growth.
Among the countries that make up the Sahel, however, the population has grown from 367 million in 2000
to 471 million in 2010. In a mere ten years, the population of the Sahel increased by 30%.
Vocabulary:
Common Property Resource: land or resources in which all members of a community hold equal rights
Desertification: the process of becoming desert; lands that are no longer as productive as they once were
Fallow: cultivated land that is not planted for a growing season or longer; a resting period
Famine: an extreme scarcity of food
Fodder: feed for domestic animals or livestock
Marginal Land: an area of land that is often at the edge of a desert and is typically arid and has poor
soil; not good for farming
Nomad: a member of a group of people who have no fixed home and move from place to place in a
certain territory or area
Productivity: the state of being able to produce large amounts of something; in agriculture, this refers to
the ability of land to produce a large amount of crops
Restitution: the giving of an equivalent for a loss, theft, or injury; the restoration of something to its rightful
owner
3|Teacher Guide - Farming the Desert - GEO
Soil Fertility: the ability of soil to supply enough nutrients for plants to grow including nitrogen, potassium,
and phosphorus
Tragedy of the Commons: a problem with common property where every individual tries to benefit to the
detriment of the entire group because of the depletion of a shared resource. This concept is often
applied to common grazing lands.
4|Teacher Guide - Farming the Desert - GEO
Part 1: Yacouba Sawadogo on Film and in Print
Time: One to two 45-minute class periods
Materials:
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Internet, computer(s)
Farming the Desert | EARTH A New Wild Video - https://vimeo.com/114170693
Student copies of the articles below or online access for students to read them:
o
o
The Great Green Wall: African Farmers Beat Back Drought and Climate Change with Trees
(Scientific American, 2011) - http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/farmers-in-sahel-beatback-drought-and-climate-change-with-trees/
Regreening the Sahel by Chris Reij, Gray Tappan, and Melinda Smale (Book Chapter from 2009
Agroenvironmental transformation in the Sahel: Another Kind of “Green Revolution.”)
http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/oc64ch07.pdf
Objectives:
The student will…
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Determine the central idea of the “Farming the Desert” video.
Compare and contrast the information in the video to related texts on farming in droughtimpacted areas of the Sahel.
Identify if the articles support or contradict the contents of the video.
Identify the causes of desertification.
Evaluate if deserts can only be “regreened” by humans, or if this can happen naturally.
Common Core Standards:
Grades 6-8
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.9: Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments,
simulations, video or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
Grades 9-10
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.9: Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from
other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict
previous explanations or accounts
Suggested Flow:
1. View the Farming the Desert video with the students. Have them consider the following questions
while watching the video and go over the questions with them after viewing.
o
o
o
o
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Who was the focus of the video?
What happened in the video?
What was the purpose of the video?
Are there facts that have been left out of the video that might be important? If so, what?
What questions do you now have that are left unanswered? How could you find out more information?
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2. Have students compare and contrast the information they learned in the video clip to the
information with either or both of the following articles depending on the reading level of the
students.
o
o
The Great Green Wall: African Farmers Beat Back Drought and Climate Change with Trees (Scientific
American, 2011) - http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/farmers-in-sahel-beat-back-drought-andclimate-change-with-trees/
Regreening the Sahel by Chris Reij, Gray Tappan, and Melinda Smale (Book Chapter from 2009
Agroenvironmental transformation in the Sahel: Another Kind of “Green Revolution.”)
http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/oc64ch07.pdf
3. You may want to have students use a graphic organizer to outline what they have learned in each
of the readings. Consider having them list 5 or more important details and then write a short
summary of the main idea or take away from the reading.
4. After completing the readings, the following questions could be answered by students individually,
in small groups, or in a large group discussion:
o What new information have you learned by reading the articles?
o What are the similarities between the articles and video?
o Are there other important aspects that were left out of the video? If so, how are they
important to the Yacouba narrative?
o Are there important historical pieces that help us to understand all of the issues surrounding
desertification? If so, what are they?
o Is the greening of the desert human-induced? If so how? Can the desert become green without
humans? Explain.
5. While the Yacouba video is very inspirational, there are other forces at work that could hinder the
progress that Yacouba has made. The quote below is from a National Geographic article called
Our Good Earth, published in 2008 by author Charles C. Mann.
(See page 5 http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/mann-text/5
and 6 http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/mann-text/6 for the Yacouba specific section.)
Share this quote with students and have them reflect on the constraints that Yacouba and others
face when trying to improve their land and stop desertification. Additionally, have them address
how this further division of land will affect nomadic pastoralists and their way of life.
“…smallholders in Burkina still lease it, often for no charge, from landowners who can revoke the
lease at the end of any term. To provide income for Burkina's cities, the central government let them
annex and then sell land on their peripheries—without fairly compensating the people who already
lived there. Sawadogo's village is a few miles away from Ouahigouya, a city of 64,000 people.
