Father and son combat erosion by vetiver grass

ENVIRONMENT

By REINHARD MINONG
WHEN dark clouds gather over East New Britain, a heavy downpour brings chaos in its wake.
As rainwater cascades down the slopes, it unleashes a destructive force, tearing up roads and engulfing infrastructure in a muddy quagmire. The once bustling pathways become impassable, trapping people and halting vital services.
To add insult to injury, flourishing food gardens are mercilessly washed away, leaving communities in despair.
Joseph Enman, who has since passed away, and his son Hubert Enman lived in the Tagitagi 1 ward in the Gazelle’s Toma-Vunadidir Local Level Government of East New Britain. In recent years, the father and son duo took the lead in assisting their rural community in tackling the ongoing erosion concerns by cultivating vetiver grass. Notably, their initiative began without any government funding.
Their journey began 10 years ago in 2014 when the late Joseph, was employed as a civil engineer at the Gazelle Restoration Authority (GRA) in Kokopo. At that time, GRA was in search of a mecahanism that could assist in their civil works project, specifically in safeguarding solid structures like calvert drains from soil erosion.
Previous attempts by other organisations, such as tree planting, had proven unsuccessful in protecting these structures.
Hubert, the late Joseph’s son, elaborated: “Dad was still working with GRA, and they were looking for a plant to help them with their civil works project, to help protect hard structures like calverts and other hard structures from soil erosion because previous projects from other organisations, such as tree planting to help protect these hard structures, had failed.”
It was during this quest that Joseph discovered vetiver grass, thanks to an online search on Google.
Hubert mentioned that his late father’s research uncovered that the utilisation of grass for these objectives is referred to as the vetiver system. He further explained that the vetiver system (VS), formally known as the Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT), is an affordable and straightforward approach that involves using live vetiver plants to promote soil and water conservation while safeguarding the environment.
The vetiver system proves to be an environmentally friendly method as it relies on vegetation and is recognised for its effectiveness in managing soil erosion, sediment, water conservation, and land stabilization and rehabilitation.
Additionally, this system requires minimal upkeep and is cost-effective. According the Vetiver Network West Indies, Vetiver grass, scientifically known as Chrysopogon zizanioides, originates from southern India but has been extensively adopted in more than 100 countries worldwide. This versatile grass offers exceptional effectiveness and serves a multitude of purposes.
Some of its applications include farm soil and water conservation, land rehabilitation (including mining sites), improvement of water quality, mitigation of pollution, thatching (roofing), paper manufacturing, greenhouse gas reduction, and the creation of handicrafts.
The Vetiver System acts as an organic adhesive that promotes long-term sustainability across various domains. The system plays a crucial role in safeguarding water supplies, purifying contaminated water, reducing the risk of waterborne infections, treating wastewater and sewage, mitigating industrial and mining water pollution, minimizing climate and natural disaster risks, and protecting livelihoods.
Vetiver grass aids in preventing soil erosion by enhancing and retaining soil moisture. It is also beneficial for mulching, supporting small-scale and commercial farming, promoting fodder production, protecting agricultural fields and infrastructure, and possesses medicinal properties.
Moreover, Vetiver grass produces a root-based aromatic oil used in the perfume industry, and it assists in reducing sediment and pesticide pollution.
The Vetiver System emphasises the protection of community infrastructure such as roads, dams, buildings, ports, river banks, and levees.
It also effectively manages sedimentation in water bodies, reduces infrastructure maintenance costs, and facilitates regeneration of areas.
Hubert beamed as he remarked, “now you can see and understand why that grass is known as the miracle grass.”
The knowledge acquired from his father’s research led the GRA to implement the Vetiver system in their road construction projects, and they witnessed the complete protection of all their hard structure projects through the use of the vetiver systems.

Simultaneously, Hubert mentioned that a community-driven initiative was underway to establish a new primary school in Tagitagi where his late father served as the project coordinator. However, during the clearance phase, they encountered significant soil erosion due to continuous rainfall, which impeded the progress of the project.
Hubert explained, “with the knowledge and experience gained from the vetiver system through GRA, my dad introduced the vetiver system to us. With the support of a local businessman who also provided funding for the classroom project, we purchased vetiver grass slips worth K4,000 from the National Agriculture Research Institute (Nari). We planted them to protect against erosion in the classroom project.”
The father-and-son duo successfully planted the vetiver grass, with only their family members involved, enabling the progress of the school project. They did not receive any formal training on how to use and operate the vetiver system; instead, they learned the concepts from a book.
Subsequently, they discovered that soil erosion had become a severe issue not only in Tagitagi but also in other wards.
Internal roadways crossing gullies were no longer passable, and footpaths became increasingly hazardous at gully crossings due to slippery log bridges, especially when carrying heavy loads. The erosion was also affecting the value of cash crops and food gardens in the area.
This situation further motivated the Enman family to continue their community-based vetiver system project. Hubert expressed their perspective by saying, “why wait for the Government to act when you have the resources to help solve the problem yourself?”
They recognised the importance of taking proactive steps to address the issue rather than relying solely on external intervention.
Meanwhile, concerned residents of East New Britain also addressed the issue of soil erosion causing significant sedimentation along the Ranguna Section of the Rabaul-Kokopo Road in the Kokopo’s Raluana LLG.
The erosion in the Upper Vunadidir and Central-Gazelle LLGs contributed to soil washout ending up on the Ranguna beachfront.
Recognising the need to regulate or manage the pace of surface runoff water in catchment areas, the Enman family initiated the planting of vetiver grass in gullies with minimal erosion or scouring. The planting began in 2017 at the newly established primary school, and over the span of 800 meters that they grassed, they observed that eroded portions were replenished due to the slowed flow of water.
The planting of vetiver grass in Tagitagi Ward 1 expanded to other areas, focusing on gullies starting from culvert outlets.
The grass has proven successful in several parts of the community, contributing to the mitigation efforts.
Moreover, contractors have acknowledged the community-based vetiver project and involved them in utilising Vetiver System Technology for civil works, including the construction of the Bitakapuk Ward 1 (also in the Toma-Vunadidir LLG) to Wairiki Road (2km) and the relocation of Paparatava Health Centre to Varzin.
Hubert further stated that their small-scale vetiver project has not only been successful in reducing soil erosion but has also become a source of income for them.
He said that contractors and individuals have recognised the value of vetiver grass and have started hiring them for planting services and purchasing the grass from them.
Hubert expressed his belief that if the provincial authorities, particularly the East New Britain government and administration, integrate this cost-effective bio-engineering technology into their system, they could potentially address the province’s erosion problem.
Such integration would assist planners and policymakers at various government levels, including the LLG, district, provincial, and national governments, in implementing climate change-related projects.
With the passing of his father, Hubert is determined to carry on with the project they initiated, driven by their shared goal of serving the community.
Despite the loss, he remains committed to continuing their efforts in implementing the vetiver system and addressing soil erosion issues in their region.
Hubert’s dedication reflects his determination to honour his father’s legacy and make a positive impact on the community they both cared deeply about.