The World Bank
Niger Integrated Landscape Management Project (P177043)
Project Information Document (PID)
Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 18-May-2022 | Report No: PIDA33898
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The World Bank
Niger Integrated Landscape Management Project (P177043)
BASIC INFORMATION
OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA
A. Basic Project Data
Country Project ID Project Name Parent Project ID (if any)
Niger P177043 Niger Integrated
Landscape Management
Project
Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Practice Area (Lead)
Western and Central Africa 09-May-2022 19-Jan-2023 Environment, Natural
Resources & the Blue
Economy
Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency
Investment Project Financing Republic of Niger Ministry of Environment
Proposed Development Objective(s)
To increase the adoption of climate smart landscape restoration practices and improve access to income earning
opportunities in targeted communes in Niger.
Components
Knowledge Creation and Territorial Planning for Climate Resilience
Investments in Landscape Restoration and Community Resilience to Climate Change
Project Coordination, Monitoring and Communication
Contingent Emergency Response
PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions)
SUMMARY -NewFin1
Total Project Cost 150.00
Total Financing 150.00
of which IBRD/IDA 150.00
Financing Gap 0.00
DETAILS -NewFinEnh1
World Bank Group Financing
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Niger Integrated Landscape Management Project (P177043)
International Development Association (IDA) 150.00
IDA Credit 75.00
IDA Grant 75.00
Environmental and Social Risk Classification
Moderate
Decision
The review did authorize the team to appraise and negotiate
Other Decision (as needed)
B. Introduction and Context
Country Context
A. Country Context
1. Geography and climate. Niger, a land-locked country with an area of 1,267,000 km. Two-thirds of the
country is in arid and semi-arid zones. The climate is mostly arid (in 85 percent of the total area, annual rainfall is
less than 350 mm). Niger faces ever-increasing aridity, marked by very low rainfall varying along a negative
gradient from the south (800 mm maximum in the Sahel) to the north, where it is often exceptional. The country
is characterized by rising temperatures, and the occurrence of other extreme weather events such as floods and
droughts, which expose the populations to climatic hazards with the risk of loss of crops, animals and other
resources. Compared to pre-industrial levels, the median temperature is expected to increase by 2.1 °C in 2030,
while the annual number of very hot days (maximum temperature is above 35 °C) is projected to rise substantially.
In some parts, especially in south-western Niger, this would amount to about 300 days per year of very hot
temperature by 2080.1 Future projections of precipitation are less certain due to the high seasonal and annual
variability which characterizes the Sahel region2. Some models project almost no change in the mean annual
precipitation over Niger, while other models project a decline and others an increase. The projections also show
high variations within the country. What is certain, however, is that extreme weather events (floods and
droughts) will become more common, and that farmers and pastoralists should adapt to erratic rainfall. The 2020
floods affected 350,000 people3.
2. Demography. In 2021, the population of Niger was estimated at 25.1 million people, with around 49.5
percent children below 14 years. Most of the population lives in rural areas (83 percent). About three-quarters
1 Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (2020). Climate Risk Profile: Niger.
2 https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/niger/vulnerability
3 Government of Niger (2020). Integrated flood response plan for 2020.
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of the population is concentrated along the Niger River (in the West) and the long (1,500 km) southern border
with Nigeria. Some parts of the north are almost uninhabited except for a few small cities along the northern
route to Algeria. Niger is marked by one of the world’s highest population growth rates. Indeed, over the last two
decades, the average annual growth rate has gone from 3.1 percent during the period 1988-2001 to 3.8 percent
(with a fertility rate of 6.9 children per woman): at this rate, the population of Niger will double every 18 years.
Thus, in 2030, the population of Niger would be more than 34 million inhabitant and population density would
increase from 13.5 inhabitants per km2 in 2012, to 26.9 inhabitants per km2 in 2030. This development poses the
challenge of meeting the growing needs in education, health, employment, social and security protection,
infrastructure, and food security. Rapid population growth is posing threats to Niger’s forest resources, protected
areas, and their related ecosystem services. The demand for food has led to the expansion of agricultural cropland
and the demand for fuelwood is diminishing forested areas.
3. Economy. Niger’s economy is dominated by the agro-silvo-pastoral sector, which contributes 38 percent
to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and on which more than 80 percent of the population depend for
food security and livelihoods. About 84 percent of the population depends on natural resources which are highly
vulnerable to climatic factors. Niger's economy has been affected by high variability in rainfall, fluctuating terms
of trade and volatility in aid flows. These shocks seriously affect human development and cause chronic food
insecurity in Niger. Poor households, especially female-headed households, are more exposed to these shocks.
Food insecurity is aggravated by the high incidence of rural poverty, which translates into low purchasing power,
difficult access to food for vulnerable groups and endemic malnutrition. Due to the pandemic, climate and
security crises, the growth rate fell from 5.9 percent in 2019 to 3.6 percent in 2020. However, the favorable
economic outlook in 2022 could allow a rebound in growth to 5.1 percent.
4. Poverty. Niger has an undiversified economy, dependent mainly on the agro-silvo-pastoral sector. An
estimated 2 million people are chronically food insecure, while 4.5 million people are at risk of food insecurity.4
In the 2020 Human Development Report, Niger is ranked last (189th). In 2020 about 10 million people (43 percent
of the population) were living in extreme poverty. There are striking disparities in poverty at the subnational level
and the poverty incidence in rural areas is 47 percent, compared to only 12 percent in urban areas: a person in
Niamey has a 7 percent probability of being poor, while a person living in the regions of Dosso, Zinder, Maradi,
and Tillaberí has the highest probability, estimated at 48 percent, 48 percent, 46 percent, and 42 percent,
respectively. Such wealth disparities between regions can be a source of social tensions and can potentially affect
the country's future growth and security situation. In the absence of adequate coping mechanisms or programs
that help the poor build resilience, shocks can contribute to deepen food insecurity, with long-term impacts on
poverty reduction and human capital. Rural households commonly cope with shocks through negative coping
strategies, such as the depletion of productive assets (sales of productive livestock or consumption of seeds
needed for planting), with long-term consequences.
5. COVID-19 and food insecurity. The pandemic and its related economic downturn had an adverse effect on
household welfare and on poverty reduction. In 2020, income losses due to job layoffs and lower remittances has
caused poverty to increase, drawing an additional 685,000 people into extreme poverty. Growth was dampened
by COVID-related restrictions on the movement of people and on business activities, implemented from March
to May 2020, together with a halt in large infrastructure projects and lower global demand for commodities. The
4 Government of Niger (2017). Economic and Social Development Strategy for 2017-2021.
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health crisis was followed by an acute food crisis linked to the deficit of the 2020/2021 agricultural campaign with
a deficit of 38%, the difficulties and/or restrictions on the export of food products (particularly from Algeria), and
the closure of the border with Nigeria from August to December 2020. The results of the national food crisis
prevention and management system indicated that 4.2 million people were estimated to be in acute food
insecurity during the April-May 2020 period and 5.6 million people during the June-August 2020 period.
6. Insecurity and fragility. Niger meets the definition of a country at risk of fragility, conflict, and violence
(FCV). The consequences of the crisis in Mali, Burkina Faso and the regional crisis of Boko Haram (Chad, Nigeria)
are causing a significant displacement of people toward and within Niger. According to the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, Niger is home to more than 568,410 displaced people (August 2021). These include
249,850 refugees and 283,120 internally displaced persons (IDPs) mainly in Diffa, Tahoua, Maradi, Tillaberí, and
Niamey, and 35,440 Nigerien nationals who returned from Nigeria. More than half of the refugees are women
and almost two-thirds are under 18 years old. The World Bank’s Risk and Resilience Assessment in the Sahel
Region further highlights the security and economic impacts of regional conflicts and forced displacement on
Niger. Niger has also faced endogenous crises and conflicts, including military coups, rebellions and intra- and
inter-community clashes related to the exploitation of natural resources.
7. Gender. Gender inequality is pronounced in Niger across a range of socioeconomic, health, and education
outcomes. Niger was ranked 154 of 162 countries in the 2019 Gender Inequality Index. 49 percent of girls are out
of school in primary and lower secondary education. Other gender indicators are equality poor, with a tendency
to further worsen in times of crisis and shocks. Gender discrimination persists into adult life when Nigerien
women are more likely to be employed in lower paid informal jobs with women consisting of 39 percent of
employed population below international poverty line.5 Moreover, women generally do not have access to
business grants and opportunities, and they fail even to apply for business grants because of collateral factors,
like access to land, low financial literacy, risk aversion, and fear of failure.6 Nigerien women are mainly involved
in subsistence agriculture and earn 29 percent less than men for similar work. Due to significant challenges, on
average, plots managed by women produce 20 percent less per hectare than plots managed by men. Gender-
based violence (GBV) is relatively prevalent. In 2018, 12 percent of women aged 15-49 years reported that they
had been subject to physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12
months. Economic opportunities and access to education are also limited for women and girls. Conflict,
militarization, and insecurity in some areas of the country (notably the Diffa, Tahoua, and Tillaberí regions) have
exacerbated preexisting risks of GBV in multiple ways.
Sectoral and Institutional Context
8. While Niger has considerable mining resources, its population is so closely dependent on renewable
natural resources that the capacity for regeneration and the diversity of these biological resources influence
survival and social reproduction. Niger’s renewable and non-renewable assets comprise significant components
of Niger’s wealth, with natural capital comprising 38 percent of its total wealth. The country’s rich and
considerable natural resources provide critical ecosystem goods and services on which the population relies on.
