The Christian and Creation ~ Glorifying the Creator

Poverty and Forest Management

Saving the people and  livelihoods of Niger through reforestation of desertified regions

Niger ranks 174 out of 177 countries on the Human Development Index.  60% of its population lives on under $1 a day.  50% of Niger’s children are undernourished.  Four fifths of its land falls in the Saharan desert and is more affected than most regions by climate change.  Droughts are expected to begin coming with greater frequency.

Niger is in trouble.  The immediate reaction to a need for more food – that is, for greater agricultural productivity – is to plant and grow on every inch of land, at the expense of the natural environment if necessary.  People need to eat.  At times like this a “sustained environment” is a luxury that cannot be afforded.

But as with any other issue, the solution is not so simple.  For Niger, in fact, the solution that seemed the simplest spelled disaster.   

Niger’s story of environmental degradation began in the 1930s, with French colonization.  Eager to profit from their newly acquired lands, the French pushed local farmers to grow export crops and put policies in place that discouraged sustainable treatment of the farmland.  The native trees and shrubs were slashed and burned to make way for the crops, and native animals were driven away.  While the French implemented a health care system that expanded longevity and increased live births, it also placed great stress on the environment. 

Niger’s post-colonial government inherited a land whose natural resources were stretched perilously thin. In the 1960s and 70s the new government’s farming and environmental policies, an explosion of population growth, and a series of devastating droughts turned Niger’s farmland into desert waste. 

Through decades of disregarding environmental stability, policy makers had designed their own national disaster.   Droughts and famines began to sink their teeth into Niger, and without a stable natural environment, without trees, without fertile soil, without native wildlife, and without safe sources of water, Niger and its people could not fight back.

Niger desert

If only someone had cried “save the trees.”

In the 1980s, someone finally did.  A farmer-led movement of natural reforestation aimed to increase agricultural yield, income, food security and self-reliance for impoverished farmers.  Now, thiry years later, they have accomplished just that: harvests have risen, soil fertility and ability to withstand drought has increased, and erosion has decreased.  Nutrition for women and children has increased, the status of women has been elevated, and children have been enabled to attend school. 

Because of trees?  Yes!   Someone realized they needed to save the native trees and restore the natural environment to protect the people.    

Because the people of Niger cannot be separated from their environment. 

With the return of trees came the return of native animal species.  Birds came to nest in the trees and their droppings helped fertilize the crops.  The trees made farming more efficient – the farmers need only to plant seeds once, since the trees prevent loss of seeds and seedlings by protecting them from desert winds.  The trees’ roots improved water infiltration and soil retention.  All of these factors increased soil productivity.  Because of increased soil productivity and raised water tables families are now able to not only produce their staple grains, but also commit extra time to cash crops such as tomatoes, onions, sweet potatoes and watermelon, increasing their own nutrition and also bringing in extra income to pay for school, medicine and improved housing. 

Through this re-greening process, over 5 million hectacres have been transformed, an area about the size of Costa Rica.   

Communities with natural vegetation improving the soil and protecting it from winds are better insulated from the affects of the cyclical droughts, which are expected to increase due to climate change. 

In 2005 a four-year-long drought hit Niger.   In a sad example of the impact of desertification, in the community of Maradi an estimated 15 children died each week of starvation during 2005.  The Aguie District, which had rehabilitated its natural environment and could harvest products from the trees to sell in exchange for grain, did not rely on famine relief and avoided a single death.

The areas in Niger participating in the reforestation program are now living sustainably.  They have fewer worries, fewer deaths, more security, more food, more productivity, and more opportunities to improve their lives.     

People are only as healthy as their environment.  Yes, we love trees because God made them; they glorify Him in their very being.  But when someone finally said, “save the trees” they meant, “save the people who rely on these trees and this environment.  Save Niger.”  So we might cry out “save the ocean,” “save the river,” “save the mountains,” “save the soil,”  “save the prairie.”   God in his wisdom put humans into an environment for a reason: because it provides for them and protects them.  Our responsibility is “to serve and to keep” (Genesis 2:15) that environment, for our own good and for God’s glory. 

All statistics and references are from the UN Poverty-Environment Initiative report  which you can read here.

A Rocha (a- RAW-sha), meaning “the rock” in Portuguese, is an international Christian organization committed to conservation – and through conservation improving the lives of the rural poor who depend directly on the natural resource base. 

A Rocha’s introductory video highlights the link between the environment and poverty:

“There is a misconception that investing in conservation is contrary to investing in people’s livelihoods, that it is a luxury.  But the idea that you need to get rich first, then worry about your environment later, is not only untrue, it’s dangerous.  The fact is the majority of the poorest people in the majority of the poorest countries in the world continue to depend heavily on natural resources.  However, experts have confirmed that 60% of the world’s ecosystems are degraded or unsustainably used.   This has direct impact on the livelihoods of the poor.  They have concluded that if we want to cut in half the number of people living in extreme poverty and meet Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty, hunger, and disease by 2015 the world’s natural resources need to be managed sustainably.”   

