Gabions

Material required

• Wire mesh containers
• Or construction tools for constructing the gabions:
  • Concrete reinforcement mesh roll
  • Pliers
  • Tie wire or spiral joiners
  • Gloves
• Stones

 Steps of implementation

1. Site Assessment: Identify areas prone to soil erosion and flooding that would benefit from the installation of gabions. Most of these areas are on a slope without vegetation and with water flowing over them, sometimes causing flooding. This should be done in consultation with local communities.
2. Community Engagement: Engage with the local community to discuss and decide on the implementation steps of the gabions. Conduct training sessions for the construction of gabion basket structures and how to maintain and repair the gabion.
3. Material Collection: Gather wire mesh containers or materials for the construction of the gabions. Collect locally available stones or import them. If not available locally, transport all the materials to the place where you need them.
4. Gabion Construction: For more information see here.
   a) Decide on the size of the gabions. This may depend on the location and the type of wire and wire pattern, which size will work best.
   b) Use a pair of pliers to cut the wire into the six sides needed to make the basket.
   c) Wire the sides together. The corners are the most important points to connect. Join the sides together at several points to make them strong. You can also wire the sides together from the inside for extra strength. Leave the top open. Use wire that will hold, such as metal wire or metal spiral.
   d) Fill the baskets with stones. Make sure the stones are interlocked for extra stability.
   e) Place the top on the basket and wire it together.
5. Placement: Strategically place gabions in selected areas, focusing on key points vulnerable to erosion or flooding.
6. Monitoring: Regularly assess the effectiveness of the gabions in reducing soil erosion and controlling flooding. Make adjustments as necessary. Most gabions will last at least ten years.

This intervention contributes to:

Costs can be quite variable. It depends on the size, materials, location and transport costs. The cost of building a gabion basket will be lower than buying baskets. When buying gabion baskets, the cost can be quite high, but the price range is quite wide. There are many different qualities and prices vary from country to country. If you buy a roll of mesh to build a gabion yourself, the cost can be much lower. In addition, if stones are available at the site, the cost will be much lower. If the stones are not available, they have to be transported and sometimes bought, which makes it much more expensive. Also, the cost of stones varies greatly depending on the type and size of stone. It is therefore difficult to give an overview of the costs. Labor costs also depend on the situation and the number of people working on it.

Things to consider for making a price indication of the project:

• The gabion baskets/gabion basket construction materials
• Stones
• Transportation
• Labor
• Trainings

1. Wetlands restoration with the use of gabions in Rugezi, Rwanda 

Description
Gabions, wire mesh baskets filled with rocks or other materials, have been effectively utilized in landscape restoration efforts in Rwanda, specifically in the restoration project at Rugezi Marsh in the Northern Province. Facing severe land degradation due to deforestation, unsustainable agriculture, and climate change, Rugezi Marsh suffered from significant soil erosion and loss of fertile land, impacting water quality and biodiversity downstream. The project aimed to restore the landscape and improve the ecological integrity of the marsh by implementing gabions as a primary erosion control measure. Key steps included detailed site assessment, community engagement, design and planning, construction of gabion structures, and vegetation integration. Gabions proved successful in reducing soil erosion, stabilizing slopes, and preventing further land degradation. Additionally, they contributed to improving water quality and biodiversity by reducing sedimentation and providing habitat for various species. The project also provided benefits to local communities by creating employment opportunities and enhancing knowledge of sustainable land management practices. Despite initial challenges such as high costs and the need for technical expertise, gabions proved to be a sustainable solution with low maintenance requirements. Their adaptability in addressing erosion issues in various landscapes, coupled with community involvement and vegetation integration, highlights their effectiveness as a valuable tool in landscape restoration and sustainable land management efforts in Rwanda.

2. Gabions in Douar Anguelz Ounila, Morocco

Description
As a result of overgrazing and tree-cutting, the region of Anguelz in Morocco has been facing severe land-related stresses in the past decade. Where once lay lush and vibrant mountains, now the landscape has turned completely arid. With the help of Perma Atlas the people from Anguelz have come together to regreen the landscape and bring it back to its former healthy state. A major issue that the area is facing is the lack of rain and seasonal flooding events. Community members have been taught in workshops hosted by Perma Atlas how to implement three interventions to help mitigate and reduce the impacts of flooding and erosion. Gabions is one of these interventions, which represents cages or boxes made of wire which are usually filled with rocks. Their function is to act as dams by diverting rapid water flows, which helps in reducing the intensity of flooding, which in turn contributes to reducing erosion. The construction of gabions doesn’t require big machines, only a few hand tools such as axe, shovel and pickaxe, which were already available at the local level. A local method called “the Egyptian scale” has been implemented. The biggest challenge local farmers face is where to place the gabions to facilitate their biggest impact. 

External sources

• Extensive information on gabions, types, applications and advantages can be found here.
• Further information on gabions as erosion control tool can be found here.
• For more information on the further implications of gabions, please click here.
• For more information on gabion baskets, please click here. 
• A case study on the effectiveness of gabions as coastal protection in Indonesia. For more information please click here.

Guides 

• Guide on how to build gabion wall can be found here.

Videos

• For more information on how to install gabions in rivers, please click here.