5 UN Women, 2016
6 Global Enterprise Survey Data for Niger (WBG, 2017)
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Croplands, pasturelands, and protected areas represent 90 percent of Niger’s natural capital.7 The economy is
mainly based on the agro-silvo-pastoral and fishery sectors which represent 22 percent of exports and 84 percent
of employment.8
9. Forestry sector. Forest resources are notable environmental assets for Niger. While a national inventory
was never undertaken, the latest State of Environment report indicates that forests covered 16 million ha of the
country in 1991, including 1.1 million ha of natural forests. Nigerien forests provide a variety of products and
ecosystem services. In addition to traditional products such as wood energy and timber, forests and pastoral
lands ensure the functions of protecting watersheds, provision of certain non-wood forest products, carbon
sequestration, climate and water cycle regulation, soil protection against erosion, and contribute to job creation.
Forests also contribute to the preservation of natural habitats that sustain biodiversity in Niger. Hosting more
than 2,761 flora species and 3,200 species of wildlife, Niger has taken on a policy of safeguarding natural
ecosystems. Ten nature reserves have been created, covering approximately 208,098.7 km2 or 17.5 percent of
the national territory. Also, 19 internationally designated sites are noted, of which 14 wetlands listed as Ramsar
sites with a reported total area of 24,141 km2. In addition to nationally and internationally designated sites of
ecological importance, additional areas known as forêts classées (covering 624,647 ha) and protected forests
consisting essentially of public forests benefit from various protection regimes. Nigerien forests consist mainly of
sparse natural habitats and have a primary productivity of between 0.3 and 1 ton of dry matter per hectare. The
Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP), exploited according to traditional practices, constitute additional sources of
monetary income for rural populations and play an important role in the human diet, especially in times of
scarcity, as a supplement food. They are also the main supplier of traditional pharmacopoeia. All these products
are the subject of growing trade in rural areas and in urban centers.
10. Pastoral ecosystems. Livestock employs nearly 87 percent of the active population and represents 11
percent of the GDP and 35 percent of the agricultural GDP. Animal production is at the forefront of recipes exports
of agro-silvo-pastoral products with 22 percent. At the household level, livestock contributes to more than 15
percent of income and fulfills up to25 percent of food needs. While the pastoral system is characterized by
different forms of seasonal animal mobility (by following traditional transhumance corridors) to make the best
use of resources scattered in time and space, the agro-pastoral system combines extensive animal production
and plant crops. In both systems, pastoral management affects the supply of different ecosystem services,
including regulating services (such as carbon sequestration, dissemination and germination of seed species,
prevention of soil erosion) by producing interactions among them.
11. Fishery and fish farming. Niger has appreciable fishery resources in the many water bodies of the country
(410,000 ha): Niger River and tributaries, Lake Chad, Komadougou Yobé, natural ponds, and reservoirs of artificial
water. Fisheries potential largely depends on hydrological conditions and the balance of ecosystems. The average
annual production is around 45,000 tons, generating a turnover of US$120 million. The halieutic richness of
Nigerien waters is a major asset for food security since fish, in many cases, is the main source of animal protein.
Fishing directly or indirectly affects more than 50,000 people, endowed with traditional and semi-modern know-
how in fishing and aquaculture; 10,000 households practice at least one activity in the fishing sector.
7 Niger Country Environmental Analysis, World Bank, 2022
8 Landscapes of West Africa: A window on a changing world. USGS and CILSS – 2016 (https://eros.usgs.gov/westafrica/)
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12. Non-farm rural activities. Non-farm rural activities contribute 4 percent to agricultural GDP. These include
craftsmanship, the processing of agro-silvo-pastoral products, the manufacture of agricultural and household
equipment, construction, catering, petty trade, artisanal exploitation of mineral resources, and temporary
seasonal migrations to urban centers in the country or subregion. These activities are an important source of
income diversification in the face of the variability of agro-silvo-pastoral production and constitute safety nets
for households. They are a major potential for employment in rural areas for years to come.
Threatened Landscapes
13. Nigerien resources and landscapes have experienced severe degradation, due preliminarily to human
actions, with climate change exacerbating degradation. Between 1975 and 2013, the Sahelian savannah
decreased by 27 percent, the forests decreased by 66 percent, and sand surfaces increased by 25 percent.9 As
described above, rural communities rely heavily on forest products such as fuel wood, medicinal plants, and wood
for home construction. However, forests and pastoral areas are being cleared for grazing land and farms. Large-
scale forest clearing threatens the ability of the country to satisfy future generation’s needs. A 2011 report10
estimated that by 2050, the surface area of forests would only be 1.8 million ha (down from 16 million ha in 1991)
and would produce only 3.1 million tons of wood, while the demand for wood would be over 14 million tons. This
would result in a deficit of around 10 million tons, that is, an annual degradation of approximately 60,000 ha of
forests. Continued depletion of Niger’s natural resources will compromise the nation’s health, food security, and
economic development. The impact of these factors is manifested by: (a) the high degree of landscape
degradation and biodiversity loss, (b) the shrinking of grazing areas, (c) the loss of animal and plant varieties, and
(d) falling crop yields.
14. Land degradation is particularly visible in areas that have experienced explosive population growth and
intensification of agricultural activities, such as the Niger River Valley in the southwestern corner and along the
south-central border. The impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on land in Niger results in
extensive degradation of natural resources, leading to silting up of fertile basins and dwellings, cereal deficit, and
a reduction of forest and grazing areas. This puts the entire Nigerien population at risk as the devastating impact
of degraded agricultural and pastoral land is linked to food security, conflict, and fragility and has significant costs
to the national economy. Land degradation affects the livelihoods of millions of farmers and in 2019 cost the
equivalent of 5 percent of the country’s GDP (box 1). Rural areas around Niamey and along the Niger River were
most affected. The combined pressure of unsustainable land management practices, growing insecurity in the
Tillaberí and Dosso regions, demographic changes and migration, and climate change and variability are causing
severe environmental and economic damages.
9 Favreau G. et al (2009) Land clearing, climate variability, and water resources increase in semiarid southwest Niger: A review
(Water Resource Research).
10 Conseil national de l’Environnement pour le Développement durable (CNEDD) (2011) Impacts des Changements climatiques sur
les forêts au Niger (Africa Adaptation Programme, AFP).
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Box 1. Land Degradation: Regional Disparities and Related Costs
Analysis of land degradation at the regional level shows wide disparity in the state of land among the eight regions of
Niger. Regional land degradation maps were produced for each of the eight regions in Niger to obtain more accurate
results of land degradation. The results show that the most affected regions were Niamey, Dosso, and Tillaberí, with
52 percent, 34 percent, and 34 percent of land degraded areas, respectively. Maradi registered 17 percent of its area
under the process of land degradation, while the extent of degraded land in Tahoua represented 9 percent of its
territory. Zinder and Diffa registered 3percent of land degraded areas each.
The total economic costs due to yield loss was estimated at US$646 million for 2019, equal to 12 percent of the annual
agricultural production and 5 percent of Niger’s GDP.
The costs of land degradation are estimated through the loss of agricultural productivity. The analysis is focused on
the on-site economic losses alone and is therefore a conservative estimate since off-site costs often represent around
80 percent of the total costs of land degradation. The crops selected for this study were cowpea, millet, sorghum, rice,
peanut, sesame, maize, and fonio, which together account for more than 97 percent of the total crops produced in
Niger.
The region of Tillaberí alone bears nearly half the cost of land degradation in Niger and is challenged by multiple types
of stress on its land and environment. In 2019, forgone yield loss in Tillaberí reached US$287 million, or 44 percent of
the total cost of land degradation in Niger. Cowpeas accounted for about half of Tillaberí’s yield loss, and millet for
another third. Looking at the drivers of land degradation, it is noticeable that the southwestern corner of Niger has
experienced rapid population growth over the past decades. As a result, agricultural land has expanded, encroaching
onto the pastoral land, which itself has witnessed an immense intensification in terms of heads of livestock.
Compounding the impact of these trends, the region has been affected by extreme drought and is often marked by
violent conflict.
Source: Country Environmental Analysis (Forthcoming) World Bank, 2022
Climate Change
15. Niger is experiencing a situation of structural climatic fragility characterized by a long dry season of seven
to nine months and a short rainy season of three to four months, with strong inter-seasonal and interannual
disturbances. Climate change manifests in Niger in different forms: increase in the frequency and duration of
droughts, increase and irregularity in maximum and minimum temperatures, increase in the interannual
variability of rainfall, shortening and instability of the rainy season, number and flood intensity, and strong winds.
The manifestations of climate change profoundly affect the natural and agro-silvo-pastoral systems of Niger,
which translates into (a) a reduction in agricultural production (shortening of the agricultural season, drop in
yields, and loss of crops and cultivable areas), (b) a reduction in pastoral resources (reduction in fodder and water
availability), (c) a reduction in forest resources (overexploitation and fires), and (d) a reduction in fish production
(early drying up of ponds and decline in water quality). Desertification is one of the most visible effects, together
with the progressive degradation of land caused by wind and water erosion, global warming, and the
overexploitation of forests, due to the strong pressure on natural resources, the growth population, and the poor
distribution of rainfall causing floods or droughts. Forest land consisting of shrub steppe with herbaceous carpet,
discontinuous steppe, wooded savannah, and gallery forest has evolved from 1975 to 2013, experiencing a
regression of 1,100 km2 per year. At the same time, sandy surfaces have decreased from 1,652 km2 in 1975 to
2,396 km2 in 2013, an increase of 744 km2. 11 In terms of impact, locust invasions and other crop pests have
damaged between 2001 and 2014 over 1.6 million ha. The hazards (drought, bush fires, and floods) together
11 FAO, 2013. https://www.fao.org/niger/la-fao-au-niger/le-pays-en-un-coup-doeil/fr/.
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account for more than 1 million ha. Over 17 million livestock losses occurred during the events. Economic impacts,
droughts, and floods contributed to 96 percent of economic losses. The values of the damages and losses suffered
in the agriculture and housing sectors exceed US$3.2 billion.
