Rombo Extension – January 2025

Rombo Bund Site: An update from the field…

The Rombo bund site, established in 2022, is home to 9,000 bunds designed to restore degraded land and support the ecosystem. Located inside a conservancy, the site benefits from strong protection against grazing, poaching, and charcoal burning. While weather conditions have been tough, the determination to regreen continues stronger than ever!

A tough season for rainfall

After the bunds were dug and seeded, a brief rain shower brought a glimpse of hope, but unfortunately, the lack of follow-up rains caused the sprouting grass to dry up. The past few years have been challenging, with consecutive seasons of poor rainfall, and the October-November-December (OND) rains in 2024 were no exception. Light showers meant that vegetation inside and outside the bunds struggled to take hold.

But there’s still good news! Some patches of reseeded grass have begun to grow, proving that persistence pays off. To ensure we make the most of future rain, more reseeding and bund covering will be done, setting the stage for better results in the coming seasons.

Monitoring and protection

Our incredible team of four dedicated rangers is out in the field every day, collecting data and keeping an eye on progress. We have trained them to make use of fixed-point photography to track vegetation changes step by step. Dry-season monitoring has already given us useful insights, and with wet-season photography planned for January 2025, we’ll soon have a clearer picture of the site’s recovery!

Wildlife returns!

Despite the dry conditions, nature is showing its resilience! Wildlife sightings within the conservancy have increased, a strong sign that the land is healing. With every bit of returning vegetation, the local ecosystem is strengthening. Even gullies that once seemed beyond repair are beginning to recover—proof that our regreening efforts are making a difference.

Hope for the future

We are not planning to let the tough weather conditions dampen our spirit. The bunds are standing strong against the elements and remain intact, and we are hopeful that the next rainy season will bring the boost we’ve been waiting for. With continued community involvement, monitoring, and reseeding efforts, we remain optimistic that Rombo’s landscape will continue its journey toward regreening!

Figure 1 A photo  of the Rombo site after the rains in  Jan, 2025.