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Stabilisation des dunes de sable dans la vallée de Mastung (Baluchistan, Pakistan) Volume 6, issue 4, Décembre 1995

Author
Projet inter-régional pour la protection et le développement participatif des hautes terres. FAO, PO Box 574, Quetta, Pakistan
  • Page(s) : 347-54
  • Published in: 1995

Sand dunes in the Mastung valley of Baluchistan not only make local land unproductive and sterile, but wind-transported sand also causes serious damage to farmland, infrastructures and human habitation elsewhere. The sand dunes of the Baluchistan desert are moving forward at an alarming rate, both on the coast and in the interior, to the south-west of the province. Sand dunes are a constant threat: blocked roads, railways and communications are a never-ending problem. During storms, the sand chokes canals, pours into houses and covers the roads. The Baluchistan Forestry Commission’s Ground Conservation Department has set up a programme to stabilise the dunes by planting various types of suitable trees. The aim is to stop the desertification of land bordering the valley. To date, most of the land in question has been planted. The plantations not only provide permanent cover hindering dune movement, but also firewood and building materials for local use. Considered a key factor for the valley’s sustainable development, the stabilisation work has been extended and programmed to cover the next thirty years. The techniques used are inexpensive and easy, and have already been used as model in other parts or the country subjected to dune movement.