Desertification explained: Our Permaculture project Danyadara

We all know about the dangers of climate change and plastic pollution, but there’s another environmental disaster damaging our planet which we barely hear about: Desertification.

Desertification is when the land slowly turns into desert. It is a huge global issue.

It is currently ravaging one third of our planet and within just ten years, 50 million people might be left homeless as a result.

So, what can you do about it?

At Suryalila, we have an incredible on-site sister project - Danyadara - a non-profit permaculture farm on a mission to reverse the impacts of desertification in Southern Spain.

Desertification is caused by a mix of things including intensive monoculture farming, use of pesticides, climate change, and short-sighted public policies.

Spain has been hit hard with 20% of the land now being desert. That’s the equivalent of 35.000 football pitches!

The good news is that by harnessing the power of permaculture (organic regenerative farming methods) Danyadara has been able to turn our barren home here at Suryalila into a green oasis.

Over the last six years they have implemented various water saving techniques, planted around 8.000 trees, nourished the soil and boosted biodiversity.

It’s taken a lot of hard work and the effort of hundreds of people, but slowly our 20 hectare farm has been transformed into a green oasis flourishing with trees, plants and wildlife.

But there is a BIG problem: The lack of water.

Spain suffers from severe drought and this forces us to buy in truckloads of water during the hot summer season to help support us.

We have always dreamed of creating an artificial lake in our landscape. This would provide us with water to continue to regenerate the land sustainably year-round! We have looked into the possibility numerous times but always rejected the idea due to the high costs.

Then, out of the blue, we were recently contacted by One in an Army, a charity created by the fan club of BTS which is the biggest boy-band in Asia. They raise money every month for a charity of choice. Last June they have chosen Danyadara which was pretty amazing and out of the box! So we jumped at the opportunity to start a crowd funder to finally build a lake.

The lake will help Danyadara flourish, grow and take our project to the next level. But, this fundraising campaign is about much more than one small area of Spain - it’s about finding solutions for rising temperatures and food production worldwide. The world needs fresh water!

So if you’re passionate about environmentalism and love nature too, we invite you to support us in our mission to retain water, create abundant landscapes and heal the planet.

For more information and to donate the cause of Danyadara, check out the crowdfunding page on givengain.com or for more information the Website of Danyadara.

Your contribution is invaluable and we’ll be sharing our journey and progress with you every step of the way. So thank you from the bottom of our hearts!