*just a reminder, find the Christian and Creation page on Facebook!

We’re finally starting our news series!  I’m very excited about this.  We left off with seven theological reasons why Christians should care about the environment.  Read the conclusion here.

Those posts finished up with the promise of a new series dedicated entirely to one overpowering reason why Christians should care about the environment: Environmental degradation affects first and most harshly the poor and marginalized, those will no voice and no power – exactly those whom Christians are called to defend and love.

So here we go.

Introduction to Poverty and The Environment.

Sustainability and the Privilege of Wealth

“Sustainable” is a buzzword these days.  It’s trendy.  It’s on marketing signs and cool apartment buildings in the city.  It’s a cool idea.  Sustainable means able to support and renew itself.  At some level I think we can all understand how sustainable resources and products are good – they can save money despite an upfront cost, don’t hurt the environment, and lately are sort of a status symbol. 

But what we also know in middle class America, is that we don’t need to be sustainable.  We can recycle our cans and water bottles, or not, and just trash them.  We can subscribe to solar, wind, or coal power.  We can use cloth diapers and wash them, or avoid the hassle and use plastic.  We can buy sustainably raised meat products, or the bulk bag at Sam’s Club.  We can’t really see the difference.       

We have choice.  And often the less sustainable product or source is cheaper, or easier, or more convenient.  So despite being in the place of wealthy privilege, having choices, we choose the cheaper option, and we never feel any repercussions.  As far as we know, it really doesn’t matter.  All this noise about “sustainability” could just be a marketing gimmick.   At the very least, since it doesn’t seem to benefit us, it doesn’t matter to us.  And why should we ever choose anything that doesn’t benefit us?

If we are Christians, we have a very good reason to choose something that doesn’t benefit us.  Jesus came from heaven to earth to become incarnate as a man, live a life of perfect obedience to God, and bear all of God’s wrath against sin on the cross, to benefit others.  He commands us to do the same.  The practice of serving others even at a cost to ourselves is not something we can opt in or out of like we do everything else in our consumer society.  It’s not a lifestyle you chose like an outfit.  It is a new life given by God for God’s glory.  It is a command, upon which Jesus placed no restrictions. 

But does sustainability really benefit anyone? 

Yes.  Really. Even us, though we don’t see it yet. 

We are so insulated from environmental degradation as a wealthy nation that we can effectively, completely ignore it.  When our local water source runs out, we’ll just pay a little more and ship it in.  When our soil is unproductive, we’ll just contract out more farms in Mexico.  When our mountains are blown to bits for coal, we’ll just dig deeper or import it if necessary.  We’ll do anything we need to do, because we can afford to not have to change our lifestyles and face the reality of an impending crisis.

But the poor cannot hide from, move away from, or pay to cover up the consequences of the world’s environmental downslide.  When their water table drops below the depth of their wells, they can’t grow crops, wash, or drink.  When their soil is depleted from growing crops for export, they can’t eat. When their energy source is gone, they can’t simply switch providers.  When global climate change raises the water levels and their homes are destroyed they can’t cash in on their insurance plan.  When their ocean waters are overfished, fishermen can’t simply change occupations and find new sources of income.

It is for the sake of the poor around the world, in addition to our own futures, that we must keep God’s earth productive through sustainability.  Eventually, perhaps in our children’s lifetimes, even America will not be able to buy its way out of its share in the consequences. 

What we do with our water, with our coal emissions, with our wood products, with our agriculture, with our food choices, affects the poor, the vulnerable, and the marginalized, and disproportionately women and children.  We chose based on our convenience, allowing the poor across the world to bear the accumulating cost. 

Environmental degradation negatively affects the poor, primarily affects the poor, keeps the poor in poverty and away from education, contributes to the continuing oppression of women, and the poor are rarely responsible for the degradation that so affects them.  In this series, Poverty and the Environment, we’re going to focus on how the environment affects the poor and what role we play in the global equation.

We’ll look at:

Poverty and water resources

Poverty and global climate change

Poverty and forest resources

Poverty and soil conservation

Poverty and biodiversity

Poverty, women, children and the environment

 Poverty, education, and the environment        

Let us say with Job, “Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?”  and take action. (Jon 30:25) 

“Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise, says the LORD, I will protect them from those who malign them. ” (Psalm 12:5 ) 

God cares for and protect the poor.  God calls us to care for and protect the poor.  He will empower us to that end.  Right now, no matter what our situation or location, we can learn about the incredible struggles they face, pray that God would open our eyes to righteous action, and be faithful to “not grow weary in doing good,” whatever form it may take (2 Thess 3:13).