ABSTRACT
The Dogon Plateau is a classic case of a harsh environment, where people sought refuge from warring tribes. In order to survive on the plateau they had to make the most of scarce soils and erratic rainfall. The Dogon people are now famous, not only because of the detailed studies made by anthropologists of their customs and culture, but also because of the considerable range of soil and water conservation (SWC) techniques that they use. They have developed all kinds of stone lines and ridge systems to conserve soil and to make the best use of limited rainfall (see the figures on following pages). In particular, since the early 1950s the Dogon have developed a system of hand irrigation for the production of onions. A major feature of this system is that soil is transported by head and deposited on barren rock close to small dams. The soil is mixed with manure and on these newly created fields they produce yields of 30tlha of
A MEASURE FOR EVERY SITE:
Onion gardens
onions. The total value of the onions and other irrigated crops was estimated to be in the order of CFA 2 billion in 1989 (US$ 4 million at current rates) and most of it is exported to other parts of Mali or to the Ivory Coast. Virtually every family on the Dogan Plateau uses SWC techniques, either on rain-fed or irrigated fields.