Among the richest properties in Ouahigouya's newly annexed land was Sawadogo's forest, a
storehouse of timber. Surveyors went through the property, slicing it into tenth-of-an-acre parcels
marked by heavy stakes. As the original owner, Sawadogo will be allotted one parcel; his older
children will also each receive land. Everything else will be sold off, probably next year. He watched
helplessly as city officials pounded a stake in his bedroom floor. Another lot line cut through his
father's grave. Today Yacouba Sawadogo is trying to find enough money to buy the forest in which
he has invested his life. Because he has made the land so valuable, the price is impossibly high: about
$20,000.”
6|Teacher Guide - Farming the Desert - GEO
Part 2: Further Exploration of the Geography of the Sahel and its Inhabitants
Time:
 Research Phase – One to two 45-minute class periods
 Sharing and Debrief Phases – One 45-minute class period
Materials:
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Teacher - Internet, computer, projector
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Student access to computers and internet
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One copy of the “Area Profile: The Sahel” for each student and one copy of the Groups 1-5
directions handouts for each group. All worksheets and handouts for Part 2 can be found at the
end of this document.
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Group copies of the articles below or online access for students to read them:
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Sahel Backgrounder - http://www.irinnews.org/report/78514/sahel-backgrounder-on-the-sahel-westafrica-s-poorest-region
The Sahel - http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Sahel
Burkina Faso - http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Burkina_Faso.aspx
Burkina Faso - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/85420/Burkina-Faso#toc54877
Population Growth, Food Supply, and Climate Change - http://www.theguardian.com/globaldevelopment/2014/oct/22/population-growth-outpaces-food-sahel-study
Meet the People of the Sahel -http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/sahel/sahel_people_lo.html
Challenges in the Sahel - http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/december-2013/sahel-oneregion-many-crises
Desertification of the Sahel - Exploring the Role of Property Rights http://perc.org/articles/desertification-sahel
Misconceptions on Drylands and Pastoralism - http://www.iied.org/misconceptions-drylands-pastoralism
Pastoralists in Sahel Losing Their Way - http://www.heifer.org/join-theconversation/magazine/2013/summer/pastoralists-in-sahel-losing-their-way.html
The Great Green Wall: African Farmers Beat Back Drought and Climate Change with Trees http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/farmers-in-sahel-beat-back-drought-and-climate-changewith-trees/
What does the future hold for pastoralists in the Sahel? -http://www.irinnews.org/report/99044/whatdoes-the-future-hold-for-pastoralists-in-the-sahel
Defining Desertification - http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Desertification/ and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Desertification/desertification2.php
Regreening the Sahel - http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/oc64ch07.pdf
Survival in the Sahel - http://www.economist.com/node/17628093
Sahel villagers fleeing climate change must not be ignored - http://www.theguardian.com/globaldevelopment/poverty-matters/2013/aug/02/sahel-climate-change-displacement-migration
7|Teacher Guide - Farming the Desert - GEO
Objectives:
The student will…
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Identify the physical and human characteristics of the Sahel.
Describe how the economies in the Sahel are interdependent on the land.
Describe and analyze the sources of conflict and the division and control of the land in the Sahel.
Explain how humans have modified the Sahel.
Describe how the changes to the Sahel (climate, drought, and desertification) have impacted its
inhabitants and discuss how people are coping with the changes.
Evaluate current conditions in the Sahel and predict future possibilities for the region based on
current evidence.
National Geography Standards:
URL: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/standards/national-geographystandards/?ar_a=1
 4 - The physical and human characteristics of places.
 11 - The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth’s surface.
 13 - How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of
Earth's surface.
 14 - How human actions modify the physical environment.
 15 - How physical systems affect human systems.
Suggested Flow:
1. This activity supports five of the National Geography Standards and allows students to explore
the geography of the Sahel through readings found online. The activity is set-up as a jigsaw in
which five groups of students research materials that support each one of the standards. Ideally,
you should have three students per group. If you have a class of 30 students or more, you will
have 10 groups of students for the research phase, which means there will be two groups
researching for each of the standards in this activity.
2. At the end of this teacher guide, you will find Groups 1-5 handouts that you can photocopy and
provide to students or offer a digital version. Each worksheet includes the research questions they
need to answer as well as the websites they can use to find the information. Of course, they are
not limited to those sites, but they should be able to find what they need with those resources.
3. Ideally during this research phase, each student would have access to a computer. If you don’t
have computer access, you can print out copies of each of the articles and give them to the groups.
Once you have placed students into their research groups, you can leave it up to them to decide
how they will break up the task, or you can assign students various roles.
