Water Storage and Capture

What’s the Problem?

  • The devastating California drought of 2015 is “very likely” linked to climate change and is in line with projections for the region.
  • Southern Africa will become drier, while northern Africa will become more humid, if only in the short term.
  • At 3 ° C of warming, southern Africa would experience permanent drought; Botswana, for example, would shift from savanna to parched sand dunes by 2070.
  • “Super El Niño” effects could bring an end to the Indian monsoon rains, which provide critical rainfall for billions of people.
  • The Sahara desert would move north into Southern Europe.
  • Meanwhile, other regions of the world, including central and eastern Africa, will see excessive rainfall and flash flooding.

How Can Building Healthy Soil Help?

  • Carbon farming systems help to reduce runoff and infiltrate groundwater, making more available for use on-farm. Practices noted for this effect include managed grazing and agroforestry.
  • The increased organic matter content that characterizes carbon farming practices helps to improve the water-holding capacity of agricultural soils.

Sources