West & Central Africa Programme

The Setting

West and Central Africa is a vast land area located between the Sahara desert in the north and the Kalahari desert in the south, consist of twenty-six countries(*) grouped into two major intergovernmental institutions - the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS).

In terms of ecosystems, these sub-regions are characterized by the Sahel to the north, close to the Sahara desert where desertification jeopardizes poverty alleviation, and the relatively humid coastal zone to the south where the effects of desertification - while still significant - are more localized.

Since the impact of desertification on poverty reduction and on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) differs significantly between these two ecosystems - as indeed do the resources required to combat desertification – the GM has reviewed its intervention strategy to take these diverse realities into account.

(*) Mauritania in the West African sub-region is not a member of ECOWAS.

Objectives

The overall objective of the Programme is to establish an operational strategy that will lead to the flow of financial resources for UNCCD implementation in the context of countries’ Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The specific objective of the Programme is to work alongside governments and other key stakeholders to develop, mobilize resources for, and implement Integrated Financing Strategies (IFSs), to tackle the problems surrounding the degradation of natural resources.

This process involves providing financial and/or technical support for activities such as stocktaking, capacity-building, awareness-raising and mainstreaming UNCCD concerns into national development frameworks.

At country level the Programme focuses on fostering the pre-conditions needed to achieve this objective, namely:

• high level political recognition that land degradation/desertification is a priority issue and commitment to action, because of its close link to poverty - particularly in the Sahel 
• stakeholders' understanding that land degradation is a cross-cutting issue and therefore partnerships are crucial for SLM 
• enabling policy and institutional incentives that encourage technical and financial partners, farmers, livestock producers and other actors to invest in combating land degradation.

At sub-regional level the GM works in partnership with two inter-governmental organizations:

• the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) with the supervision of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), to mainstream the UNCCD into the Convergence Plan 
• the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control (CILSS), through which and in collaboration with the Economic committee of West African States (ECOWAS), the GM is providing support to CILSS and ECOWAS member states.

Special initiatives

Two special initiatives are being developed:

Desertification Profile Development for the Francophone Countries of the Sahel

The overall objective of this initiative is to convince donors of the relevance of the Convention for achieving the MDGs and the need to upscale their financial support for UNCCD implementation in the Sahel, as a prerequisite for poverty alleviation.

The Initiative will map efforts to combat desertification in each country, focusing on success stories in agriculture and natural resource management (NRM). Guidelines will be produced for the implementation of best policies and practices, based on a long-term vision of development.

The impacts of public and/or private investments on the achievement of the MDGs in general and MDGs 1 (eradication of extreme poverty and hunger) and 7 (ensuring environmental sustainability) in particular, will be analysed in each case, and the findings drawn upon as the basis for action.

Empowering Women to Implement the UNCCD

In the Beijing Statement, the First Conference on Women and Desertification (Beijing, China, May 2006) highlights the fundamental role women play in managing natural resources, producing food, caring for and educating their children, and meeting other household needs, in rural areas affected by desertification and drought. In performing these tasks - often in difficult conditions - women have gained extensive knowledge of natural resource management and are therefore key stakeholders in reversing desertification.

The GM's women's initiative, which is being piloted in the Sahel, aims to:

• set up a platform for the exchange of experiences with a view to fostering knowledge management on how women contribute to natural resource management and SLM
• mobilize women opinion leaders from the South and the North to raise awareness about women’s key roles in dryland areas and give them more voice in decision-making processes 
• explore the potential for increasing investment in sustainable development activities managed by women, and thus the financial flows for Convention implementation.

The first step in this process will be a workshop to identify national, sub-regional and international partners and activities to be showcased to illustrate women’s key role in UNCCD implementation.

More information on this initiative will be posted soon.

 

Expected Outcomes

It is expected that GM support to West and Central Africa will result in:

• mastery of the techniques needed for resource mobilisation for SLM by key stakeholders in UNCCD implementation
• increased country ownership of development processes in general and resource mobilization processes in particular facilitated, through the mainstreaming of UNCCD and SLM concerns into development frameworks 
• enhanced resource mobilization, through the development and adoption of a NFS for each country. 

 

For more information:

Mr Michel Kouda, Programme Coordinator, West & Central Africa
Tel. +39 065459 2118
m. kouda(at)ifad.org

 

 

Related Links

Read more about the Desertification Profile Development for the Francophone Countries of the Sahel