A New Borehole in Diéry

In the heart of the Sahel, water is more than a necessity. It’s life! For people, for animals, and for the trees we plant. That’s why, at Lignaverda, we don’t just plant forests. We build the foundations for ecosystems that can truly thrive.

One of our most impactful tools is the Vallerani technique, a state-of-the-art method that sculpts crescent-shaped bunds into the dry soil. Each bund can harvest up to 1,200 litres of rainwater, capturing over 300,000 litres per site that would otherwise be lost to runoff. This water is critical to help tree seeds germinate, grow, and eventually regenerate the landscape.

Why Wait 10 Years for Change?

As the trees grow, they slowly restore the land’s ability to retain water and improve soil quality. In time, this opens the door for agroforestry, growing food crops like tomatoes, onions, okra, watermelon, and paprika beneath a protective canopy of trees. Traditionally, this takes 7 to 10 years.

At Lignaverda, we’ve decided not to wait that long.

In 2024, on our 2023-reforested site in Diéry (475 ha total), we launched a 1-hectare horticulture pilot plot. A first step toward combining ecological restoration with direct food production. Until now, irrigation has depended on water diverted from a nearby borehole in Mbar Toubab. But this shared water source also serves neighbouring villages, people, and livestock. Scaling up would risk competition for water, a situation we want to avoid at all costs.

A Borehole with a Mission

To eliminate this risk and unlock the full potential of the Diéry horticulture project, Lignaverda, in partnership with OvO, VITO, and with support from the Flemish International Climate Action Programme,  has drilled a brand new borehole dedicated exclusively to sustainable food production.

Key Facts:

• Irrigation potential: at least 5 hectares, even during peak dry-season evaporation
• Depth: 170–200 meters
• Pump capacity: 30 m³/hour
• Daily yield: 240 m³

This is technology with purpose designed for the land, serving the people, and building resilience from the roots up.

Growing More Than Trees

The fruits, vegetables, and cereals grown here will be sold at local and regional markets, creating rural income and reducing reliance on traditional livestock-based livelihoods. But the impact goes even deeper.

We believe that true forest protection only happens when people benefit from the land. By addressing basic needs, like food security from day one of a reforestation project, we empower communities to become long-term stewards of the forests they help grow.

This is how we reforest: with people, for people and for the planet.

Stay tuned for more updates from the ground in Diéry where every drop of water is a seed of change. 🌱