Sustainability under threat? The dynamics of environmental change and food production in peri‐urban Kano, northern Nigeria

Abstract

In Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, peri-urban livelihood strategies have increasingly become recognized as important survival mechanisms for a wide range of actors in the context of rapid urban population growth. Based on field research, which illuminates local actors' knowledge and perceptions of land degradation, this paper identifies some of the key forces that are currently shaping the process of peri-urban change. The paper seeks to examine the social, economic and cultural contexts of land degradation in peri-urban areas, with specific reference to recent developments in and around the bourgeoning city of Kano in northern Nigeria. Particular issues of concern include the competition for key resources and its impact on the environment, together with related implications for levels of poverty, livelihoods and peri-urban food security. Since the concept of land degradation is a social construction, with different meanings for different individuals, a more critical evaluation of how the knowledge, understanding and perceptions of local actors drive behaviour and affect land-use decisions at the micro-level is essential if sustainable environmental policies for the future are to be initiated.

Analysis of landscape transformation processes in and around four West African cities over the last 50 years

“…The observed general trends of deforestation, urbanisation and the expansion of croplands in Mali, Nigeria, Niger and BurkinaFaso are confirmed by other remote sensing studies in Africa (Hountondji et al, 2006;Leblanc et al, 2008;Mortimore et al, 2005;Quedraogo et al, 2011;Ruelland et al, 2010Ruelland et al, , 2011Schumacher et al, 2009;Tappan & McGahuey, 2007) and field observations in the four city areas of our study (Dossa et al, 2011;Harris, 1996;Lynch, Binns, & Olofin, 2001;Maconachie & Binns, 2006). As a result of the strong demographic growth, rain-fed cultivated areas increased mainly in former natural woody savannas, which decreased until 1986.…”

“…The peri-urban and rural areas of Kano are characterized by agroforestry systems, which are referred to as the Kano Closed Settled Zone or "farmed parkland" (Harris, 1996;Mortimore & Wilson, 1993). Although, there are conservation laws which prohibit logging in these farmlands, a decline in tree cover has been observed in recent years as reported by Maconachie and Binns (2006), mainly in rural areas.…”

“…The Niger River crosses the city and constitutes the most important water source for irrigated horticulture, whereas dry stream beds ("Kori") are used for off-season gardening. Kano, with an estimated population of 2-3 million, is a very important economic and industrial centre for West Africa and also one of the most intensively cultivated areas in SSA (Denis & Moriconi-Ebrard, 2009;Maconachie & Binns, 2006). Kano's rapid population growth reflects immigration from rural areas, catalysed by the commercial and political attraction exerted by the city (Mortimore & Wilson, 1993).…”

“…Over the past three decades, Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) has experienced substantial urbanisation and land degradation (Cissé, Gueye, & Sy, 2005;Maconachie & Binns, 2006) driven by increasing population pressure and climate variability (Leblanc et al, 2007). Whilst in 1950, only 6.6 million people lived in West African cities, nowadays the urban population amounts to 125 million and it is expected to reach 250 million by 2030 (Drechsel, Graefe, Sonou, & Cofie, 2006).…”

“…Whilst in 1950, only 6.6 million people lived in West African cities, nowadays the urban population amounts to 125 million and it is expected to reach 250 million by 2030 (Drechsel, Graefe, Sonou, & Cofie, 2006). In this context, urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) plays an important role for food security of many urban dwellers, particularly those of lower social status (Klemesu & Maxwell, 2000;Maconachie & Binns, 2006). UPA has undergone a major intensification since the late 1970s (Bryld, 2003), and now encompasses a wide range of production systems and techniques (vegetable production, animal husbandry, aquaculture and horticulture) within or directly adjacent to cities (Dossa, Abdulkadir, Amadou, Sangare, & Schlecht, 2011).…”