Sidi Abdoulatif, 60, bought this steep plot of land years ago, where he now grows sweet potatoes and other crops.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
The field is located about 700 metres above sea level, near the village of Adda-Daou\u00e9ni, on the southern side of the volcanic island of Anjouan. Along with Grand Comore and Moh\u00e9li, it is one of the three main islands of the Union of the Comoros, in the Indian Ocean, between Mozambique and Madagascar. The neighbouring slopes of Abdoulatif's property are divided into plots cultivated by smallholder farmers. \u00abI was young at the time, but I remember well that this area was still a real forest until 1997,\u00bb says Samirou Soulaimana, 36, a reforestation expert for the environmental organisation Dahari. But in 1997, Anjouan separated from the Comoros and the island was placed under embargo. This was followed by a period of oil and construction material shortages. The inhabitants of the region therefore took chainsaws and cleared a large area in a short time. \u00abWe really did a lot of damage during that period,\u00bb says Soulaimana. \u00abThe figures for Anjouan are very alarming,\u00bb confirms Misbahou Mohamed, Co-Director of Dahari, during a meeting in the capital Mutsamudu.<\/p>\n
In Anjouan, 80% of the natural forest area was lost between 1995 and 2014. Whilst Grande Comore and Moh\u00e9li have experienced a sharp reduction in forest cover, the embargo should not be regarded as the sole cause of deforestation. According to reports by the United Nations World Food Programme, it is the country where deforestation is progressing most rapidly; indeed, only 30% of the Comorian primary forest is thought to remain. Since gaining independence from France in 1975, the population has been growing rapidly; trees are being felled to build new homes, for cooking, and to distil ylang-ylang flowers, the essential oil of which is used by the European cosmetics and perfume industries. Forty years ago, the Comorian population stood at 335,000; today it is estimated at 870,000, of whom 90% depend on agriculture. \u00a0The rugged terrain of the volcanic islands limits the available agricultural land, meaning that trees are being replaced by fields, which has serious consequences.<\/p>\n
Of the 45 rivers on the island, fewer than ten are supplied with water all year round, some only during the rainy season (from November to April) and others are completely dried up.<\/p>\nPopulation growth and rising demand for firewood, timber and agricultural land are responsible for deforestation in the Comoros. On Anjouan, 80% of natural forest was lost between 1995 and 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
From around 600 metres above sea level, cloud forests are generally found. Anyone who clears these forests disrupts the fragile balance. Ecologist Aida Cun\u00ed Sanchez, who researches tropical forests as habitats at the University of York, talks about natural \u00abwater towers.\u00bb Mist drifting across the landscape touches the leaves, mosses, lichens and ferns that grow on the gnarled trees and condenses. What is not retained by the plants regularly drips onto the ground. Under the cloud cover, the air remains moist and cool. \u00abThis reduces the rate of photosynthesis. Organic matter also decomposes more slowly in this environment, the soils are poorer in nutrients,\u00bb explains Cun\u00ed Sanchez. As a result, trees in \u00abcloud\u00bb forests grow more slowly but store more carbon. The root system absorbs water like a sponge and slowly releases it into the environment, regulating the flow. Felling a cloud forest has considerable consequences, Cun\u00ed Sanchez explains: \u00abWhen it rains, the water simply runs off. During the dry season, there is a shortage of water because there is nothing left to retain it.\u00bb The ecologist sees another danger in climate change. If it gets warmer, the cloud cover rises, the clouds no longer enwrap the trees and remain as drops \u2013 the water towers lose their flow.<\/p>\nIn Anjouan, it is still customary to wash clothes in the river. However, in many cases, it is only a trickle of water because the island lacks water.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
\u00abWe haven\u2019t had any rain since Ramadan,\u00bb says Ali Mohamadi Hafidhou. He is a teacher in Mramani, a village located at the southern tip of Anjouan, where deforestation is extensive. This was two months ago, and problems were predictable. The cisterns, which are fed by springs or underground rivers, are quickly emptied by the women and children who come to fill jerrycans. \u00abWe know that rain comes from the forest and the ocean,\u00bb says Hafidhou. Yet, the trees are cut down: \u00abPoverty is responsible.\u00bb During the dry season, villagers have to travel long distances to fetch water or wash their clothes in a river that has already dwindled to a trickle. \u00abSometimes we have to buy water, which is delivered by trucks.\u00bb Twenty litres costs about 250 Comorian francs, the equivalent of 50 cents.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The changes are already having an impact on agriculture. The soils are drier, the rain washes everything away faster, and the harvests are poorer. Farmers, meanwhile, are using fertilisers and clearing forest in ever higher, ever steeper regions. But clear-cutting also increases the impact of hurricanes. Before \u00abKenneth\u00bb hit the coast of Mozambique in April 2019, the cyclone passed over the Comoros. Several people died, and it was in Anjouan that Kenneth caused the most damage.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This is compounded by the nation's political instability. Since independence, there have been over twenty coups d'\u00e9tat and various secession attempts. The presidency is meant to rotate between the islands and change every four years, but in 2018, a constitutional amendment granted the incumbent president, Azali Assoumani (from Grande Comore), a new term \u2013 much to the chagrin of the inhabitants of the other two main islands: Anjouan and Moh\u00e9li.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Poor infrastructure hinders economic development: electricity is intermittent; waste ends up on the beach and in riverbeds as there is no landfill. Furthermore, citizens often take on governmental tasks; villagers repair potholes on roads, for example, and collect a small toll from passing cars and lorries. A good quarter of the gross domestic product is provided by remittances from the Comorian diaspora, which has improved living standards on the islands and reduced the poverty rate. Nevertheless, the lack of prospects has already led thousands of people to flee to the neighbouring French overseas department: Mayotte.<\/p>\nMutsamudu is the capital of the island of Anjouan in the Comoros.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
