Some recent studies in Burkina Faso and Niger show a very different picture. One reason why impacts of investments are underestimated is that we do not adequately measure impacts. When economists calculate the costs and benefits of investments in soil and water conservation they tend to limit the benefits to impacts on crop yields and ignore, for instance, impacts on groundwater recharge and on vegetation. If such impacts would also be expressed in monetary terms then the cost-benefit calculations would change dramatically.

About Dr. Reij
Chris Reij is human geographer and specialist in socio-economic aspects of natural resource management with more than 30 years experience, mainly in Africa, but also in Asia.  He is a co-editor of Sustaining the Soil (Earthscan, 1996) and co-author of Farmer Innovation in Africa, A Source of Inspiration for Agricultural Development.