Traditional adaptation to natural processes of erosion and sedimentation on Yap Island

Abstract

Yap is a high island with a mean annual rainfall of 3040 mm and considerable potential for erosion. The island once supported a dense population with a nature-intensive technology. The traditional food production system incorporated tree gardens which mimic natural forests in intercepting rainfall and holding the soil, and taro patch system which mimic swamp forests as s silt trap. Trails were stone-paved and drained by stone-lined ditches. In wild forests, the canopy is removed during the dry season and mixture of crops cover the still by the time the heavy rains arrive. The system requires an ample fallow period to be sustainable however. Systems of ditches are utilized to manage water runoff. In coastal areas, management of stream flow was used in landfill operations. Means of managing erosion and siltation resulting from new technologies are needed.

Citation

Falanruw, Marjorie C. 1990. Traditional adaptation to natural processes of erosion and sedimentation on Yap Island. In: Proceedings of the symposium: research needs and applications to reduce erosion and sedimentation in tropical steeplands. Fiji. IAHS Pub. No. 192: 7.