4. Once the research phase is over, regroup the students so that each new group has at least one
representative from the original groups 1-5. Distribute the worksheet “Area Profile: The Sahel” to
each student to complete in this final group. Each original group representative should verbally
share their findings with the group, so that the new group members can complete their profile. In
some cases where the groups had overlapping research, encourage the other group members to
8|Teacher Guide - Farming the Desert - GEO
share their information where appropriate. Discourage groups from just giving their research to
each other to copy. The jigsaw works best when there is dialogue between the students.
5. For your reference, on pages 10-16 of this guide, there are teacher answer keys to the group
research questions and an answer key for the worksheet “Area Profile: The Sahel” that students
will complete during the jigsaw.
6. Once all of the groups have completed their profiles, consider doing a short debrief with the
students. Possible questions that you can pose during the debrief are below:
o What was most surprising about the Sahel and its inhabitants?
o Do you think the conflict between the nomads and the farmers can be resolved? If so, how?
o Do you feel that there was a bias toward the nomads or the farmers in some of the readings?
Explain.
o Is it up to humans to regreen the Sahel? Can it happen on its own?
o What are some of the challenges that the region might face if conditions don’t improve? How
could this impact other parts of Africa?
o Will these impacts be felt in the rest of the world?
9|Teacher Guide - Farming the Desert - GEO
Jigsaw Teacher Answer Keys
Group 1: Physical and Human Characteristics (National Geography Standard 4)
Describe the Sahel (it might be helpful to focus on one country in the Sahel, like Burkina Faso):
Student Questions
Where is the Sahel?
Who lives there? Describe the lifestyles of the
people who live in the Sahel. How do they
survive?
Describe the climate. Are there seasons? If so,
describe them.
What is the land like? Is it mountainous or flat?
Describe the vegetation in the Sahel. Is it
tropical, desert, or grasslands?
What are environmental or humanitarian
concerns in the Sahel? Also describe any
conflicts in the Sahel.
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Answers
A thin band of land stretching across N. Africa, which divides the Sahara desert from tropical
forests.
A wide variety of people from various religions including Muslims, Christians and Animists;
nomads and farmers; Arabs and Africans.
In Burkina Faso, there is a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season varies from North
to South in the country. The rainy season lasts 4 months in the NE (June-Sept) and 6 months in
the SW (May-October) part of the country. The NE part of the country is in the Sahelian zone.
The dry season is typically from March-May when there are hot, dry winds called the
harmattan.
The country is an extensive plateau and has three main rivers. Some of the rivers become dry
in the dry season. A lot of the soil in Burkina Faso is infertile.
The Northern or Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso has savanna or grasslands and is drier than the
south. The north has shrubs, stunted trees, and grass.
There are disagreements about land – crop and pasture. Drought increased competition for
land. Sometimes governments supported nomads and sometimes they supported farmers.
Climate change may make crop production difficult (some years too wet, some too dry). 80%
of the land is degraded by deforestation, overgrazing, and desertification. Population growth
outpaces food supply.
Sahel Backgrounder - http://www.irinnews.org/report/78514/sahel-backgrounder-on-the-sahel-west-africa-s-poorest-region
The Sahel - http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Sahel
Burkina Faso - http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Burkina_Faso.aspx
Burkina Faso - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/85420/Burkina-Faso#toc54877
Population Growth, Food Supply, and Climate Change - http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/oct/22/populationgrowth-outpaces-food-sahel-study
Meet the People of the Sahel -http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/sahel/sahel_people_lo.html
Challenges in the Sahel - http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/december-2013/sahel-one-region-many-crises
10 | T e a c h e r G u i d e - F a r m i n g t h e D e s e r t - G E O
Group 2: Economic Interdependence on Earth’s Surface (National Geography Standard 11)
The two main groups you should focus on for this part are the nomadic pastoralists or herders and the farmers. Describe how these groups depend
on the Earth’s surface for their livelihoods:
Student Questions
How do nomadic pastoralists and farmers in the
Sahel support themselves?
Describe any trade that exists between the
farmers and the nomads (for goods or services).
Have these ways of life changed over time?
Describe any impacts to the ways of life of a
farmer or nomad.
How does the pastoralists’ way of life help them
deal with the climate and conditions of the
Sahel? Analyze the connections between the
pastoralists’ movements and the seasons in the
Sahel.
How do the farmers deal with the climate and
conditions of the Sahel?
What is a pressing environmental concern in the
Sahel?
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Answers
Nomads raise cattle and migrate across the Sahara to the savannah. Farmers grow crops.
Nomads traded cattle and other goods along their routes.
Wells were owned by clans and the nomads used them along their migration routes. Clans
determined the length of time that any one person could use their wells. When the French
colonized parts of Africa, their policies changed the traditional way of life. Farmers were
forced to export crops to port cities instead of trading across the Sahara. The French added
more wells, with no clear ownership, which led to overgrazing because no one was managing
how long the cattle could stay in one place. Deforestation and overgrazing led to barren land
not suitable for farming. There is increasing conflict over land use between farmers and
nomads.
