IT IS GREEN IN NIGER!
Between January 12th and 20th, Both ENDS colleague Marie José van der Werff ten Bosch accompanied Chris Reij (CIS, VU University Amsterdam) to the south of Niger, to see with her own eyes what Chris has been advocating for many years now: farmers have turned this dry part of the Sahel green.
Niger can experience tremendous heat and extreme aridity - the north of the country is part of the Sahara Desert. It is the immense heat of the Saharan Desert climatic zone which proves detrimental to the little rainfall coming to this "Frying Pan of the World". Nevertheless, even though we are now in the dry season, the visited areas in the southern Sahelian climatic zone were largely green! Not because of the agricultural crops, but because of the trees growing on farmers' fields. Especially the Faidherbia albida, or Gao in local language, can be seen everywhere: amongst others it fixes nitrogen in the soil, providing free fertilizer. And this odd tree keeps its leaves during the dry season, and sheds them in the rainy season (most trees do the opposite), giving the crops enough sunlight for their growth.
In general trees in and around the agricultural fields, so-called agroforestry systems, give benefits to the farmers. Termites cut up the shedded leaves into miniscule particles that enrich the soils with organic matter.Furthermore, the leaves and fruits of many tree species make good fodder or medicins, or they enrich the human diet. Branches give fire- and construction wood which can be used or sold on the local market. If the branches are cut out with the right pruning techniques, the tree will easily survive, lasting many more years.
In Niger, the trees on farmers' fields have not been planted. These trees have regenerated from the seed stock and root systems still present in the soils. Around Maradi and Zinder in the Southern provinces, farmers have employed a strategy of protecting spontaneous regeneration of trees on their fields for some 20 years now. 5 million hectares have been turned green already this way! At an average density of 40 trees per hectare that makes some 20 million trees. This makes it the largest reforestation initiative ever to have occurred in Africa - and one carried out largely through farmers' own initia-tives; in fact, the government and international agencies were hardly aware that it was happening. This strategy is called RNA: Régénération Naturelle Assistée, or Assisted Natural Regeneration.
Both ENDS and the VU-CIS have engaged with local scientists (CRESA Niamey) and NGOs to spread the succesful RNA approach to other areas within Niger. The Turing Foundation funds our joint regreening project in the area around Dogondoutchi. A visit to this area shows that the project is well underway - everywhere young trees can be spotted among the millet stubbles. To the trained eye it is very clear that a revolution is going on here: all the young trees are well pruned, the evidence of organised action. Such action is much needed - trees can save lives in periods of drought. This year the harvest of millet has failed because of the little rain. Everywhere we saw pruned or cut trees - people sell the (fire)wood in order to earn some money and buy food. This way the trees help them through the dry period, making RNA a vital approach to food security and creating local resilience.
Read more about this subject
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News / 27 March 2024
Changing of the guard: Paul Engel and Leida Rijnhout on the unique strength of Both ENDS
After eight years as chair of the Both ENDS Board, Paul Engel is now passing on the baton to Leida Rijnhout. In thus double interview, we look back and forwards with the outgoing and incoming chairs. Paul Engel sets the ball rolling on an enthusiastic note: “This organization decides itself what it is going to do, and does it very well. As the Board, we help and use our networks to provide support”. A conversation about taking the lead in systemic change and working with others around the world.
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Press release / 25 March 2024
Dredging destruction; worldwide research into Dutch dredgers
Dredging Destruction: Report reveals how Dutch dredging companies are systematically destroying human lives and the environment around the world with the help of taxpayers’ money
The Netherlands is providing billions of euros in support for dredging projects by Boskalis and Van Oord around the world. All of these projects are destroying human lives and the environment. The Dutch government’s policy to protect people and planet is failing systemically. And after twelve years of studies and talking, there are no real improvements. It is time for a thorough clean-up of government support for the dredging sector.
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Publication / 25 March 2024
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News / 19 March 2024
Both ENDS – quite special
Both ENDS has no management team, hardly any team meetings and certainly no 'director who is boss over everyone'. Both ENDS has had a flat organizational structure since 2016, based on the principle of shared responsibility. This, too, reflects our goal of 'Connecting people for change'.
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News / 12 March 2024
Equality as a key for international trade
Trade has been in the global spotlight once again in recent times. Recently, ministers from around the world gathered in Abu Dhabi at the WTO for negotiations on world trade in the coming years. However, participants from civil society were silenced. Never before has their freedom been so severely restricted at the WTO. In a time when geopolitical tensions are escalating by the day, it is crucial to prioritize equality in international trade. -
Event / 12 March 2024
From Policy To Practice: Funding Locally-led Gender-Just Climate Action
A discussion on the intersection of climate and gender justice - specifically on financing mechanisms for gender-just climate solutions!
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News / 6 March 2024
Inspire inclusion at Women's day!
Happy Women's Day!
Friday March 8th we celebrate a gender equal world; free of stereotypes, bias, and discrimination. Around the world women are powers of change. We proudly present you; the voices of the next generation of environmental leaders of the JWH initiative. All our grantees are driving change in the environmental sector and have a strong say about the inclusive world.
