People are already adapting. In Burkina Faso long, low lines of stones have been erected to control the run-off of rare rains and guide it to crops. Trees are being planted all across the Sahel – that dry band across Africa between the Sahara and the more humid regions – to decrease the erosion and drying effects of strong winds. Tree crops also supply nourishment for mothers, babies and children if crops fail, improve their diet throughout the year, and provide a lasting source of income for African families that helps send children to school and pays for their healthcare.
Protected forests are more valuable to villagers than the timber they could provide if cut, and increasing tree cover stops villages being swallowed by the desert. The internet can bring the world and its culture to rural children, but it can also bring training on specific, local forms of agriculture.