16. Land tenure. Most rural communities grapple with a land tenure system with often unclear and
overlapping rights and a lack of land use classification and registry. Traditional or customary mechanisms have
been used to resolve conflicts through dialogue and consensus, but they have recently become less effective due
to disruptive social changes, increased pressure on land, and a reduced asset base. Land tenure in rural areas is
based on Ordinance 93-015 of March 2, 1993 (Rural Code) that recognizes traditional land ownership and
common natural resources management, including for irrigated land and pastoralism. This legislation established
an affordable and expedited process to secure tenure rights through local land commissions (Commission
foncière, COFOs) which are, however, still not set up or are understaffed. 12 The rural land policy adopted in 2021
further accounted for local realities and diversity, including requiring that a minimum of 30 percent of plots
developed by the Government and local authorities are granted to women, youth, and vulnerable persons.
Civil Insecurity and Erosion of Local Livelihoods
17. Niger classifies as a Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) country with medium-intensity conflict. The
year 2021 has been the deadliest in the Sahel since the outbreak of the crisis in Mali in 2011. In Niger, for 327
separate events, 1,455 fatalities (including civilians and members of state and non-state armed groups) have been
recorded between January and December 2021 (against 1,123 fatalities in 2020), and already 85 events with 215
fatalities for the first four months of 2022.13 Armed clashes between armed actors is the primary factor
accounting for an average of 64 percent of fatalities. In parallel, the share of civilian deaths has risen to a decade-
high record of 35 percent in 2020. The regions most affected by violence were Tillaberí, Diffa, and Tahoua, while
Maradi and Agadez also experienced violent events. Most violence is attributable to extremist groups operating
in these regions, and unidentified groups including bandits, and militias.
18. The security crisis has exacerbated the effects of climate change on local livelihoods and on the
conditions of access to and use of natural resources. It has a significant impact on rural economies with
numerous effects on actors and agricultural investments along the agricultural value chains, including (a) reduced
access to inputs and markets; (b) expansion of agriculture into marginal areas; (c) shrinking and scattering of
grazing areas; (d) increased soil degradation because of water and wind erosion and desertification due to human
and animal factors (such as overgrazing, soil degradation by acidification, and removal of woody vegetation for
firewood); (e) increased theft of various assets; (f) competition over natural resources; (g) links between changes
in water availability, climate variation, and social conflicts and fragility; and (h) increased prices of inputs and
products. All these drivers are worsened by the social contract breakdown, growing tensions between
12 The Rural Code is an original and innovative tool to respond to the challenges of land management in a context of limited natural
resources with the objective of combating food insecurity, environmental degradation and conflicts in rural areas. The Rural Code
sets the legal framework for agricultural, forestry and pastoral activities from the perspective of land use planning, environmental
protection and human development. It ensures the security of rural operators through the recognition of their rights and promotes
development through rational organization of the rural world. The Rural Code has established the Land Commissions, the
institutions that implement the Rural Code and ensure compliance with the standards established in its texts. They are established
at all levels, from the village to the national. At each level, the land commissions have well-defined powers and prerogatives.
13 According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED). For the last recorded episode on 12 April 2022,
seven police officers were killed in the attack on their post in Petelkole (Tillaberi region) in the so-called three-border area (Mali,
Niger, Burkina Faso), the epicenter of the activity of the Islamic State group in the Greater Sahara (EIGS).
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communities, weakened state institutions, poor governance and social inequalities, and the presence of terrorist
groups. Poorly regulated competition and tensions between different local communities over natural resources
are an increasing cause of violence. Rural communities witness a pattern where high demographic growth,
migration, and unprecedented climatic variability put pressure on loosely regulated and limited natural resources.
This in turn leads to over-use and degradation of the assets, which in a context of scarce economic opportunities
and high poverty, causes greater and unsustainable exploitation and thus more frequent and intense conflicts.
Key National Policies and Strategies
19. Following the 1980s-1990s prolonged drought which led to a loss of over 50 percent of livestock, the
Nigerien government drastically changed its laws and institutions and has since enacted key policies and
strategies to address the country’s environmental situation... The country enacted a Rural Code in 1993, which
recognized private land rights acquired through the customary tenure system or written contracts. Additionally,
the Forest Law of 2004 gave tree tenure to landowners. Maintaining a balance of the fragile ecosystems and their
services for the socio-economic development of the country, is enshrined in one of the five key pillars of the
Economic and Social Development Strategy for 2017-2021. Key policy documents include ambitious targets in two
major areas: (a) the sustainable management of lands and ecosystems, which includes objectives to restore 1.065
million ha by 2021 (on average 213,000 ha per year) and to extend protected areas from 4 to 40, for all ecosystems
combined14 and (b) the valorization of timber and non-timber forest products, including the objective to increase
the production of Arabic gum and of moringa to 200,000 tons and 15,000 tons by 2021, respectively.15
20. By 2030, Niger commits to achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN) (no net loss), reducing degraded
areas from 9 percent to 5 percent and increasing vegetative cover from 17 percent to 19 percent (net gain) with
a view to sustainably improve the living conditions of rural populations. Specific targets are the following:
restoring degraded lands, reducing the area of cultivated lands with a negative net primary productivity trend,
reducing the annual rate of conversion of forests/savannahs/wetlands into other types of occupation to 0
percent, putting an end to silting and water erosion (gullying) along the Niger River, and sequestering carbon in
the soil and/or biomass through good agroforestry practices.16 By achieving these targets, large areas of existing
degraded lands can be recovered for agricultural and pastoral use, for the benefit of rural producers.
21. Niger has strengthened its adaptation and mitigation ambition and updated in 2021 its Nationally
Determined Contribution (NDC) based on new estimates in the sectors of agriculture, forestry and other land
uses, and energy, using new climate projections. The country has committed to conditional mitigation targets
for the agriculture, forestry and other land use sector of 14.60 percent by 2025 and 22.75 percent by 2030 from
status quo and introduced unconditional contributions of 4.50 percent and 12.57 percent by 2025 and 2030,
respectively, for this sector. Niger has also introduced an unconditional commitment to reduce its greenhouse
gas emissions (GHG) in the energy sector by 11.20 percent by 2025 and 10.60 percent by 2030 compared to the
status quo, as well as discounts conditional on 48 percent and 45 percent support for the same dates. A gender
study was carried out to mainstream gender and green jobs in the agriculture, forestry and other land use and
14 During2011–2015, Niger reported to have restored 218,000 ha of land against a target of 150,000 ha and doubled the
protected areas.
15 Government of Niger. 2016. Renaissance Program 2.
16 République du Niger. Processus de Définition Des Cibles de Neutralité en Matière de Dégradation des Terres, Rapport Final du
Programme de Définition des Cibles de NDT, 2018
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energy sectors, and to define suitable actions now included in the NDC. The country has also developed a resource
mobilization strategy to support the achievement of its NDC objectives. 17
22. Niger has joined the Great Green Wall for the Sahel and the Sahara (IGGWSS) initiative supported by 11
African countries and endorsed by the African Union, which aims to restore 100 million ha of dryland by 2030
along an 8,000-kilometre strip, stretching from Senegal in the West to Djibouti in the East. Niger’s contribution
to this goal is the greening of 3.6 million hectares of land by 2030, which represents more than 37.5 percent of
its territory. By 2020, nearly 400,000 ha has been restored. In addition to halting desertification and increasing
forest cover, the GGW Initiative also aims to increase access to water, improve sustainable land use, and provide
diversified natural resources-based livelihoods for local populations. The Great Green Wall in Niger stretches East-
West, covering parts of the six regions of Tillaberí, Dosso, Tahoua, Maradi, Zinder and Diffa.
23. Other national policies and strategies relevant to the proposed project include:
Decentralization and Deconcentration. The Government of Niger supports a bottom-up
socioeconomic development, including management of natural resources. The objective of the
decentralization policy is to strengthen local authorities to promote sustainable local development.
However, despite initial promising results, deconcentration and decentralization have lagged, with 90
percent of the budget spent at the central level (nearly all in Niamey, where 50 to 90 percent of civil
servants are based), accentuating the disparity with all other regions. While elected local officials have
been in place for the past decade to administer local governance, financial transfers to support them
have been extremely limited (estimated at 0.5-2.0 percent of the budget) and local government
revenues are relatively unreliable, modest, and based on out-of-date collection methods that are
heavily dependent on central government management and control. While most local governments
have participatory approaches to planning, the capacity to mobilize and manage resources is very
limited.18
Sustainable Development. in May 2017, Niger adopted its 2035 Development Vision in its Strategy for
Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth19. The overall strategy seeks to address the main
constraints to development, including national security, public administration, human capital
(education and health), and population growth as well as economic growth, rural development, and
private sector development. The Ministry of the Environment and Desertification control (MELCD) is
responsible for developing national policies for the preservation and management of the environment
and natural resources. This is done in close collaboration with several other ministries to support the
preservation of the environment and fight against desertification. The MELCD is a member of the
National Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development (Conseil national de
l’environnement et du développement durable, CNEDD) and holds and holds its vice presidency.20
17 Niger NDC goals: (a) restoration of agricultural land: 1,030,000 ha; (b) assisted natural regeneration: 1,100,000 ha; (c) dune
fixation: 550,000 ha; (d) development of natural forests: 2,220,000 ha; (e) hedges: 145,000 km; (f) gum/doumier plantations:
750,000 ha; (g) Moringa oleifera plantations: 125,000 ha; (h) herbaceous seeding: 304,500 ha; and (i) private forestry: 75,000 ha.