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News / 6 March 2024
Export Credit Agencies and development finance in the EU
We are seeing increased interest in the EU for blending different development financial instruments with export credits, even though export credits are not fit for this purpose. The European Commission is developing plans for using so-called export credits for financing everything from raw materials, to development projects, to weapons. A new report of Counter Balance is shedding light on the significant environmental and social impacts of projects financed by ECAs.
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Press release / 4 March 2024
Dutch government calls for investigation into Malaysian timber certification
The Dutch government expects PEFC International to undertake an investigation into its own role as a forest certification system, using the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS). "It is about time the Dutch government takes a leading role in ensuring Malaysian timber entering The Netherlands is not associated with deforestation and human rights abuses," states Paul Wolvekamp of Both ENDS. "Considering that the Dutch government has the ambition to build 900.000 houses in the immediate future, involving massive volumes of timber, such as timber from Malaysia for window frames, builders, contractors, timber merchants and local governments rely on the Dutch government to have its, mandatory, timber procurement better organised, i.e. from reliable, accountable sources'.
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Blog / 27 February 2024
Partners fighting for rights within natural resource exploration in Uganda
A recent visit to Uganda highlighted the country as the latest example of ethical, environmental and human rights dilemmas brought forth by natural resource exploration.
Under the guise of economic prosperity and energy security, the future of Uganda’s forests, lakes, national parks, and by extension that of the people that depend on these resources, is increasingly endangered. Both ENDS partners in Uganda work with local communities to preserve these natural environments and the livelihoods that come from it.
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Blog / 26 February 2024
Brumadinho: 5 years without justice
On January 25, 2019, Brumadinho region witnessed a tragedy-crime that claimed 272 lives, including two unborn children, affectionately called "Jewels" in response to VALE’s declarations that the company, as a Brazilian jewel, should not be condemned for an accident. However, the investigations about B1 dam collapse, at Córrego do Feijão Mine, showed that the scar left on the community and environment was not an accident, but VALE negligence.
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Blog / 26 February 2024
Exploring sustainable farming practices with partners in Indonesia
From land regeneration to improving soil health – trees play a crucial role in almost all our ecosystems. Agroforestry makes use of these benefits by combining agriculture and forestry. Agroforestry, and the reforestation and conservation efforts that are part of it, improves biodiversity and climate resilience, as well as the livelihoods of the farming communities involved.
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Blog / 26 February 2024
Impacts of the fossil fuel sector in Guanabara Bay
Last September, together with our Brazilian partner FASE, Marius Troost of Both ENDS visited Guanabara Bay (near Rio de Janeiro) to map the impacts of the fossil fuel sector there. During the trip, he was struck by the braveness and fearlessness of the local fisherfolk who protest the injustices faced by the people who live around Guanabara Bay and about the damage done to the environment.
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News / 14 February 2024
Petition to protect the Saamaka people and the Amazon Forest
The Saamaka People, the Afro-descendant tribe of Suriname, have preserved close to 1.4 million hectares of the Amazon rainforest. They have for decades urged the government to recognise their ancestral territorial land rights.
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News / 8 February 2024
The litmus test for the devastating race track in Lombok
A race track for international motor bike events in Lombok continues to worry human rights experts around the world. Both ENDS and its partners are increasingly concerned about the project’s implications for ethical standards in global development financing going forward for it continues to hurt the most basic social and environmental safeguards.
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Event / 30 January 2024, 14:00 - 15:30
The environmental and human rights impacts of raw material extraction: Lithium in the High Andes, Argentina
Following the Raw Material Week in November 2023 and the provisional agreement on the Critical Raw Material Regulation, Wetlands International Europe together with Both ENDS and the EU Raw Materials Coalition have organised a session seeking an open discussion on the environmental and human rights impacts of raw materials extraction, in and around vulnerable areas.
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News / 29 January 2024
Five climate projects of 2024 in a nutshell
Together with environmental justice groups from the Global South, Both ENDS works towards a sustainable, fair and inclusive world. Both ENDS gathers and shares information about policy and investments that have a direct impact on people and their livelihood, we engage in joint advocacy, we stimulate the dialogue between stakeholders and we promote and support sustainable local alternatives.
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News / 25 January 2024
Uniting for change!
This year Both ENDS invites partners worldwide to collaborate on our new strategy. We remain committed to strengthen and connect inspiring initiatives that we encounter every day with our partners and in our projects.
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News / 25 January 2024
'We can not have a transition when we do not talk about consumption patterns'
The parliamentary elections in the Netherlands are over, and the dust has somewhat settled. No matter what government emerges from the process, one thing is clear: in the Netherlands the main focus is on the Netherlands. Foreign affairs were hardly mentioned during the elections and the same applies to the process of forming a new coalition. More alarmingly, some of the winners in the elections want to cut themselves off even further from the world around us.
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Letter / 24 January 2024
Letter to investors in Vale
January 25th, 2024 is the solemn 5-year mark of the Brumadinho upstream mining dam collapse, Brazil’s worst environmental and industrial disaster that killed 272 innocent people and unleashed 12 million cubic metres of ore tailing into the surrounding areas including the Paraopeba River – a crucial tributary of the second largest river in the country.