Geographically, the Mayotte archipelago forms part of the Comoros archipelago. In 1841, it came under French protectorate until a referendum on independence was held in 1974. The results were tallied on an island-by-island basis, and in Mayotte, the majority of residents voted against independence. Politically, it now belongs to France as its 101st department, and since 2014 it has been part of the European Union as one of the nine \u00aboutermost regions\u00bb \u2013 making it a dream destination for all the other inhabitants of the archipelago. For the minority who enter legally, wages are paid regularly, there is social security, the standard of living is higher, and healthcare is better. \u00a0As for the majority, they have entered the country illegally, live in hiding in precarious conditions and earn a meagre income from their work in the fields.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A young man points out to sea on Bambao beach, a small town on the east coast of Anjouan. Somewhere in the mist lies the French island. In fact, it is very close, only about sixty kilometres away. He takes his clients to Mayotte in a \u00abkwassa kwassa\u00bb, a small motorboat, which currently costs around 400 euros. Not all boats make it. \u00abFar too many families, mothers, fathers, brothers have already been lost at sea,\u00bb says the 25-year-old boatman. According to a French Senate report, between 1995 and 2012, between 7,000 and 10,000 Comorians died trying to reach Mayotte. The Governor of Anjouan even speaks of up to 50,000 deaths. Attoumani Kombo lost his daughter five years ago. The 75-year-old sits in front of his general store in Bambao, on the road leading to the beach. \u00abA big wave capsized the boat. My daughter couldn't swim.\u00bb But that hasn't stopped her siblings from embarking on this dangerous adventure too. 5 of his 10 children now live legally in Mayotte. \u00abBut even without papers, they would have a better life there than here in Anjouan,\u00bb Kombo believes.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nA fisherman's hand on a \u00abkwassa kwassa\u00bb boat, which he also steers to secretly take people to the nearby island that belongs to France.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
Not everyone shares this view; one of Sidi Abdoulatif\u2019s sons lives in Mayotte. \u00abHe must be hiding there because he doesn\u2019t have any papers. He can\u2019t work legally at all. If he were here, we could work together in the fields.\u00bb The farmer does not feel that the situation in the Comoros is as bleak as some seem to claim. His situation has improved. Since he planted black locust trees around the field, the harvest has been more abundant. Anli Ousseni, who cultivates a field on the opposite slope, has also planted trees in his potato field. \u00abEverything that grows here is now thriving better and is much greener. Before, the plants were often parched and yellow.\u00bb And he himself can now work in the shade. The farmers are supported and advised in this agroforestry approach by the Dahari organisation. The focus is on improving the farmers\u2019 economic situation in order to protect the natural resources that still remain.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00abWe used to have a reforestation policy that was not suited to our country\u2019s circumstances,\u00bb explains Zalhat Bacar, Regional Director for the Environment and Forests in Anjouan, referring to programmes dating back to the 1980s in the Comoros which were not very successful. Farmers were not involved, as decisions about which trees to plant on their land were made without their consent. At the time, they were given food in exchange for planting a tree. \u00abPeople realised that every time they planted a tree, they received something in return. So they would uproot the young trees at night or pour hot water over them and then claim they had died,\u00bb says Misbahou Mohamed from Dahari. The farmers saw no direct benefit to their crop yields from these trees, which were taking up their space.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00abHe should say, \u00abThis is my tree, on my land, and I understand why I'm planting this tree here.\u00bb\u00bb.<\/strong><\/p>\nMISBAHOU MOHAMED, DAHARI<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nIn contrast, Dahari takes a participatory approach: farmers decide what benefits they want to derive from the trees \u2013 shade, water storage, fertiliser, fruit, animal feed, medicinal plants, timber for construction or firewood. The organisation\u2019s staff then determine which trees fulfil these functions and whether they can thrive under the given conditions, such as location, climate and water availability. Seedlings can be obtained from nurseries supported by the organisation. This does not mean that \u00abthe tree comes from Dahari and they plant it on my plot\u00bb, explains Mohamed. \u00abRather, it\u2019s \u00abThis is my tree; I\u2019m planting it on my land, and I understand why\u00bb.\u00ab After six months, the farmers are visited again to check that everything is going well. This follow-up helps to improve the programme, and Mohamed is pleased with it. 110,037 trees were planted in 2020, some of which were cuttings, others pre-germinated seedlings, and of these, 71 % survived the first year.<\/p>\nLemurs (Eulemur mongoz) are a draw for tourism, which is expected to thrive beyond Moh\u00e9li as well. .