Desertification Control in Niger: The Medium Term Action Plan 2006–2011 - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 181

Chapter 10
Desertification Control in Niger: The Medium
Term Action Plan 2006-2011

Ibrahim Abdou

Synopsis The Chapter identifies some best practices and success stories and
lessons learned that can inform the development and implementation of effective
interventions to manage drought impacts and combat land degradation. This chapter
is divided into three parts:

1. The environmental challenges and responses of Niger Republic
2. The medium term action plan 2006-2011 (MTAP)
3. Past and current measures to arrest and reverse desertification

Key Points

• The vast landlocked West African country of Niger faces an increasing demand

upon its scarce water resources, the lack of which - when added to poor sanitation
and hygiene - results in high levels of death and disease among its 17 million
inhabitants. Niger is one of the countries that form the Sahel Region which has
seen recurring drought, food insecurity, and increased desertification over the last
30 years, a result - at least partly - of global climate change and overuse of scant
natural resources.

• Specific causes of desertification in the dry lands of Niger include land degra-

dation resulting from drought, inherent low soil fertility/declining soil fertility,
inadequate feed and fodder for livestock, depletion of surface and ground water
resources, low forest cover, poor legislative framework, poor coordination of
program activities and inadequate capacity for program planning, formulation
and implementation. These specific issues relating to desertification and factors
responsible for them are being tackled under the National Action Plan to combat
desertification and the implementation of the MTAP.