Pastoralists move their livestock with the seasons. That way they can find good pasture even in
drier times.
Farmers like Yacouba Sawadogo have been using methods like zai planting and farmermanaged natural regeneration (FMNR) to help their land be more productive and to protect
crops. These techniques increase soil fertility, provide shade, and protection from the wind.
Drought and desertification are huge problems in the Sahel.
Desertification of the Sahel - Exploring the Role of Property Rights - http://perc.org/articles/desertification-sahel
The Sahel - http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Sahel
Misconceptions on Drylands and Pastoralism - http://www.iied.org/misconceptions-drylands-pastoralism
Pastoralists in Sahel Losing Their Way - http://www.heifer.org/join-the-conversation/magazine/2013/summer/pastoralists-in-sahel-losingtheir-way.html
The Great Green Wall: African Farmers Beat Back Drought and Climate Change with Trees http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/farmers-in-sahel-beat-back-drought-and-climate-change-with-trees/
11 | T e a c h e r G u i d e - F a r m i n g t h e D e s e r t - G E O
Group 3: Cooperation, Conflict, and Control of the Earth’s Surface (National Geography Standard 13)
The two main groups you should focus on for this part are the nomadic pastoralists or herders and the farmers.
Student Questions
How have people historically worked together to
share common resources in the Sahel?
What events impacted the ways that inhabitants
of the Sahel shared resources in the past?
Describe the reasons for conflict between the
nomadic pastoralists and the farmers when it
comes to shared resources.
Describe this conflict from the perspective of
each stakeholder (the nomads and the farmers).
Are disputes resolved differently now than in the
past? Do the current laws and systems favor one
way of life over another or does it seem that
both sides’ views are represented by the
decisions that are made?
What are the benefits of pastoralism in a
climate changing world?
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Answers
Land disputes were resolved by meetings of the elders and offering restitution to victims of
violence. Trading was also common in the Sahel.
Prolonged drought caused increased competition for resources and as a result there was more
conflict. Modern governments often favored one type of group over another – sometimes
farmers and sometimes nomads.
Both farmers and nomads need land and water but they use it in different ways. Because of the
droughts, nomads and farmers were forced to find better land. Farmers abandoned lands that
were barren and started cultivating land that was marginal and had historically been allowed
to lie fallow.
Nomads: need land for cattle, farmers are using up all of the good land, staying in one place
isn’t good for nomads because they can’t move with the seasons to find better pasture
Farmers: need land and water for growing crops, cattle from the nomads can damage crops
and if cattle stay in one place too long, they are competing for water resources with the farmers
Traditionally, disputes were resolved by meetings of elders. With increased conflict, disputes
are harder to resolve. Some governments side with farmers and some side with nomads. Some
governments view the nomadic way of life as a problem and seek to introduce them to modern
farming and livestock production. Pasture is often lost to development in prime grazing areas.
Pastoralism is considered to be a climate resilient way of life since nomads can move cattle to
more productive areas instead of being stuck in one place.
The Sahel - http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Sahel
Desertification of the Sahel - Exploring the Role of Property Rights - http://perc.org/articles/desertification-sahel
Misconceptions on Drylands and Pastoralism - http://www.iied.org/misconceptions-drylands-pastoralism
Pastoralists in Sahel Losing Their Way - http://www.heifer.org/join-the-conversation/magazine/2013/summer/pastoralists-in-sahel-losingtheir-way.html
What does the future hold for pastoralists in the Sahel? http://www.irinnews.org/report/99044/what-does-the-future-hold-forpastoralists-in-the-sahel
12 | T e a c h e r G u i d e - F a r m i n g t h e D e s e r t - G E O
Group 4: Human Actions Modify the Physical Environment (National Geography Standard 14)
Student Questions
Explain how humans have modified the Sahel
and describe the negative impacts of human
activity on the Sahel.
Describe changes that humans have made that
have positively impacted the Sahel.
Describe the importance of trees to the ecology
of the Sahel.
Explain how the trees benefit people.
Explain how some laws in the past hurt the
growth and or protection of trees in parts of the
Sahel.
Describe desertification.
Do humans have a role in desertification? What
are some of the causes?
Describe how drought and desertification impact
humans.
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Answers
Population growth has created more demands on the land. Trees have been used for firewood
and have been removed to establish crop land. Livestock have overgrazed the grasses.
Because of the degradation of the land, wind and rain have carried topsoil away, leaving
infertile land behind.
Zai holes have helped to change the land and make it more fertile and retain water. Farmermanaged natural regeneration (FMNR) of trees is another farmer implementation that has
helped to protect the land.
Trees offer shade for crops and protection from wind. Trees help increase soil fertility and
provide feed for livestock. Fallen leaves can act as mulch.
People can eat the leaves to avoid starvation. People use the wood for cooking, furniture
making, construction, and for medicinal purposes.
