ABSTRACT
Water-harvesting techniques are commonly used by farmers in the Sahel region, especially in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria. The modern and improved version of the water-harvesting practice of pit planting can be traced to the Yatenga province of Burkina Faso, following two major failed attempts by international donors to irrigate the land and curb soil erosion in the 1960s and 1970s. Zai/tassa has received accolades for its ability to meet the criteria of three types of conservation practices—soil conservation, water conservation, and erosion protection. Inexpensive, highly effective, this simple indigenous technique has resulted in major increases in crop yields and helped farmers build resilience against drought and soil degradation. Tassa/zai has been successful in rehabilitating degraded land in areas with very limited resources and boosting food production in a region previously plagued by acute food scarcity. Planting pits has changed the topography of the region from dry and barren to lush, rich vegetation.