18 Direction générale de la Décentralisation et de la Déconcentration, Document-Cadre de Politique nationale de
Décentralisation, 2012
19 Stratégie de Développement Durable et de Croissance Inclusive 2035, http://www.plan.gouv.ne/sddci-2035.php
20 Civil society organizations (CSOs) working in the field of environment are represented by the NGO Support for Grassroots
Development Actions (SADEB) and more than a 100 NGOs and development associations gathered around the National
Committee of Coordination of NGOs on Desertification.
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Strategic Framework for Sustainable Land Management 2015–2029. Its objective is to prioritize, plan,
and guide the implementation of current and future investments in sustainable landscape
management (SLM). Its specific objectives are (a) mobilizing financial resources for SLM in Niger, (b)
emphasizing sustainable management of ecosystems, (c) increasing forest production, and (d) setting
up an SLM-dedicated monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system. The Government of Niger has the
objective to restore 3.2 million ha of land by 2029, a commitment expressed through its NDC.
NTFP Strategy. With support from the World Bank, Niger developed and validated its strategy and
action plan for the promotion of NTFPs in January 2016. The vision of the strategy for the promotion
and development of NTFPs, by 2035, is to contribute to ensuring the socioeconomic well-being of rural
populations through the rationalization of the exploitation of NTFPs. The exploitation of NTFPs can
offer options for improving people’s livelihoods while conserving forest resources. The sustainable
management of NTFP resources can thus contribute to poverty reduction and environmental
protection. The immediate objective of the strategy is to assess the NTFPs’ potential; restore, support,
and strengthen the productive and protective functions of these resources; and promote their
sustainable use and rational exploitation while increasing their contribution to the household and
national economy.
National Action Plan for Land Policy 2021–25 which seeks to make rural land a powerful tool for the
country's economic and social development through modernized and integrated land governance
system responsible and effective. This ensures sustainable land management, equitable and non-
conflictual access to land and renewable natural resources, and the securing of legitimate land, in
particular those of vulnerable rural operators (women, youth, and people with disabilities).
Niger Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development promotes sustainable fishing with a view
toward ensuring the conservation, management, and development of fishery resources, while
respecting ecosystems and biodiversity, to better combat food insecurity and poverty.
24. Since the early 1980s, in parallel to the implementation of these strategies and action plans, the
Government of Niger and its development partners have invested more than US$3 billion21 in several projects
to promote SLM and other activities to reduce poverty and vulnerability. Most of these programs have
promoted water harvesting and soil and water conservation measures, tree planting, and other measures to
rehabilitate and restore landscapes. Water harvesting and soil and water conservation measures that are
commonly promoted include improved planting pits (zai), half-moons, stone bunds, banquettes (embankments
with trenches), small dikes, and water spreading dams. Vegetative measures promoted include tree nurseries and
plantations, vegetative bands, windbreaks, areas protected for natural regeneration, and sand dune fixation.
25. Despite these large investments, SLM programs impacts on land management, agricultural production,
poverty, and other outcomes are not well known. Since the early 1980s, there has been a well-documented “re-
greening�? of much of southern Niger and many other parts of the West African Sahel. Although improved rainfall
since the early 1980s is responsible for much of this recovery, there are large areas of Niger in which the re-
greening exceeds what can be explained by changes in rainfall alone. Other factors, including SLM programs as
well as changes in Government policies, are cited by some observers as important causes of improved land
management. It is estimated that in the past 25 years, Nigerien efforts to combat desertification have resulted in
the rehabilitation of over 10 million ha of bare land – or 2.6 percent of non-desert land area. Planted forests as a
21 Niger CEA 2022 & World Bank and Impact analysis of Sustainable Land Management Programs in Niger, 2009
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share of total forest area in Niger was over 12 percent of the total forest area in 2011-2014, the highest share in
West Africa22. However, rigorous evidence of the impacts of SLM programs on land management, poverty, and
other outcomes is lacking. While around 85 percent of the total area of the country is stable, 8.8 percent has
improved, and 6.3 percent has been degraded.
Figure 1: Map of land degradation 2001-2015 (Source: trends.earth, 2016)
Land area improved: 109,038 8.8 percent
Land area stable: 1,048,628 84.9 percent
Land area degraded: 78,133 6.3 percent
Land area with no data: 100 0.0 percent
Total NIGER: 1,235,898 100 percent
26. Despite the impressive achievement in combating desertification and land degradation in general, Niger
still has a long way to go before it achieves zero net land degradation in 2030. While the country made significant
commitments to promote SLM practices, the adoption rates of such practices remain very low, and some key
transformational changes remain urgent. This suggests the need for the Nigerien Government to: (1) have a better
knowledge of its natural resources and their state to better manage them (by undertaking an inventory, making
operational the environmental information systems, bringing forest and pastoral lands under management
plans); and (2), provide incentives for the adoption of tree planting and protection and other SLM practices which
have large off-farm benefits through the valorization and improvement of access to markets for NRM products,
22 Ephraim Nkonya et. al, Economics of land degradation in Niger, IFPRI, 2018
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to benefit the communities and avoid further degradation. These transformational elements are central to the
proposed project.
C. Proposed Development Objective(s)
Development Objective(s) (From PAD)
To increase the adoption of climate smart landscape restoration practices and improve access to income earning
opportunities in targeted communes in Niger.
Key Results
Land area under sustainable landscape management practices (CRI23, Hectare [Ha]).
Producer organizations with increased access to income earning opportunities (Number).
Net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (CRI, Metric tons CO2/year).
D. Project Description
27. The design of the project is based on the nexus between natural resources degradation, climate change
impacts, and social conflicts. In this context, implementing the landscape restoration approach is required to
face these challenges and break the current deadlock (box 2). This approach is recognized as an effective
mitigation strategy by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change due to its multiple adaptation and
mitigation effects. It includes different horizontal and vertical entry points emphasizing the importance of
interrelated strategies and agreements on a set of concrete objectives. Since communes’ territories in Niger are
linked to specific sociocultural-linguistic groups and ecosystems, the territory of the commune will be considered
the landscape unit in this project. Table 1 presents how the landscape restoration approach will be applied at the
commune level in alignment with the Communal Development Process. In addition, the project will apply the
Land Degradation Neutrality approach through implementing measures around three concurrent objectives: 1)
avoiding new degradation by maintaining existing healthy areas; 2) reducing existing degradation by
implementing sustainable landscape restoration and land management practices; and 3) accelerating the
restoration of degraded lands.
23 CRI = Corporate Results Indicator.
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Table 1. Embedding the Landscape Restoration Approach in the Nigerien Communal Development
Process
Key Steps of the Landscape Restoration Approach Incremental Steps of the Project
Identification and characterization of landscape units Selecting communes (based on specific criteria)
Establishment of a multisectoral partner group at the level Enhancing the planning and managerial capacities of
of each landscape unit communal councils and land communal commissions
Participatory preparation at the level of each landscape Supporting participatory and inclusive elaboration/
unit of ILDPs updating of PDCs and annual investment plans
Joint implementation by public and private actors of the Assisting local stakeholders to design eligible investments
ILDPs’ agreed activities (subprojects) aimed to restore landscapes, and improve
livelihoods
M&E of the implementation of the ILDPs Support a bottom-up and inclusive M&E system
Box 2. Landscape Restoration Approach
Landscape restoration aims to reconcile economic, social, environmental and climate, concerns within a holistic
framework, utilizing environmental improvements as drivers for socio-economic regeneration. 24
Key pillars of landscape restoration process are (a) Participation: involving local communities; (b) Governance: including
controlling the land, funding, developing climate-resilient projects; and (c) Sustainability: empowerment and capacity
building, addressing appropriate land interventions for the long-term, and assuring resilience to climate impacts.
Key steps of the landscape restoration approach include the following:
- Identification and characterization of landscape units based on homogeneous.
- Establishment of a multisectoral partner group at the level of each landscape unit.
- Participatory preparation at the level of each landscape unit of Integrated Landscape Development Plans (ILDPs.
- Joint implementation by public and private actors of the ILDPs agreed activities.
- M&E of the implementation of the ILDPs.
Landscape restoration activities promoted by the project aim to: (i) Improve degraded landscapes by rebuilding ecological
integrity; (ii) Operate on a large scale by implementing sub-projects on the ground; (iii) Enhance people’s lives by creating
employment opportunities, building local capacity, incorporating local aspirations into a landscape vision, and reaffirming
cultural identity.
The best lessons come from the Sahel and West Africa Program (SAWAP) in support of the Great Green Wall Initiative,
which piloted the approach in the region. From 2012 to 2019, over 1.6 million ha were brought under sustainable land
management, against an initial target of 1.3 million ha, benefitting more than 19 million people. Landscape restoration
contributes to mitigation (as the restored land will act as a carbon sink and will reduce degradation and emissions from
land practices) and adaptation, as improved land management will increase resilience to climate shocks by providing
more water retention capacities, more organic matter to buffer dry periods, and so on.
