Desertification: Niger Responses (AOS_2)

Question 1

local response to desertification in Niger intro

Answer 1

• Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), 1983
  
  • A low-cost, sustainable land restoration technique that involves the systematic regeneration and management of trees and shrubs from tree stumps, roots and seeds
• It’s being used to combat poverty and hunger amongst poor farmers by increasing food and timber production, and resilience to climate extremes

Question 2

local response to desertification in Niger: why did it fail at the start?

Answer 2

• Resistance come from farmers who perceived trees in a field as pests
  
  • Volunteer farmers were first ridiculed
  • Nigerien law changed- stated that all trees belonged to the government, meaning people could be fined for cutting branches in their fields
  • No incentives to keep the trees
• In 2004 the government changed the law to grant tree ownership to the land owners

Question 3

local response to desertification in Niger: outcomes

Answer 3

• Niger is the only country in Africa experiencing net afforestation
  
  • FMNR has resulted in Nigerien farmers producing an additional approx. 500,000 tonnes of cereals/year
  • FMNR has resulted in additional household income of approx. US$200/year
  • 5 million hectares have become forested in 20 years in Niger
  • In the past tree cover averaged 1-2 trees per hectare; there is now an average of 40 trees per hectare
  • before FMNR grain yields would average 150-300 kilograms per hectare; they have now increased to over 500 kilograms per hectare without adding artificial fertiliser or irrigation
• Easy to learn, so it has spread quickly, can be adapted easily for other countries, can continue to practice because its sustainable, empowers people as they now have control over their livelihood (breaks cycle of poverty)

Question 4

national response to desertification in Niger intro

Answer 4

• 3N Initiative: Nigeriens Nourish Nigeriens
• Introduced in 2012 as a first large-scale initiative born out of the need to combat hunger and land degradation by developing sustainable agriculture and reducing food insecurity

Question 5

national response to desertification in Niger aims

Answer 5

• Soil fertility: reclaiming degraded lands and enhancing sustainable agricultural practices towards food self-sufficiency
  
  • Afforestation: planting fruit trees and protecting the soils
  • Stable income generation and livelihood of rural populations
• Social integration of the most vulnerable

Question 6

national response to desertification in Niger outcomes

Answer 6

• By 2015 it had restored 83% of the 26,000 ha target set by the first five-year plan
  
  • Distributed nearly double of their 121,000 tonne target of food
  • Established 89% of their 125,000 ha target of irrigation systems
  • Distributed 120,000 small cattle amongst vulnerable groups of 5 sensitive regions
  • Reduced the proportion of people suffering from hunger by 50% since 2011

Question 7

global response to desertification in Niger intro and aims

Answer 7

• United Nations Convention for Combating Desertification, 1994
  
  • Formed to initiate action and encourage regions and counties to develop their own responses
  • Aims:
    ○ Zero net land degradation by 2030
    ○ Zero net forest degradation by 2030
    ○ Drought policies and drought preparedness implemented in all drought-prone regions/countries by 2020

Question 8

global response to desertification in Niger successes

Answer 8

• Signing of the agreement by 194 countries (26 of which are in Africa) to develop National Action Plans
  
  • Raising awareness and importance of desertification as a global issue, such as holding World Desertification Day- 17th June
• Setting up a framework for financing development plans

Question 9

global response to desertification in Niger failures

Answer 9

• The number of countries affected has increased from 110 in the early 90s to 168 in 2013
  
  • Degraded land increased from 15% to 25% of all land globally between 1991 and 2011
• Funding for programs relies on donated from developed countries