OASIS: A new voice in the ‘resources revolution’ of 2012?
Here’s an update on the FREdome Visionary Trust’s flagship project Operation OASIS.
This project aims to support countries affected by drought and famine by raising awareness of how desert coastal soil can be transformed into a viable and sustainable habitat for trees and plants.
We propose transporting biodigested, organic-rich wastewater by sea to nourish and irrigate tree belts on desert coastlines, creating moist microclimates that will enable agroforestry to extend inland.
Operation OASIS will help restore the carbon, water and nutrient cycles. We believe this restoration needs to be elevated to at least the same level as the mantras of cutting carbon emissions, carbon sequestration and solar/wind/wave power.
Funding status at January 2012
We urgently need to secure international funding to drive forward this crucial programme.
At this moment we look forward with hope to March 2012 and hearing the result of our bid to the EU Life + programme for our joint reforestation and soil communications project in Southern Spain, OASIS MEDia. Read more
Southern Spain will be a future target area for an Operation OASIS demonstration in Europe
We are honoured that academics such as Dr. Emilio Ramírez Juidías from the University of Seville have chosen to partner with us, and hope that this project will give our partners in Spain a world-leading role in community reforestation soil improvement and water resource stabilisation.
Our leading UK Partner Liverpool John Moores University Department of Natural Science and Psychology, has offered their commitment to carry on looking for new opportunities. We are grateful to them for their encouragement, and in return commit to promoting Dr David Wilkinson’s work on Ascension Island* – an experiment by Darwin which confirmed the feasibility of transforming desert into rainforest. Read more.
Operation OASIS is a FREdome Visionary Trust-sponsored project initiated by Andrew K Fletcher – the originator of the OASIS concept. Find out more at his website.
* Wilkinson, D.M. (2009) Ascension. In: Gillespie R.G., Clague, D.A. (Eds.) Encyclopaedia of Islands. University of California Press, pp 61-63.