28. The project is designed around key resilience factors aiming to slow the deterioration of the conflict
situation as recommended by the Niger Prevention and Resilience Allocation: (a) involve grass roots CSOs, (b)
increase the role of the private sector in rural areas, (c) include and consult with customary and religious
authorities, and (d) develop intercommunal agreements over natural resources management. All these elements
of project design have a great potential for peacebuilding in many parts of the conflict zones.
29. The project is also developed based on lessons learned from other projects and by seeking thematic and
geographic complementarities with ongoing and upcoming projects. In this regard, the project aims to
24 Source: Whitbread-Abrutat, P. 2012. “What is Landscape Restoration?�? https://futureterrains.org/what-is-landscape-restoration.
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consolidate and scale up the successful approaches to co-management of natural resources developed under the
Community Action Project for Climate Resilience, CAPCR (P125669). It will also seek synergies with current World-
Bank financed operations, mainly the Niger Integrated Water Security Platforms Project, IWSP (P174414), the
Climate-smart Agriculture Support Project, PASEC (P153420), the Regional Sahel Pastoralism Support Project II,
PRAPS (P147674), the West Africa Food System Resilience Project, FSRP (P172769), and the Community-based
Recovery and Stabilization Project, PCRSS (P173830). This approach will allow the project to create a multiplier
effect to slow down and help reverse the observed trends in deforestation, land degradation, and depletion of
natural capital in Niger.
30. Addressing FCV will be a strategic priority of the project. A range of activities will contribute to tackle the
FCV drivers in Niger (see table 2).
Table 2. Overview of FCV Drivers and Risks Addressed by the Project
FCV Drivers Proposed Key Project Activities
Increased pressure on natural resources due Conflict management and climate-related issues embedded in all
to (a) unsustainable practices , (b) project activities.
demographic pressure , and (c) climate Hands-on learning, promoting dialogue and understanding between
change. different landscape users and local authorities and encouraging
Lack of landscape management and planning women’s participation and leadership in the process.
tools. Participatory development of communal planning tools.
Lack of clear rules for accessing and managing Land use charters.
natural resources in common land. Investments to increase productivity of natural assets, increase
Weak capacity of local land management resilience to climate impacts, and create economic opportunities.
structures and conflict resolution mechanisms. Local communities empowered to execute the identified
Insufficient decentralization and eroding trust investments, with the active support from local governments
between communities and local authorities. (communes).
Lack of inclusion and representation of Local committees (communal council and land commissions)
different groups in local planning. enhanced to better represent stakeholders.
Increasing intercommunal and Capacity of local land management and conflict resolution
intracommunity conflict due to increased mechanisms strengthened and linked to the project’s GRM
natural resource stress and competition. National regulatory and policy framework strengthened to (a)
Local land management structures and conflict improve intersectoral coordination and avoid conflicting overlaps
resolution mechanisms are not effective in between sectors related to landscape management and (b) enable
conciliating conflicts related to land and the transfer of competences to communes on the management of
perceived as treating parties unfairly. natural resources.
Local administration is seen as weak and Grievance redress system established across targeted communes
corrupt, alongside limited civic participation, with standardized, transparent, and accessible procedures.
voice, and agency.
31. Geographic area and selection of communes. The project will preliminarily target 82 communes (out of
a total of 266 communes) selected in the regions of Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Tahoua, Tillaberí, and Zinder.25 These
communes have been selected based on criteria related to (a) the consolidation of the CAPCR activities; (b) the
Niger Great Green Wall (GGW) intervention area; and (c) geographic and thematic complementarities with the
World Bank’s ongoing projects, mainly the IWSP, FRSP, PASEC, PRAPS, the PCRSS, and the FSRP. Based on the
25 Diffa (11), Dosso (5), Maradi (11), Tahoua (15), Tillaberí (23), and Zinder (17)
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project implementation and security conditions, additional communes, including from other regions, may be
added using the same criteria.
32. Among the 82 targeted communes, 10 are under pressure with increasing security risk (‘red zones’) (see
figure 1). The project has in its target areas communes with high security risk, the implementation will begin in
lower-risk communes while adjusting the approach of project implementation in higher-risk communes. For
instance, the participatory approach will contribute to build a safe operating environment through the consent,
approval, and cooperation of individuals and local communities, especially the most vulnerable (referred to as
the ‘acceptance approach’). In addition to coordination with local authorities, activities in project areas, including
supervision, will be supported by a partner institution with representative in any project location. Remote
supervision through the Geo-Enabled Initiative for Monitoring and Supervision (GEMS) will be embedded in the
project M&E framework, including a community monitoring mechanism to enhance transparency, accountability,
and the voice of citizens. A security specialist embedded within the Project Management Unit (PMU) will enable
the constant update of security risk information and the application of risk mitigation measures, to be reported
monthly to the World Bank.
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Figure 2: Characteristics of targeted communes
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C. Project Components
33. The project is structured around three interdependent components that help achieve its development
objective. Component 1 focuses on promoting knowledge creation and territorial planning for climate resilience.
It will support (a) the first ever forest and pastoral areas national inventory to create knowledge and
operationalize M&E information systems; (b) development of forests, pastoral lands, and fisheries management
plans; (c) the integration of climate considerations in development and territorial planning in selected
communes; and (d) the enabling environment for the implementation of the NDC and LDN. Component 2 focuses
on promoting investments aiming on one hand to rehabilitate and restore landscapes to improve and reestablish
their environmental services and on the other hand to strengthen livelihood resilience by diversifying economic
assets and improving access to new markets for producers and/or producer organizations’ products. Component
3 will support coordination, communication, and M&E of the project. A fourth Contingent Emergence Response
Component (CERC) is added to facilitate response to a potential crisis as needed.
COMPONENT 1. Knowledge Creation and Territorial Planning for Climate Resilience (US$20 million)
CP1.1: National Forest and pastoral lands inventory (US$8 million)
34. The sources of data relating to forest and pastoral areas are divergent since Niger never carried out any
exhaustive forest or pastoral lands inventory to date. Because of this insufficiency, the country has difficulty in
providing reliable statistics within the framework of international processes such as the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Therefore, it is urgent for Niger to prepare a national forest and pastoral areas inventory, which will contribute
to the implementation and measurement of its NDC commitments related to forestry. The aim of this inventory
is (a) to establish an overall situation of national forest and pastoral areas resources and (b) to provide reliable
statistics and maps with more modern and less costly methods. The inventory will include
restoration/afforestation maps, deforestation maps, soil maps, and biodiversity inventories. With support from
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a methodological approach for the development of the forest and
pastoral areas inventory has already been developed. It will serve as the basis for this activity. The preparation
of the inventory will also support the operationalization of existing national information systems, mainly the
automated monitoring and evaluation system (Système Automatisé de Suivi Evaluation) on adaptation and
mitigation developed with support from the European Union and its evolution to an emissions monitoring,
reporting, and verification (MRV) system (CP 1.3).
35. Implementation of this sub-component. The PMU will establish an agreement with the National Center
for Ecological and Environmental Monitoring (Centre national de surveillance écologique et environnementale,
CNSEE) to lead this activity in close collaboration with the Garba Mounkaïla Laboratory of the Abdou Moumouni
University and the Environmental Biomonitoring laboratory of the Maradi University who developed a
methodological approach for forest inventory in Niger in 2012. The PMU will establish a technical committee
composed of key national and regional institutions and co-chaired by the General Directorate of Water and
Forests.
CP1.2: Development of forest, pastoral, and fisheries management plans (US$5 million)
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36. Forest (US$2 million), pastoral lands (US$2 million), and fisheries (US$1 million) management plans are
the main legal instruments guiding the management of these ecosystems. All forests, pastoral, and fisheries
areas in the targeted regions require new or updated management plans. These plans are key to ensuring the
sustainable management and maintenance of these renewable resources. They are essential to achieve a
balance between production, social, and environmental objectives. The project will support the development of
these plans in targeted areas, considering the use rights of the local population. Contractual principles will be
applied to allow local people to be involved in the sustainable management of these ecosystems and to benefit
from the rational use of the goods and services provided. These management plans will be included in the
national information systems to allow better monitoring and assessment of their implementation. The
development and updating of proposed forest and pastoral management plans will consider climate change
projections to identify management activities such as planting native and drought-resistant trees, forest
conservation, assisted natural regeneration, and agroforestry that would not only enhance adaptation and
mitigation (by protecting forest and pastoral areas and ensuring sustainable management of their goods and
services and by storing carbon) but also help reduce vulnerabilities of local communities. Fisheries management
plans would inform climate-resilient fishing practices and the maintenance of fish stocks considering future
climate impacts. Management plans to be developed by the project will be selected in complementarity with
the Niger PRAPS 2 (P173197) locations. Synergy with this project will also be strengthened on the methodological
approach to develop pastoral plans and related institutional management mechanisms. All management plans
to be elaborated will be georeferenced and linked to the MRV system.
37. Implementation of this sub-component. The elaboration of forest, pastoral and fisheries management
plans will be coordinated by the General Directorate of Water and Forests, with the Directorate of Pastoral
Development under the Ministry of Livestock (ME). The PMU will establish an agreement with this directorate
and will publish a bid to select specialized firms to: (a) work closely with key stakeholders to agree on the
methodology to elaborate the plans, (b) elaborate the expected plans with the directorate and in close
collaboration and consultation with all stakeholders, and (c) ensure the incorporation of developed plans in
existing national information systems and the MRV. The General Directorate of Water and Forests will monitor
the activities of the firms, validate their reports, authorize payments and report back to the PMU.
