Nature-based solutions in the savanna belt of Africa: Insights from a systematic review
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are powerful tools whereby, using nature as the template, societal challenges can be addressed, while simultaneously achieving co-benefits for the environment. NbS have been successfully demonstrated in different ecosystems around the globe, but for savanna ecosystems -...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Nature-Based Solutions |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772411524000454 |
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| author | Daniel O. Olago Timothy A. Downing Yvonne Githiora Christian Borgemeister Juliet Kamau Gerda Kuiper N'golo A. Koné Christine Omuombo |
| author_facet | Daniel O. Olago Timothy A. Downing Yvonne Githiora Christian Borgemeister Juliet Kamau Gerda Kuiper N'golo A. Koné Christine Omuombo |
| author_sort | Daniel O. Olago |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are powerful tools whereby, using nature as the template, societal challenges can be addressed, while simultaneously achieving co-benefits for the environment. NbS have been successfully demonstrated in different ecosystems around the globe, but for savanna ecosystems - the planet's largest terrestrial biome - there is a lingering lack of clarity of what constitutes an NbS. We undertook a systematic review of literature in the savanna belt of Africa - stretching from Senegal to Tanzania. This review examined 3,714 journal articles from 2018 to 2022, out of which 271 papers met the inclusion criteria. Results show that there are a wide variety of nature-based techniques and strategies being used in the savanna-belt. Yet upon greater scrutiny, few qualified as NbS according to the IUCN criteria. Less than 2 % of papers met all the criteria, falling short in the areas of biodiversity gains, economic viability, governance processes, trade-offs, and adaptive management. The geographical and sectoral scopes of these solutions were also limited: 72 % of papers were from just 5 countries, and 80 % were from the agriculture/livestock sectors. Notably, 5 % involved creation of new ecosystems. Author collaborations between countries of the global south with savanna ecosystems were few. Our findings suggest research silos in NbS discourses: the peer-reviewed literature revolves around smallholder farming in just a few countries, where the research is generally driven by the global north. These factors prevent NbS from becoming truly transformational in addressing societal challenges in the savanna belt of Africa. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ae5c41d9f0b64802b328335ce49519ae |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2772-4115 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature-Based Solutions |
| spelling | doaj-art-ae5c41d9f0b64802b328335ce49519ae2025-08-20T02:49:35ZengElsevierNature-Based Solutions2772-41152024-12-01610015410.1016/j.nbsj.2024.100154Nature-based solutions in the savanna belt of Africa: Insights from a systematic reviewDaniel O. Olago0Timothy A. Downing1Yvonne Githiora2Christian Borgemeister3Juliet Kamau4Gerda Kuiper5N'golo A. Koné6Christine Omuombo7Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi 00100, KenyaDepartment of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi 00100, Kenya; Corresponding author.Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi 00100, KenyaCentre for Development Research, University of Bonn, Bonn, GermanyCentre for Development Research, University of Bonn, Bonn, GermanyGlobal South Studies Centre, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyAfrican Center of Excellence on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture CEA-CCBAD, Université Félix Houphouet Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire; Department of Natural Sciences (UFR-SN), Université Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, Côte d'IvoireDepartment of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi 00100, Kenya; Department of Geosciences and the Environment, Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi, KenyaNature-based Solutions (NbS) are powerful tools whereby, using nature as the template, societal challenges can be addressed, while simultaneously achieving co-benefits for the environment. NbS have been successfully demonstrated in different ecosystems around the globe, but for savanna ecosystems - the planet's largest terrestrial biome - there is a lingering lack of clarity of what constitutes an NbS. We undertook a systematic review of literature in the savanna belt of Africa - stretching from Senegal to Tanzania. This review examined 3,714 journal articles from 2018 to 2022, out of which 271 papers met the inclusion criteria. Results show that there are a wide variety of nature-based techniques and strategies being used in the savanna-belt. Yet upon greater scrutiny, few qualified as NbS according to the IUCN criteria. Less than 2 % of papers met all the criteria, falling short in the areas of biodiversity gains, economic viability, governance processes, trade-offs, and adaptive management. The geographical and sectoral scopes of these solutions were also limited: 72 % of papers were from just 5 countries, and 80 % were from the agriculture/livestock sectors. Notably, 5 % involved creation of new ecosystems. Author collaborations between countries of the global south with savanna ecosystems were few. Our findings suggest research silos in NbS discourses: the peer-reviewed literature revolves around smallholder farming in just a few countries, where the research is generally driven by the global north. These factors prevent NbS from becoming truly transformational in addressing societal challenges in the savanna belt of Africa.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772411524000454Savanna restorationClimate change adaptationNature-based solutionsEcosystem-based adaptation |
| spellingShingle | Daniel O. Olago Timothy A. Downing Yvonne Githiora Christian Borgemeister Juliet Kamau Gerda Kuiper N'golo A. Koné Christine Omuombo Nature-based solutions in the savanna belt of Africa: Insights from a systematic review Nature-Based Solutions Savanna restoration Climate change adaptation Nature-based solutions Ecosystem-based adaptation |
| title | Nature-based solutions in the savanna belt of Africa: Insights from a systematic review |
| title_full | Nature-based solutions in the savanna belt of Africa: Insights from a systematic review |
| title_fullStr | Nature-based solutions in the savanna belt of Africa: Insights from a systematic review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nature-based solutions in the savanna belt of Africa: Insights from a systematic review |
| title_short | Nature-based solutions in the savanna belt of Africa: Insights from a systematic review |
| title_sort | nature based solutions in the savanna belt of africa insights from a systematic review |
| topic | Savanna restoration Climate change adaptation Nature-based solutions Ecosystem-based adaptation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772411524000454 |
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