In some parts of the Sahel, trees belonged to the state. Under this system, farmers were
punished if they were caught cutting trees. This type of law provided no incentive for farmers to
grow trees on their land. When these laws were changed, more farmers became interested in
FMNR.
Reduction in productivity of land that is irreversible.
Human activities contribute to desertification. Overgrazing and deforestation are leading
human causes. Drought is another cause (though not human-related).
Drought and desertification have led to extreme famine and the deaths of large numbers of
people and animals. Groundwater levels drop, which means less water for people, crops, and
livestock. When the land was seriously degraded, people left their homes.
The Sahel - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/516438/Sahel
The Great Green Wall: African Farmers Beat Back Drought and Climate Change with Trees http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/farmers-in-sahel-beat-back-drought-and-climate-change-with-trees/
Defining Desertification - http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Desertification/ and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Desertification/desertification2.php
Regreening the Sahel - http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/oc64ch07.pdf
13 | T e a c h e r G u i d e - F a r m i n g t h e D e s e r t - G E O
Group 5: Physical Systems Affect Human Systems (National Geography Standard 15)
Student Questions
What kinds of people inhabit the Sahel?
What are the characteristics of the Sahel that
made people want to live there?
What physical properties of the Sahel impose
constraints on human activities?
How is climate change impacting the people of
the Sahel?
What constraints does climate change bring to
the lifestyles of the Sahel’s inhabitants?
What are some strategies that are being used to
help alleviate the impact of climate change
and/or drought (regreening the Sahel)?







Answers
Farmers and nomads from many religions and ethnic groups
The Sahel has low-growing grass, which forms a natural pasture. There are also thorny shrubs
and other plants for grazing animals.
The variable rainfall is one of the most challenging constraints for humans. Starting in the
1970s, a long drought led to the loss a crops and cattle. This drought also led to desertification
and the encroachment of the Sahara Desert.
In the last 40 years, there have been very wet years and extremely dry years that are not
adequate for crops. Scientists estimate that even if the rainfall in the area does eventually
increase, this increase will be offset by warming temperatures that will result in the evaporation
of more water. Heavy rainfall is problematic when intense bursts damage crops and wash
away seeds. Scientists predict more flooding in the Sahel.
Climate change that impacts the growing conditions for food crops will impact food security and
nutrition. Malnutrition levels are already high even when rainfall is adequate. Increased
temperatures will reduce harvests. Ultimately, there will likely be more conflicts as resources
become scarce.
In Mali, the government is trying to irrigate farmland. Short-cycle crops are being grown – like
maize that can be harvested in 3 months as opposed to 5 months. Zai pits have helped improve
croplands. Stone bunds have helped harvest rainwater. Farmer-managed natural regeneration
(FMNR) has helped to grow trees and shrubs for food, fuel, or fodder. The trees also help
retain soil. Increased food production on lands could mean that farmers need to use less land or
are less likely to abandon land and move on. If there is more fodder around for livestock,
farmers will keeps animals close by instead of letting them graze far out. Their manure can be
used to fertilize crops.
The Sahel - http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Sahel
Sahel - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/516438/Sahel
Sahel Backgrounder - http://www.irinnews.org/report/78514/sahel-backgrounder-on-the-sahel-west-africa-s-poorest-region
Population Growth, Food Supply, and Climate Change - http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/oct/22/populationgrowth-outpaces-food-sahel-study
Survival in the Sahel - http://www.economist.com/node/17628093
Sahel villagers fleeing climate change must not be ignored - http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/povertymatters/2013/aug/02/sahel-climate-change-displacement-migration
Regreening the Sahel - http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/oc64ch07.pdf
14 | T e a c h e r G u i d e - F a r m i n g t h e D e s e r t - G E O
Area Profile: The Sahel
Topics
Group
1
Physical and Human
Characteristics
Describe the physical
characteristics of the Sahel and
identify who lives there and
describe their way of life.
Group
2
Economic Interdependence on
the Earth’s Surface
Explain how people depend on
the land of the Sahel for
survival. Be sure to describe
the difference between
nomadic pastoralists and
farmers and indicate how their
way of life has changed over
time.
Group
3
Cooperation, Conflict, and
Control of the Earth’s Surface
Describe the major conflicts in
the Sahel and explain how
these conflicts are resolved.
Summary
The Sahel is a thin band of land stretching across N. Africa, which divides the Sahara desert from tropical
forests and savannahs. A wide variety of people from various religions including Muslims, Christians and
Animists; nomads and farmers; Arabs and Africans live there. Nomads move from place to place with their
livestock and farmers are more sedentary and raise crops in a fixed location.
The country is an extensive plateau and has three main rivers. Some of the rivers become dry in the dry
season. A lot of the soil in Burkina Faso is infertile. The Northern or Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso has savanna
or grasslands and is more dry the south. The north has shrubs, stunted trees, and grass.