CP1.3: Climate informed territorial planning and development in targeted Communes (US$5 million)
38. The preparation of PDCs of the communes in Niger should be aligned with the 2022–2026 PDES. In this
respect, the project will support the updating of the PDCs of the targeted communes, to incorporate NDC
commitments and climate change mitigation, and adaptation planning and ensure the involvement of local
stakeholders, mainly women, in the process. Proposed activities will help decentralize NDC and develop local
NDC implementation plans, including mapping investment opportunities which can drive policy frameworks to
unlock available private and public finance and make it easier for the state and its partners to mobilize resources.
Pro-poor participatory methodology will be enhanced to increase the access and consultation of all stakeholders
including the poor and other vulnerable and marginalized groups (such as transhumant pastoralists) and their
involvement in the decision-making process. The process will identify activities aimed at empowering women
and girls and distinguish the greater vulnerability of women to the impacts of climate change as well as the
difference in the way they are affected in comparison to men and will therefore propose adaptation / mitigation
activities that can be implemented by women.
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39. Implementation of this subcomponent. The implementation of this activity will be coordinated by the
General Directorate for Regional, Local and Communal Development (DGDRLC) which will sign an agreement
with the PMU. The PMU will publish a call for tenders to recruit a partner institution (with strong representation
at the local level) in each targeted region to support this process, in close collaboration with communes and
deconcentrated line departments including communal councils and local land commissions, religious and
traditional authorities, and villages chiefs. The DGDRLC will monitor the activities of the partner institutions,
validate their reports, and authorize payments and report back to the PMU.
CP1.4: Enabling environment for Niger NDC and LDN implementation (US$2 millions)
40. A range of interrelated activities will be supported through this sub-component to enable the
management of national NDC processes, support readiness preparation and finance mobilization for NDC and
LDN implementation, and the strengthen monitoring systems for NDC and LDN reporting. The subcomponent
will support (a) the improved functioning of the Niger NDC committee, and (b) the updating and operationalizing
of existing information management systems under the General Directorate of Water and Forests, as well as the
development of a national MRV system under the Directorate for the Strengthening of Climate Change
Mitigation and Resilience to ensure the monitoring of the Niger NDC and LDN as part of the implementation of
the Paris Agreement. Existing information systems aim to consolidate and present data relating to climate
change, including for ecological monitoring of restored areas, forests, and other natural resources. Support to
the NDC Committee will include the day-to-day operational costs and technical support to strengthen the
capacity of its members. The NDC Committee will develop a long-term low-carbon strategy, prepare proposals
to mobilize climate financing, establish vulnerability indexes/reference threshold of GHG emissions reduction
levels in the sectors of the NDC, and monitor progress of the country’s NDC indicators. Support for the updating
and operationalization of information and MRV systems will include the financing of equipment, capacity
building, and technical assistance.
41. Implementation of this sub-component. The PMU will establish an agreement with the Directorate for
the Strengthening of Climate Change Mitigation and Resilience to lead the implementation of NDC/LDN-related
activities. For the updating and operationalization of existing information systems and the development of the
MRV system, the PMU will launch a call for tenders for a specialized firm that will support the conception,
establishment, and operationalization of the system.
COMPONENT 2. Investments in Landscape Restoration and Community Resilience to Climate Change (US$115
million)
42. This component will finance investments aimed at restoring land and ecosystem services and improving
livelihood and climate resilience. The rationale is that conservation and restoration of land and the pursuant
efforts to manage that land sustainably can increase soil fertility, fodder, water, and ecosystem services and
contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation through carbon sequestration in vegetation and soil,
which in turn can increase land, resource, and livestock productivity and protect biodiversity. Landscape
restoration will use environmental improvements as drivers for socioeconomic regeneration. It will enhance and
diversify local livelihoods, improve food security, create climate-smart jobs, and increase resilience to the impact
of climate change.
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43. Through this component, in parallel to the implementation of the sub-components below, the project will
conduct the massive distribution of improved stoves to local population and MSMEs in the project area.
CP2.1: Restoring Landscapes and Ecosystem Services (US$70 million)
44. While protecting pastoral and forest landscapes is important, restoring them where they have been lost
and degraded is also necessary. Without those landscapes, soil, water, and the goods and services provided by
forests and pastoral resources are lost or impaired. Restoring these landscapes in the fragile and vulnerable
context of targeted areas is about much more than returning trees to the landscape. It is about meeting both
development and environmental priorities and addressing climate impacts in a context that is primarily rural and
predominantly low in terms of human development.
45. Targeted investments will include measures aimed at improving carbon pools, preventing soil
degradation, increasing the use of renewable energy sources, increasing carbon stock, and restoring lands,
favoring biodiversity conservation and biodynamic agriculture (with high potential for mitigation co-
benefits).26 Drought-resistant products will be developed and specific techniques (such as ‘no tillage’
techniques) will reduce water evaporation and contribute to climate adaptation. Beyond carbon mitigation,
investments in landscape restoration, such as tree planting and reforestation, will build adaptive capacity against
extreme weather by increasing water availability, supporting food security, and strengthening natural resistance
against droughts, floods, wildfires, and other climate-induced natural disasters. Provisioning and regulating
ecosystem services also improve public health by supplying vulnerable communities with clean air and water
and fertile soil. Through proposed investments, landscape restoration methods will help conserve and enrich
the soil while giving crops the nutrients they need to grow.
46. This subcomponent seeks to enhance the provision of landscapes’ environmental goods and services.
Thriving, dynamic landscapes are best placed to cope with climate change, not only by contributing to
sequestration of carbon in soils and biomass, absorption of water through shelter belts of trees, and hedgerows
restoration of the traditional agroecosystems and agrobiodiversity but also through wild habitats in the wider
landscapes supporting threatened wild biodiversity. These measures will support the wide range of other
ecosystem services provided by targeted landscapes, which have become fragile due to recent pressure,
contributing to enhancing the ability of these landscapes to accommodate change. In all these activities, the
project will safeguard the equal participation of women and men, as necessary, timing capacity-building,
awareness-raising to ensure full participation of women. The outcome is expected to strengthen resilience to
climate change risks, reduce river sedimentation and flood risks, and enable recovery of agricultural lands.
Proposed investments will also help achieve commitments under Niger’s NDC as presented in table 3.
47. Through this subcomponent, the project is seeking to restore 205,000 ha and 11,000 km of hedge and
pastoral corridors, through techniques that have been identified in the NDC. The selection of restoration sites
will be based on criteria that include, among others, land tenure status, community commitment for sustainable
management, whether the site meets technical requirements, vulnerability to climate risks, and the potential to
increase carbon sinks. The techniques to be applied, and the targets under each technique, are shown in table
3.
26 As identified in the list of eligible mitigation activities of the multilateral development banks group.
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Table 3. Targets under the NDC and Niger ILMP
Target Target under Cost (US$,
under NDC ILMP millions)
Adaptation Measures
Natural assisted regeneration 913,932 ha 100,000 ha 1.5
Dune-fixing (to reduce erosion) 10,053 ha 3,000 ha 1.5
Rehabilitation of degraded classified forests 10,000 ha 5,000 ha 3.5
Hedges 145,000 km 1,000 km 0.5
Multipurpose species plantations 750,000 ha 30,000 ha 10.0
‘One village one forest’ program27 12,500 ha 6,000 ha 10.0
Restoration of degraded pastoral lands 112,500 ha 50,000 ha 30.0
Development and securing of pastoral enclaves, grazing areas and rest 455,848 ha 10,000 ha 6.0
areas (to reduce degradation)
Development and materialization of pastoral corridors (to reduce 279,702 km 10,000 km 6.0
degradation)
Mitigation Measures
Massive distribution of improved stoves28 1,000,000 70,000 1.0
Total cost 70.0
48. Implementation of restoration activities will be at the commune level and based on priorities identified
in the PDCs. Subprojects will be developed in each commune, screened by the communal council, and submitted
for evaluation by the PMU. Subprojects should include technical specifications for landscape restoration
subprojects aiming to adapt/mitigate climate change issues and reduce vulnerability to droughts, preserve soil
moisture, and protect water catchment. Details of the evaluation and selection process will be developed in the
Project Implementation Manuel (PIM). Local service providers will be contracted by the PMU to assist the
communes in implementing the subprojects. Service providers will be selected using a transparent and inclusive
process taking into due account demonstrable experience and institutional capacity in the targeted area of
concern. Labor will be supplied by the local workforce to be hired from the project area with focus on vulnerable
groups, women, and youth (community labor-intensive works program). During the first year of the project,
subprojects’ identification will be undertaken based on the existing communal annual investment plans and their
validation will follow the same process described above.
49. The project will seek synergies with and scale up the results and investments under other World Bank
projects that have implemented landscape restoration activities. Table 4 presents the total area of Niger
landscapes restored with support from recently closed or ongoing World Bank projects and projections for new
landscapes to be restored, including the project’s contribution.
27 This community restoration program initiated in 2015 aims to intensify restoration, promote natural assisted regeneration
and increase use of alternatives to firewood.
28 Improved stoves are more efficient, requiring less biomass to produce the same amount of energy for cooking. It is estimated
that biomass consumption can be reduced by half, leading to less GHG emissions.