<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Through this planting system and other methods that boost the fertility and productivity of lowland areas, the organisation aims to help reduce pressure on the remaining forested upland areas. This is particularly important in regions where water sources and endemic biodiversity need to be protected. As well as numerous bird species, the remaining \u00abcloud\u00bb forests are home to the mongo macaque, an endangered primate species, and Livingstone\u2019s bat. Around 1,200 individuals of this rare fruit-eating species live exclusively on Anjouan and Moh\u00e9li, where a team from Dahari has been studying their behaviour for years. Some key roosting sites \u2013 usually one or two trees at an altitude of 500 to 1,000 metres \u2013 are located on private land, which is gradually being cleared. With a wingspan of up to 1.4 metres, these are the largest bats in the world. To protect their habitat, Dahari works with landowners: in exchange for them agreeing not to clear-cut or reforest their land, they are helped to improve the productivity of their existing fields. There is also money to be made from tourists: \u00abPeople come from abroad to see the animals. They then tell others about it,\u00bb explains Dhoul-Kifl Attoumane, who has set up a roost on his land, in a narrow, densely wooded gorge, and proudly shows it to visitors.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nOn Moh\u00e9li, the world still seems in order; the island has been an UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2020.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
Ben Anthoy Moussa, who works as a project manager for the national park on the island of Moh\u00e9li (which is smaller and less populated than the others), is also pinning his hopes on tourism. The tourism industry is still in its infancy, he says. \u00abWe now hope it will be developed further to generate alternative sources of income and reduce pressure on natural resources.\u00a0\u00bb To achieve this, he says, more investment is needed \u2013 as well as better education for the local population. Moussa is optimistic about the island\u2019s future: biodiversity remains intact, and deforestation has even slowed in recent years. This is no doubt because almost the entire land area of the island was incorporated into the national park in 2015; when it was first established in 2001, the park comprised only the surrounding reefs and the sea. Moh\u00e9li has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2020. \u00abWe have solutions to reduce the negative impacts. But this requires everyone\u2019s cooperation,\u00bb says Moussa, who would like to see greater commitment from the government, for example in enforcing the laws regulating deforestation and hunting. Virtually no perpetrators are punished. But that could change: many political posts are held by young people, including many women. \u00abI\u2019m very optimistic. The older generation thought differently, but we young people have a new vision,\u00bb says Zalhat Bacar, the 37-year-old director of the environment and forests. \u00abWe speak the same language. We want sustainable development, healthy communities and healthy forests.\u00bb<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Leaf by leaf<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Most of the time, we take trees for granted, even though they are essential to our survival \u2013 and not just as fruit-bearers or carbon sinks. In 2021, the European Centre for Journalism<\/strong> eight research grants will be awarded to European media outlets to promote reporting on global development issues. Three projects from German newspapers, including the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, are among the selected candidates; the total funding amounts to 900,000 euros, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Thanks to this \u00abEuropean Development Journalism Grant\u00bb, F.A.S.\u00abs science department, working with independent writers and photographers, will continue the \u00bbTree Palaver\" project in the coming months. This project is based on the fact that palaver trees traditionally represent the centre of African villages. Through a series of articles, we aim to draw attention to the trees themselves, their function, and their importance to us humans. Not only as a tool in the fight against climate change, but also as an instrument through which people can sustainably improve their standard of living, their health, and their environment. How do forests contribute to our health and well-being? What happens to villages or cities that lack trees? And how do ecosystems interact, especially in the face of epidemics, as humans increasingly encroach on the habitats of animals and plants, destroying forests?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We would like to explore all these questions in different countries and feature people in reports whose ideas are driving sustainable development in their communities, villages and towns.<\/p>\n
Sonja Kastilan<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The project can be followed over the coming months on FAS, FAZ.net and on Twitter at @baumpalaver.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The Comoros represent the second part of the \u00abBaumpalaver\u00bb project.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cet article a \u00e9t\u00e9 publi\u00e9 dans le Frankfurter Allgemeine le 7 septembre 2021 par la journaliste LAURA SALM-REIFFERSCHEIDT avec le photographe NYANI QUARMYNE. Traduit de l’allemand par nos soins.\u00a0 Titre original et lien\u00a0 : Ein fast verlorenes Paradies 7 septembre 2021 \u2013 Les Comores perdront bien plus que quelques vieux arbres si les for\u00eats […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-programme-forets"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/daharicomores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/daharicomores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/daharicomores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daharicomores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daharicomores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3579"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/daharicomores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12731,"href":"https:\/\/daharicomores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3579\/revisions\/12731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daharicomores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/daharicomores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daharicomores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daharicomores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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