Nomads raise cattle and migrate across the Sahara to the savannah. Farmers grow crops. Nomads trade cattle
and other goods along their routes. Wells were once owned by clans and the nomads used them along their
migration routes. Clans determined the length of time that any one person could use their wells. When the
French colonized parts of Africa, their policies changed aspects of the economy and society. Farmers were
forced to export crops to port cities instead of trading across the Sahara. The French added more wells, with
no clear ownership, which led to overgrazing because no one was managing how long the cattle could stay in
one place. Deforestation and overgrazing led to barren land not suitable for farming. There is increasing
conflict over land use between farmers and nomads. Pastoralists move their livestock with the seasons. That
way they can find good pasture even in drier times. Farmers like Yacouba Sawadogo have been using methods
like zai planting and farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) to help their land be more productive and
to protect crops. These techniques increase soil fertility, provide shade, and protection from the wind.
Prolonged drought caused increased competition for resources (land and water) and as a result there was more
conflict over land. Modern governments often favored one type of group over another – sometimes farmers
and sometimes nomads. Both farmers and nomads need land and water but they use it in different ways –
nomads use land to graze cattle and farmers use it to grow crops. Because of the droughts, nomads and
farmers were forced to find better land. Farmers abandoned lands that were barren and started cultivating
land that was marginal and had historically been allowed to lie fallow or were used as grazing lands for
nomads. One source of conflict is that cattle from the nomads can damage crops and if the cattle stay in one
place too long and they are competing for water resources with the farmers.
Traditionally, disputes were resolved by meetings of elders. With increased conflict, disputes are harder to
resolve. Some governments side with farmers and some side with nomads. Some governments view the
nomadic way of life as a problem and seek to introduce them to modern farming and livestock production.
However, nomadic pastoralism is considered to be a climate resilient way of life since nomads can move cattle
to more productive areas instead of being stuck in one place.
15 | T e a c h e r G u i d e - F a r m i n g t h e D e s e r t - G E O
Group
4
Human Actions Modify the
Physical Environment
Describe how human activity
has impacted the Sahel
(include both positive and
negative aspects).
Group
5
Physical Systems Affect
Human Systems
Explain how climate change
and extreme drought is
impacting the people of the
Sahel. Describe some of the
strategies that are being used
to alleviate the impact of the
droughts and climate change.
Population growth has created more demands on the land. Trees have been cut down for firewood or removed
to establish crop land. Livestock have overgrazed the grasses. Because of the degradation of the land, wind
and rain have carried topsoil away, leaving infertile land behind. Zai holes have helped change the land and
make it more fertile and retain water. Farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) of trees is another
farmer implementation that has helped to protect the land. Trees offer shade for crops and protection from
wind. Trees help increase soil fertility and provide feed for livestock. Fallen leaves can act as mulch. People
can eat the leaves to avoid starvation. Wood can be used for cooking, furniture making, construction, and for
medicinal purposes. Human activities like overgrazing and deforestation have contributed to desertification of
the land, which is the reduction in productivity of the land.
Drought and desertification have led to extreme famine and the deaths of large numbers of people and
animals. During a prolonged drought, groundwater levels drop, this means less water for people, crops, and
livestock. These droughts have forced people to leave their homes and look for better land.
The variable rainfall is one of the most challenging constraints for humans in the Sahel. Starting in the 1970s, a
long drought led to the loss a crops and cattle. This drought also led to desertification and the encroachment of
the Sahara Desert. In the last 40 years, there have been very wet years and extremely dry years that are not
adequate for crops. Scientists estimate that even if the rainfall in the area does eventually increase, this
increase will be offset by warming temperatures that will result in the evaporation of more water. Heavy
rainfall is problematic when intense bursts damage crops and wash away seeds. Scientists predict more
flooding in the Sahel. Climate change that impacts the growing conditions for food crops will impact food
security and nutrition.
Malnutrition levels are already high even when rainfall is adequate. Increased temperatures will reduce
harvests. Ultimately, there will likely be more conflicts as resources become scarce. In Mali, the government is
trying to irrigate farmland. Short-cycle crops are being grown – like maize that can be harvested in 3 months
as opposed to 5 months. Zai pits have helped improve croplands. Stone bunds have helped harvest rainwater.
Farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) has helped to grow trees and shrubs for food, fuel, or fodder.
The trees also help retain soil and soil moisture. Increased food production on lands could mean that farmers
need to use less land or are less likely to abandon land and move on. If there is more fodder around for
livestock, farmers will keeps animals close by instead of letting them graze far out. Their manure can be used
to fertilize crops.