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Table 4. Land Restoration under World Bank Projects
Restored Hectares to Be
World Bank Project
Hectares Restored
PRAPS 1 (147674) 600,000
CAPCR (P125669) 53,000
Niger Disaster Risk Management and Urban Development Project (P145268) 40,000
PASEC (P153420) 100,000
ILMP (P177043) 205,000
PRAPS 2 (P173197) 505,000
Niger-IWSP Project (P174414) 150,000
FRSP (P172769) 33,000
Community-Based Recovery and Stabilization Project for the Sahel (P173830) 357
793,000 893,357
50. Implementation of this subcomponent will be led by the General Directorate of Water and Forests with
technical support from the Niger National Network of Agricultural Chambers and a partner institution. The
project will use the same implementation arrangements as under Restoration of Watershed Environments
(CP1.2 of the Niger-IWSP Project) to ensure synergy and complementarity between the two projects’ activities.
Furthermore, activities will be closely coordinated with those under the Lake Chad Region Recovery and
Development Project (PROLAC; P161706) and the FSRP (P172769) in the regions of Diffa, Tillaberí and Zinder.
CP2.2: Improving Local Livelihoods Resilience (US$45 million)
51. This subcomponent aims to enable local producers, especially youths and women, to improve their
livelihoods by becoming more competitive producers capable of meeting market demands while improving
their resilience to climate change. Activities will focus on four interrelated areas: (a) valorizing and promoting
the sustainable development of NTFPs, (b) improving and developing artisanal fisheries products, (c) promoting
the preservation of the cultural and non-tangible capital of local communities, and (d) establishing and
implementing integrated community agro-silvo-pastoral farms (FACIs) as innovative models of economic
development and food security.
52. The valorization and the promotion of NTFPs, fisheries, and intangible capital products will help create
green jobs and enable vulnerable communities to diversify their income and increase their capacities to cope
with extreme weather shocks by increasing their resiliency capacities. Poor rural populations in these areas are
more exposed to climate change impacts with less resources to recover quickly and adapt. The proposed
activities provide households a source of income generation and build their resilience capacities to respond to
climate impacts and increase their economic power.
53. This subcomponent will provide matching grants to fund, through a competitive process, approved
business plans for the sustainable development of forest, fisheries, and agricultural products. Selection
criteria for matching grants will be defined in the PIM and will include: (a) a clear economic rationale, (b) legal
registration and identity of the implementing producer groups, and (c) demonstrated benefits to target areas.
The number and size of matching grants will be determined based on demand and potential and will range from
US$10,000 to US$100,000. Eligible activities under the matching grants will include, but not be limited to: (a)
consolidation of organizational, managerial, processing, and commercialization capacities of local organizations
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and associations and local producers; (b) purchase of equipment (such as tools and machines needed for the
collection or processing of products and construction packaging centers, warehouses, and cold chain facilities);
(c) rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and equipment; (d) advisory services regarding access to financial
services, business management, market and marketing skills, quality and standard certification services, and so
on; and (e) training in technical and / or managerial skills. Business plans should consider climate risks, and
construction or rehabilitation of infrastructure should incorporate climate-resilient and energy-efficient
measures where possible. A negative list of activities will also be developed. The project will also support the
normative principles of productive alliances to facilitate access to markets for producer organizations. This
includes the identification of private sector partners, buyers and off-takers and matching them with producer
organizations and enterprises.
54. Development and implementation of business plan activities will be supported by service providers
hired by the PMU, whose key responsibilities will include (a) implementing awareness-raising and outreach
activities to build a pipeline of grantees, (b) providing technical assistance to applicants in the design of their
subprojects and preparation of matching grant proposals; (c) supporting implementation of subprojects, and (d)
monitoring and reporting on grants. The PIM will provide further details on matching grants management and
implementation.
55. This subcomponent will take the following steps toward reducing barriers for women to improved
access to income opportunities in NTFP, fisheries and intangible capital products: (a) identify knowledge and
skills gaps that prevent women-led associations from developing profitable enterprises, and design outreach,
training, and technical assistance to address them; and (b) promote the ability of women to compete for
matching grants, prioritizing women and youth, including through the design of eligibility criteria to enable
women participation and targeted outreach to increase awareness of grant opportunities and support for the
development of proposals.
56. Implementation of this subcomponent will be led by the Directorate for the Promotion of the Green
Economy and Value Chain Development, with technical support from the existing Maisons du Paysan and other
partner institutions.
CP2.2.1: Sustainable development of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) (US$20 million)
57. NTFPs provide women and their families with means of subsistence, services, and jobs. This component
will enhance women’s cultural heritage and artisanal skills in harvesting, processing, and marketing priority
NTFPs. The value addition to these products will increase women’s income by generating more profits from yield
and commercialization. These activities are designed to support women’s entrepreneurship and economic and
social empowerment. Supporting the links of producer groups to NGOs and off-taker organizations will ensure
these small businesses can be sustained beyond the life cycle of the project.
58. Over the last decade, some priority NTFPs have received particular attention from the Government and
some partners for their environmental and social benefits. Ongoing projects focus on the development of
Moringa, Honey, Gum Arabic, and Doum products. Based on an analysis of the viability of these products, this
subcomponent will focus its support on seven NTFPs: Baobab (Adansonia digitata), Honey, Doum palm
(Hyphaene thebaica), Balanites (Balanites aegyptiaca), Boscia fruit (Boscia Senegalensis), Marula fruit
(Sclérocarya birrea), and Néré fruit (Parkia biglobosa) (table 5). These NTFPs will also increase tree cover and
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contribute to reforestation and afforestation in the areas of production. The project will focus its support on the
following activities: (a) organization, networking, and capacity building of actors involved in the seven identified
NTFPs; (b) creation of processing units for the development and processing of NTFPs; (c) creation of NTFP sales
counters; and (d) labeling of products.
Table 5: Priority NTFPs
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NTFPs Geography Use and Potential
Local populations commonly produce baobab products and sell
them in baobab stands. The leaves and fruit are both self-
Department of Mirriah, in the consumed and marketed. The fruit is consumed as-is or made
Baobab commune of Mirriah, Torodi, into juice, and leaves converted into flour for use in sauces. An
(Adansonia Gazawa, Tessaoua, Aguié, average of 500 bags are transported from Torodi to Niamey per
digitata) baobab plantations in the week for 3 months, from August to October, the production
Torodi area. period. Prices vary from CFAF 750 to CFAF 1,000 per 100 kg bag
during the production period and from CFAF 6,000 to CFAF 7,000
in the dry season.
Niger has more than 20 melliferous forest species with annual
production varying between 10,000 and 12,000 liters.
Honey The Departments of Magaria Cooperative and mutualist rural producer organizations, as well
(Plantes de Gaya, Kantché, Mirriah, as small and medium enterprises, have been established for the
mellifères) Torodi. production and marketing of honey, although the means of
production remain traditional. There is a demand for the
product in Nigeria.
Departments of Mayahi, The project area has high potential for the doum palm, with
Doum palm Tessaoua, Aguié, Dakoro, about an existing 100,000 ha of doum palm in the area.
(Hyphaene Mirriah, Magaria, Filingué, D. Development of crafts (mats, baskets, ropes), and processing of
thebaica) Takaya, Goudoumarya, the fruit into juice, flour and biscuits can be promoted.
Mainé.
Balanites Department of Aguié and the Balanites has high food, nutritional and economic value. The ripe
zone of Goulbin N'kaba in the fruit, flowers and young leaves can be consumed, and made into
(Balanites Departments of Diffa and juice, oil and donuts. There are women’s associations that focus
aegyptiaca) Mayahi on the transformation of the product.
The fruit can be made into flour, porridge, cakes, donuts,
Boscia fruit biscuits, bread and mashed potatoes with recipes served in
(Boscia Zinder region restaurants in Zinder. The NGO “Aridité Cida Kanka�? of Zinder is
senegalensis) interested in promoting knowledge of the species and of its
fruits.
The seed almonds are rich in fat and protein with a subtle nutty
flavor. They are an important source of energy. The fruits are
Marula commonly eaten fresh or used to prepare juices, jellies, etc.
Départements of Tibiri, Aguie,
(Sclerocarya Marula oil, extracted from the seed kernel, is one of the best
Gazaoua, and Dakoro
birrea) African oils for skin care. It is rich in vitamin E, antioxidants and
oleic acid. The virtues of Marula oil are also highly valued by the
cosmetics industry (skin care, soaps, make-up, etc.).
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NTFPs Geography Use and Potential
This nourishing tree provides many high-quality nutrients and is
therefore a very important source in terms of quality food and
Néré nutrition. Néré flour provides all the amino acids essential to the
Départements of Tibiri,
(Parkia body, iron and also vitamin C. Its seeds are boiled, fermented
Kantché and Magaria
biglobosa) and ground (pounded) to obtain either small balls of dough or a
powder (in this case they will be dried and then roasted) with
strong odors.
CP2.2.2: Sustainable development of fisheries products (US$15 million).
59. The project will contribute to protecting aquatic ecosystems and increasing the productivity of water
bodies and support the development of traditional fishing and aquaculture in ponds and artificial water
reservoirs. It will address the main constraints faced by the sector, which include: (a) invasive aquatic plants and
low productivity of water bodies, (b) inadequate fishing infrastructures and equipment (small landing sites, fish
farm inputs, storage), and (c) fish product processing. This includes financing climate smart infrastructure and
equipment (such as coops, rainwater-fed ponds, greenhouses, ovens), inputs, trainings, and technical assistance.
