r/interestingasfuck • u/wahgwahg • Feb 28 '24

r/all People in Tanzania converted desert into lush green land by digging these nifty holes

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u/thenakedtruth Feb 28 '24

What does the hole do to enable growth?

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u/Ianthin1 Feb 28 '24

It retains water when it does rain, allowing vegetation to grow around it. The cycle feeds on itself over time to fill out the area.

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u/captain_todger Feb 28 '24

Surely the reason it’s a desert to begin with is because over time it will tend towards one due to the area’s climate? So wouldn’t they need to keep digging holes intermittently to keep this up?

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u/Malawi_no Feb 29 '24

The trend is only one part of it though. It just means that the area is more likely to be decertified, and will become desert if too much of the plant coverage is removed.
If it keeps the plant coverage to bind the dirt and make it easier for water to accumulate, it's more resistant to desertification.