Impact Makers: Neal Spackman

Reversing ecosystem degradation and building regenerative economies. By Climate Champions | November 21, 2024

NAME

Neal Spackman

TITLE

Cofounder / Director / Advisor, Regenerative Resources, Al Baydha Project, Great Green Wall Frontline

LOCATION

Salt Lake City, United States

ABOUT

Neal Spackman is a leader in ecosystem restoration and regenerative economies. He has co-founded and advised multiple projects aimed at reversing desertification in the MENA region and restoring coastal blue economies in Latin America, West Africa, and other regions. His work is dedicated to transforming degraded landscapes into thriving, regenerative ecosystems that provide sustainable livelihoods and restore biodiversity. Neal is best known for his pioneering work with the Al Baydha Project and Regenerative Seawater Agriculture (RSA).

MOITIVATIONS

“I became interested in the food, water, land, and biodiversity nexus when some Guatemalan friends had to abandon their corn farm and move to Guatemala City,” says Neal. “I learned that this pattern was unfolding globally — degraded land and water were directly tied to urban poverty, food scarcity, drought, famine, and biodiversity loss. The more I learned, the more determined I became to find solutions, eventually finding my opportunity to work on these issues through the Al Baydha Project in Saudi Arabia.”

IMPACT

• Neal worked with seminomadic tribes in Makkah for eight years, prototyping methods to reverse desertification and restore Indigenous silvopasture economies. Seven years later, satellite data shows that the project’s demonstration area is getting greener every year, even without maintenance. It has successfully mitigated flash floods, restored groundwater, fostered biodiversity, transformed the desert into a dryland savannah, and established a foundation for regenerative grazing.
• Neal has helped develop a circular, regenerative aquaculture system integrated with mangrove agroecology, with the aim of disrupting conventional aquaculture systems. Based on his team’s experience at the Greening Eritrea Project, this is a system that facilitates blue ecosystem restoration while creating regenerative coastal economies. This system, tested at the Greening Eritrea Project, saw a 2°C drop in local temperature, a 1000% increase in bird biodiversity, and the creation of 400 local jobs.

• The Al Baydha Project has reversed desertification on a small scale, restored groundwater, mitigated flash floods, improved biodiversity, and created a template for the reforestation of the Hijaz and other areas in the MENA region.
• The RSA system has demonstrated how coastal aquaculture can be a vector for restoration, rather than a cause of ecosystem degradation.
• The RSA project created hundreds of jobs in Eritrea and offers a model for famine-proofing drought-prone coastal areas, through the integration of halophytic crops.

CHALLENGES

Neal faced two major challenges with the Al Baydha Project: gaining the trust of local tribes and dealing with an extremely austere climate – virtually no soil, less than 60mm of rainfall per year, and almost no foliage cover. Through patience and hundreds of small-scale experiments,  the Al Baydha Project led to the development of locally appropriate solutions.

The RSA project, while innovative, faces challenges with financing and matching ecologically appropriate systems to market needs. Despite setbacks, these projects have laid the groundwork for scalable solutions that are relevant to millions of hectares of land and water.

GOALS

1. Fund the development of RSA, including the innovation of mangrove coppice, halophytic crop, and novel feed systems that solve major issues with supply chain and wastewater in the coastal aquaculture industries.
2. Develop RSA farms across Latin America, Africa, and MENA, as a key solution to water stress, food security, and blue ecosystem degradation.
3. Prove the ecological benefits of RSA, and clarify its capacity to cool coastal climates, recharge small water cycles, increase precipitation and freshwater resources, provide habitat, and enable blue ecosystem restoration.
   Enable the creation of new MPAs and the restoration of ocean ecosystems.

NEAL’S ADVICE

“Our approaches to nature and economy, traditionally, are fundamentally at odds with each other. When we want to conserve nature, we cut off access to resources, and forbid any exploitation, whereas when we want to build an economy we exploit nature to the point of total destruction. This approach fails to recognize that soil and water are the fundamental resources on which all human societies are built, and that these are maintained by ecosystems, which are maintained by biodiversity.  Degrading ecosystems degrades our economies at a fundamental level.

My advice is that we need to adopt new approaches that go beyond avoiding harm, that recognize the interconnection of economy and ecology, and that enable both to thrive. This is the foundational ethos of regenerative development.

Humans are a keystone species: Our capacity for destruction of the natural world is matched by our capacity to foster life, enable regeneration, and heal the earth. We are not destructive by nature, but by habit.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP 

Neal Spackman’s work with the Al Baydha Project and RSA offers scalable solutions to reversing desertification and building regenerative economies. Whether you’re a business, policymaker, or individual, here’s how you can contribute:

For philanthropists, businesses, and investors:

The Al Baydha Project and RSA provide innovative approaches to ecosystem restoration and sustainable aquaculture. By funding and investing in these projects, you can help expand regenerative models globally and contribute to efforts aligned with the Nature Positive for Climate Action campaign.

Collaborate with Neal and his team to implement these successful models in other regions, helping to regenerate millions of hectares of degraded land. Your partnership can support efforts to build climate resilience and restore ecosystems in line with the goals of Race to Resilience.

For NGOs and policymakers:

Advocate for policies that integrate ecological restoration with economic development. Partner with projects like RSA to address food security, restore ecosystems, and contribute to the Race to Resilience, which focuses on building resilience in vulnerable communities to climate change.

Support education campaigns that highlight the benefits of projects like the Al Baydha Project and RSA. Encourage communities and policymakers to adopt regenerative solutions.

For individuals and consumers:

Share the story of the Al Baydha Project and RSA with your network to raise awareness about the importance of ecosystem restoration and climate resilience.

CONTACT

Neal can be contacted through is personal website, Nealspackman.com