16 | T e a c h e r G u i d e - F a r m i n g t h e D e s e r t - G E O
Other Resources:
o To view a science lesson on desertification that ties to the Farming the Desert | EARTH A New Wild
Video visit: http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/249a2eb4-0461-4361-b81e3e071d40e37c/farming-the-desert-science-lesson-plan
o To further explore the ecology of grasslands, cattle grazing, and population management, view
the Nature Works Everywhere video on the Value of Grasslands at:
https://vimeo.com/77808155. Corresponding lessons for this video:
o
o
o
o
o
o
The Value of Ecotourism
(https://www.natureworkseverywhere.org/#resources/5489d2efc6435b519762936a)
Population Management
(https://www.natureworkseverywhere.org/#resources/5489d2efc6435b519762936a)
Read more about desertification in other locations and innovative methods being used to halt
desertification: The Great Oasis (The New Yorker, 2011) http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/12/19/the-great-oasis
Read more about how the “Tragedy of the Commons” relates to Sahelian nomadism:
http://www.economist.com/node/11848182
Read the original 1968 paper on the “Tragedy of the Commons”, by Garrett Hardin, which
describes the dilemma that arises from a situation where multiple individuals acting on their own
self-interest will deplete a shared, limited resource. This idea has been applied to communal
grazing lands or “the commons”: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/162/3859/1243.full
For a more in depth look into the challenge of managing the commons in the Sahel region, check
out the paper “Who’s Managing the Commons” by Ced Hesse and Pippa Trench (2000):
http://www.sahel.org.uk/pdf/Securing%20the%20Commons%20No.1%20%28English%29.pdf
Bibliography:
Arsenault, Chris. "Population Growth Far Outpaces Food Supply in Conflict-ravaged Sahel." The Guardian.
Guardian Media Group, 22 Oct. 2014. Web. 23 Dec. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/globaldevelopment/2014/oct/22/population-growth-outpaces-food-sahel-study>.
"Burkina Faso." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2007. Web. 23 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Burkina_Faso.aspx>.
Deschamps, Herbert Jules. "Burkina Faso | History - Geography." Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Dec. 2014. Web. 23 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/85420/Burkina-Faso#toc54877>.
Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean. "Sahel Precipitation Index." Sahel Precipitation
Index. JISAO - University of Washington, Nov. 2013. Web. 05 Jan. 2015.
<http://jisao.washington.edu/data/sahel/>.
17 | T e a c h e r G u i d e - F a r m i n g t h e D e s e r t - G E O
Standards:
National Geography Standards, Geography Education Standards Project. Geography for Life: The
National Geography Standards. Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society Committee on
Research and Exploration, 1994.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. Common
Core State Standards. Washington, DC: Authors, 2010.
NGSS Lead States. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The
National Academies Press, 2013.
18 | T e a c h e r G u i d e - F a r m i n g t h e D e s e r t - G E O
Group 1
Physical and Human Characteristics
Describe the Sahel (it might be helpful to focus on one country in the Sahel, like Burkina Faso):






Where is the Sahel?
Who lives there? Describe the lifestyles of the people who live in the Sahel. How do they survive?
Describe the weather. Are there seasons? If so, describe them.
What is the land like? Is it mountainous or flat?
Describe the vegetation in the Sahel. Is it tropical, desert, or grasslands?
What are environmental or humanitarian concerns in the Sahel? Also describe any conflicts in the Sahel.
Sources:
o Sahel Backgrounder - http://www.irinnews.org/report/78514/sahel-backgrounder-on-the-sahel-westafrica-s-poorest-region
o The Sahel- http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Sahel
o Burkina Faso - http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Burkina_Faso.aspx
o Burkina Faso - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/85420/Burkina-Faso#toc54877
o Population Growth, Food Supply, and Climate Change - http://www.theguardian.com/globaldevelopment/2014/oct/22/population-growth-outpaces-food-sahel-study
o Meet the People of the Sahel -http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/sahel/sahel_people_lo.html
o Challenges in the Sahel - http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/december-2013/sahel-oneregion-many-crises
1|Jigsaw Student Handout - Farming the Desert - GEO
Group 2
Economic Interdependence on Earth’s Surface
The two main groups you should focus on for this part are the nomadic pastoralists or herders and the farmers.
Describe how these groups depend on the Earth’s surface for their livelihoods:




How do nomadic pastoralists and farmers in the Sahel support themselves?
Describe any trade that exists between the farmers and the nomads (for goods or services).
Have these ways of life changed over time? Describe any impacts to the ways of life of a farmer or nomad.
How does the pastoralists’ way of life help them deal with the climate and conditions of the Sahel? Analyze
the connections between the pastoralists’ movements and the seasons in the Sahel.
 How do the farmers deal with the climate and conditions of the Sahel?
 What is a pressing environmental concern in the Sahel?
