Failed paradigms, neglected wisdom, and environmental reality : An approach to the rehabilitation of the West African Sahel

The application of Western values and experience to the rehabilitation of the West African Sahel has often had disastrous results. It is proposed that a more rigorous, science-based approach be taken which characterizes environmental systems, examines the adaptations made by Sahelian populations to these systems, and incorporates this knowledge into programs and projects which exploit the dynamics of natural systems and benefit from the experience of Sahelian farmers and berdens. Such an approach, drawing upon the energy of environmental systems and the strengths of local populations, would be more effective and less costly than current approaches to rehabilitation.