Topic 1: ICT Tools for Land Use Planning and Management

A Green Revolution in Africa means maintaining soil nutrients or revitalizing those that have been lost. From 1945-1990, the lack of soil nutrient replenishments and increases in soil degradation reduced agricultural productivity in Africa by an estimated 25 percent (UNEP 1990). These trends have continued in the last 20 years, and the concerns extend to other regions as well.

The agriculture sector alone accounts for around 14 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [see figure below] (World Bank 2011). These emissions contribute significantly to global warming effects including higher temperatures, variability and higher incidence of extreme weather events, and changes in pest and disease epidemics. Africa in particular is highly vulnerable to these effects, and farmers and rural communities face serious risks without proper safety nets.

However, there are ways to improve soils and reduce green house gas emissions - often simultaneously. Carbon sequestration, the process by which atmospheric carbon dioxide is taken up by plants through photosynthesis and stored as carbon in plant and soil biomass, can reduce emissions and improve productivity on smallholder farms. Precision agriculture - where precise amounts of fertilizers and pesticides, and other inputs are used on farms based on localized data - can reduce emissions. A variety of farm practices, including good soil management that increases organic matter, such as conservation agriculture, also result in increased productivity and less GHG emissions. ICT can help agricultural extension to reach farmers with technical support.

ICT that can be used to support efforts to improve and maintain soils include:

Tools that monitor, report, and validate (MRV) carbon and nutrients in soils;
Geographical information systems (GIS) that are used to overlay land use patterns on social, physical, and other data;
Satellite imagery that measures variations in soil fertility and crop growth;
Sensors for nutrients.

Communication technologies such as mobile phones, PDAs, and radio can be used to disseminate this information as well as information on good farming practices to farmers.

Ademola Braimoh discusses how ICT can be used to achieve green growth in soils while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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