THE MANZANAR PROJECT . . . continued

I reasoned that the fresh water brought the elements of phosphorus, iron, and nitrogen which are deficient in seawater, and we reasoned that mangrove trees could be grown in all the intertidal areas if these elements were provided. We created a way to deliver this fertilizer at just the right rate, sufficient to feed the trees but not enough to pollute the seawater. We have now grown more than 800,000 trees mostly in areas where mangroves had never grown before. Fishermen in the village (Hergigo), where the forest is located, report that the fishing has increased dramatically because the mangroves provide a nursery and feeding ground for young fish. Simon Tecleab and Emmanuelle Tanis Michael have done an excellent job in overseeing the Project for the past 10 years.

We next tried to see if mangroves could provide food for sheep and goats. We learned that sheep and goats would eat the leaves of the trees and sun dried mangrove seeds - which forms a stable grain-like feed - but this diet was insufficient. Sheep fed only mangrove material could produce babies but not the milk to feed them. Supplementation with small amounts of fish meal made from fish waste allowed them to produce babies and milk. We now have more than 800 healthy sheep and goats in the village of Hergigo; providing a sustainable, year round economy in desert heat of 130 degrees.

All of these findings are extremely simple but new and original and discovered by the Manzanar Project.  No one had shown how to grow mangroves in desert intertidal areas where they had not grown before and no one had shown how to use mangroves to feed animals.

The Manzanar Project is now also in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on the west coast of Africa, just south of Morocco, part of the Sahara Desert.  The goal is to plant mangrove trees in the Sahara Desert irrigated with sea water pumped from the Atlantic Ocean.  This new mangrove forest will provide not only for animals but will also be part of the solution to global warming by encapsulating tons of carbon dioxide. The director of Manzanar in Mauritania , Adele Tahiri is from Morocco but was educated in Japan  and speaks fluent Japanese, Arabic, English, Spanish and French. I met him on a subway in Tokyo and this chance meeting made for a very good day.

These discoveries have allowed us to build a sustainable economy in Eritrea; start to convert the Sahara Desert into a mangrove forest irrigated with sea water; and plant new, salt-grass meadows in Mauritania.  We are now able to produce food in countries like Somalia which is again inflicted with drought and famine. Our findings allow us to irrigate the great deserts of the world with sea water and produce food and wealth where it has not seemed possible.

Dr. Gordon Hisashi Sato