Sources:
o The Sahel- http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Sahel
o Desertification of the Sahel - Exploring the Role of Property Rights http://perc.org/articles/desertification-sahel
o Pastoralists in Sahel Losing Their Way - http://www.heifer.org/join-theconversation/magazine/2013/summer/pastoralists-in-sahel-losing-their-way.html
o Misconceptions on Drylands and Pastoralism - http://www.iied.org/misconceptions-drylands-pastoralism
o The Great Green Wall: African Farmers Beat Back Drought and Climate Change with Trees http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/farmers-in-sahel-beat-back-drought-and-climate-change-withtrees/
2|Jigsaw Student Handout - Farming the Desert - GEO
Group 3
Cooperation, Conflict, and Control of the Earth’s Surface
The two main groups you should focus on for this part are the nomadic pastoralists or herders and the farmers.
 How have people historically worked together to share common resources in the Sahel?
 What events impacted the ways that inhabitants of the Sahel shared resources in the past?
 Describe the reasons conflict between the nomadic pastoralists and the farmers when it comes to shared
resources.
 Describe this conflict from the perspective of each stakeholder (the nomads and the farmers).
 How are disputes resolved? Do the current laws and systems favor one way of life over another or does it
seem that both sides’ views are represented by the decisions that are made?
 What are the ecological benefits of pastoralism? Farming?
Sources:
o The Sahel - http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Sahel
o Desertification of the Sahel - Exploring the Role of Property Rights http://perc.org/articles/desertification-sahel
o Pastoralists in Sahel Losing Their Way - http://www.heifer.org/join-theconversation/magazine/2013/summer/pastoralists-in-sahel-losing-their-way.html
o What does the future hold for pastoralists in the Sahel? http://www.irinnews.org/report/99044/whatdoes-the-future-hold-for-pastoralists-in-the-sahel
3|Jigsaw Student Handout - Farming the Desert - GEO
Group 4
Human Actions Modify the Physical Environment
 How have humans modified the Sahel?
o Describe changes that humans have made that have negatively impacted the Sahel.
o Describe changes that humans have made that have positively impacted the Sahel.
 Describe the importance of trees to the ecology of the Sahel.
 Explain how some laws have hurt the growth and or protection of trees in the some countries in the Sahel.
 Describe desertification.
 Do humans have a role in desertification?
 Describe some environmental consequences that humans have experienced because of the way they have
modified the environment of the Sahel.
Sources:
o Defining Desertification - http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Desertification/ and
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Desertification/desertification2.php
o The Great Green Wall: African Farmers Beat Back Drought and Climate Change with Trees http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/farmers-in-sahel-beat-back-drought-and-climate-change-withtrees/
o Regreening the Sahel - http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/oc64ch07.pdf
4|Jigsaw Student Handout - Farming the Desert - GEO
Group 5
Physical Systems Affect Human Systems





What kinds of people inhabit the Sahel?
What are the characteristics of the Sahel that made people want to live there?
How is climate change impacting the people of the Sahel?
What physical properties of the Sahel impose constraints on human activities?
What constraints does climate change bring to the lifestyles of the Sahel’s inhabitants? How are they
adapting?
Sources:
o Sahel - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/516438/Sahel
o Sahel Backgrounder - http://www.irinnews.org/report/78514/sahel-backgrounder-on-the-sahel-westafrica-s-poorest-region
o Population Growth, Food Supply, and Climate Change - http://www.theguardian.com/globaldevelopment/2014/oct/22/population-growth-outpaces-food-sahel-study
o Survival in the Sahel - http://www.economist.com/node/17628093
o Challenges in the Sahel - http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/december-2013/sahel-oneregion-many-crises
o Sahel villagers fleeing climate change must not be ignored - http://www.theguardian.com/globaldevelopment/poverty-matters/2013/aug/02/sahel-climate-change-displacement-migration
5|Jigsaw Student Handout - Farming the Desert - GEO
Name:______________________________________________________________Date:________________________Period:________________
Area Profile: The Sahel
Topics
Group
1
Summary
Physical and Human
Characteristics
Describe the physical
characteristics of the Sahel
and identify who lives there
and describe their way of
life.
Group
2
Economic Interdependence
on the Earth’s Surface
Explain how people depend
on the land of the Sahel for
survival. Be sure to describe
the difference between
nomadic pastoralists and
farmers and farmers and
indicate how their way of
life has changed over time.
Group
3
Cooperation, Conflict, and
Control of the Earth’s
Surface
Describe the major conflicts
in the Sahel and explain how
these conflicts are resolved.
1|Sahel Profile - Student Handout - Farming the Desert, GEO- Part 2
Group
4
Human Actions Modify
the Physical
Environment
Describe how human
activity has impacted the
Sahel (include both
positive and negative
aspects).
Group
5
Physical Systems Affect
Human Systems
Explain how climate
change and extreme
drought is impacting the
people of the Sahel.
Describe some of the
strategies that are being
used to alleviate the
impact of the droughts
and climate change.
2|Sahel Profile - Student Handout - Farming the Desert, GEO- Part 2