Ethiopia and Vietnam report Vetiver successes

From Debela Dinka - Sustainable Land Use Forum, Ethiopia. According to our partner NGO in Illubabor, Ethio-Wetlands and Natural Resource Association (EWNRA), 17 of 22 districts in Illubabor Province are using vetiver technology, or about 17,000 households. The remaining five districts are expected to adopt the technology. The major impacts of vetiver are: decreased rate of soil erosion; increased yield of maize, sorghum, vegetables – as much as 50% - resulting from soil and water conservation; reduced siltation of wetlands and streams; groundwater recharge which then improved flow of springs, streams and wetlands; survival rate of tree and coffee seedlings reached more than 80%. Vetiver is also used as mulch in coffee plantations; thatch for houses, stores and shades (vetiver grass gives long time service); mattress making (it repels fleas and other insects); homestead hedgerows for beautification; making rope; income (farmers sell vetiver clumps as planting material); and the green leaves of vetiver are cut and spread in and around homes during holidays and social gatherings, including weddings.

In 2001 Paul Truong (Australia) visited his native country, Vietnam, and introduced the Vetiver System to his former colleagues.

From Tran Tan Van - Vietnam. Vietnam, like most countries, suffers natural disasters and environmental degradation. The threat from future rising sea levels puts Vietnam in the top five most endangered nations. Yearly 1000 people die during storms; as a result of toxic pollution of waterways, annual average property damage is $300 billion U.S. The government understands the need to mitigate these effects but has resorted to using piecemeal, conventional engineering works that are very expensive, technically complicated and are not durable. The introduction of VS into Vietnam seven years ago was, for Vietnam, “a timely glass of fresh water to the thirsty desert traveler.” The Vetiver System has been tested, demonstrated and adopted by the government, the research community, the private sector and individuals. The speed of its adoption over large landscapes attests that it is indeed the solution to our myriad problems. Vietnam represents one of the world’s most successful cases of VS use.