The project will support the normative principles of productive alliances to strengthen collaboration between
the public and the private sector and facilitate the access of associated artisanal fishermen to markets. Technical
capacity of producers will be built, including on adapting to climate-induced impacts on fisheries, incorporating
climate-resilient fishing and aquaculture practices, and using renewable energy and energy efficient measures
in their productive activities. The activity will strengthen the participation of women in the fishing sub-sector,
where they are responsible for activities downstream of fishing, such as fish processing and trading, essential
for the profitability of this activity.
60. This sub-component will be implemented by the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture, with technical
support from other institutions.
CP2.2.3: Protection of intangible capital (US$3 million)
61. This sub-component will promote various agro-sylvo-pastoral initiatives aimed at contributing to the
safeguarding and revitalization of the intangible cultural heritage and the preservation of the identities of
Nigerien populations. This will concern the organization of three particularly important events:
Based on the experience of the Cure salée, an event that has taken place since the end of the 1990s
near the town of Ingall (in the Agadez Region),29 the project will support each year the organization
of the Festival des Nomades at the level of different localities in the area covered by the project:
during this event, which will allow groups of livestock keepers (pastoralists and agro-pastoralists) to
renew their bonds of friendship and collaboration, several initiatives will aim to raise awareness
among producers about the issues of the practice of livestock farming in Niger and local and regional
29
The Cure saléé (litt. “The Salt Cure“) is an event marking the summer migration of men and herds to regions well-endowed
with mineralized waters, natron soils and meadows particularly rich in protein.
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authorities about the constraints and challenges of pastoral production systems. During the Festival
(generally held in the month of August), performances and contests by artists, singers and dancers, as
well as camel and horse races will be organized and prizes will be awarded.
Based on the experience of the traditional celebration of Hottungo in the Dosso Region,30 the project
will support in several localities of its area of intervention the organization of an event which aims to
celebrate each year (generally during the month of February) the return of animals (cows and small
ruminants) from the long period of transhumance, and also to promote and maintain cultural links
between sedentary and nomadic communities in the same area and strengthen solidarity networks.31
During the Hottungo, which is a celebration of reunions and inter-community rejoicings, there will be
performances by artists (dancers and singers), cultural competitions, in particular with the recitation
of poems, tributes to breeders and to best animals, exhibitions of creation of works of art, with the
awarding of prizes.
In agricultural areas, inspired by the initiatives of FESTIMIL (International Millet Festival),32 the project
will contribute to the annual organization (generally during the month of October) of a Regional
Agricultural Festival at the level of the six regions of intervention. The Festival will notably allow
exhibitions and sales of agro-food products, agricultural crops (millet, sorghum, fonio, rice, etc.) and
gathering (non-timber forest products) from different localities and culinary competitions as well as
discussion panels and exchanges on themes, including in relation to local tales, proverbs and sayings
referring to agricultural and pastoral work. Prices will be awarded to the best farmers.
62. Alongside the organization of these events, the project will support the development of educational
tools to link traditional knowledge and technical know-how with formal and informal education in order to
safeguard local practices and improve their intergenerational transmission. The project will finance the
preparation and production of posters, small informative brochures, small collections of popular accounts and
proverbs. Deliverables will be disseminated through the project website and appropriate publications
(illustrated by local artists).
63. The activities of this sub-component will be implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and
Handicrafts, and technical assistance will be provided by specialized national NGOs and associations.
CP2.2.4: Community Integrated Agro-Silvo-Pastoral Farms (FACI) (US$7 million)
64. The FACIs are innovative models of economic development in the regions of the GGW and have been
deployed since 2016. They aim to improve the conditions of adaptation and resilience of the populations of the
terroirs of the GGW to Climate Change by creating sustainable livelihoods, including in the long term Rural
Agropoles (AgropoR) will be developed with the creation of processing units to boost the marketing of products
30
In the Fulani language, the term "hottungo" means "going home�?. This is an event traditionally organized in Birni N'Gaouré by
the Kawtal Waafakey Association.
31
For example: through seasonal loans of dairy animals (cows and she-camels) or breeding stocks between households.
32
Event organized annually by the National Network of Chambers of Agriculture of Niger (RECA) in partnership with the Ministry
of Agriculture and other sectoral ministries including Livestock; Environment and the Fight against Desertification; Hydraulics;
Trade, Industry and Youth Entrepreneurship, Vocational Training, as well as the High Commission for the 3N Initiative "Nigerians
Nourish Nigeriens" (HC3N)
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on a large scale. The FACIs are now appropriate and adopted tools for the implementation of the GGW initiative
by all member countries. FACIs to be developed under the proposed project will draw inspiration from successful
experiences carried out in Senegal, Burkina, Nigeria and Niger. The results of the evaluation of the two
experimental FACIs in Niger emphasized on the one hand the significant improvement of the beneficiaries’
income and, on the other hand, on the shortcomings linked mainly to the weak support and the small size of the
FACIs. given the limited funding. The FACI is a community space intended to strengthen the capacities of peasant
associations in agro-sylvo-pastoral production for their socio-economic development and to increase local
incomes, while increasing food production and therefore the food security of surrounding communities. The
concept integrates a variety of agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries production systems (forest and pastoral
management, beekeeping, market gardening, fish farming and small livestock) as well as community stores. SLM
practices and the use of renewable energy are essential foundations of FACI. The beneficiaries of the FACI are
farmers' associations, particularly women and young people structured in groups/associations.
65. The Strategy of Niger’s National Great Green Wall Agency for 2016–2020 provides the creation of 10
FACIs, but due to lack of financing, only 2 have been recently initiated. The project will consolidate and
operationalize the 1 existing FACI within the project area and identify an additional 6 FACIs, one in each targeted
region, and finance their operationalization. This includes financing infrastructure, equipment, inputs, trainings,
and technical assistance. Infrastructure and equipment financed should be climate-resilient and energy efficient.
Criteria for selection of the location of the FACI will be detailed in the PIM and shall include, among others,
availability of communal land for the establishment of the FACI, availability of water sources, legally registered
and organized producer associations, vulnerability of the population (women, youth, food security and climate
vulnerability), sufficient market for local consumption of products.
66. An important aspect of the FACI is women’s participation in the decision-making committees, to
increase the access of women to budgeting and voting rights for community initiatives. As FACIs are
sustainable beyond the project life cycle, women’s participation will strengthen sustainability and the narrowing
of the gender gap in voice and agency dimensions.
67. Implementation of this sub-component. The PMU will establish an agreement with the National Great
Green Wall Agency to coordinate the activities under this sub-component.
COMPONENT 3. Project Coordination, Monitoring and Communication (US$15 million)
68. This component will facilitate the implementation of the Project through efficient management and
monitoring, as well as environmental, social and conflict risk management. The project will be implemented,
supported, and coordinated by PMU which will be hosted in the MELCD and Regional Support Unit (RSU) in each
of the targeted regions.
CP3.1: Project coordination and management (US$12 million)
69. This subcomponent will support project management and coordination activities to ensure that the
project is in accordance with fiduciary procedures and environment and risk management requirements. This
component will finance the technical and operational costs of the PMU at the national level (housed at the
MELCD) and six RSUs in each of the regions included in the project. Key activities will include (a) recruitment of
technical and administrative personnel (including project coordinators and financial management [FM],
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procurement, environment, and social risk management specialists), (b) safeguards, (c) support of
communication and stakeholder engagement, (d) fiduciary implementation, and (e) maintenance of the GRM. It
will support other incremental operating costs, including financial audits and procurement of essential goods
and office equipment, including information and communication technology needed to support project
implementation. The subcomponent also includes the development and implementation of a project
communication strategy and action plan and facilitation support for a collaborative approach to meet the results
of the project.
CP3.2: Project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) (US$2 million)
70. This subcomponent will finance the M&E unit, including: (a) meetings of the review/piloting committees;
(b) implementation of the M&E framework, including preparation of a detailed M&E manual, which will be
incorporated into the PIM, and development of indicator tracking sheets; (c) conceptualization, development
and operationalization of the project M&E system; (d) planning and dissemination workshops and M&E capacity-
building workshops; and (e) impact/beneficiary assessment and midterm review (MTR), including undertaking
an internal MTR assessment by the PMU and ensuring readiness for the Implementation Completion and Results
Report.
CP3.3: Project communication and conflict management (US$1 million)
71. The project will support the formulation and implementation of a communication, and a conflict
prevention and management strategy. The aim is to improve dialogue and co-learning between stakeholders
through integrated landscape management and establish a new social contract aimed at conflict reduction. In
some of the project intervention areas, the security crisis has resulted in the deterioration of social cohesion and
the erosion of trust between communities. The communication and conflict reduction strategy will focus on
ancestral conflict management mechanisms, judicial conflict management mechanisms and alternative conflict
resolution mechanisms. As such, this strategy will integrate local legitimacy (traditional, customary, and
religious) as a basis for dialogue, negotiation, and mediation with a view to conflict prevention and social
pacification.
72. The communication and conflict management strategy will adopt the ‘do-no-harm’ concept and will
constitute the basis for the implementation of all project activities to avoid exposing people and the
environment at additional risks due to the project. This strategy will strengthen the existing networks between
national institutions and community organizations at the local level (including the private sector) to encourage
the management and sharing of knowledge on key issues related to the sustainable management of landscapes
and their associated livelihoods. These initiatives will make it possible to build a ‘community of practice’ aimed
at guiding apolitical authorities, decision-makers, and representatives of local institutions on issues related to
the sustainable development of landscapes.
73. To define and implement communication activities, the PMU will launch calls for tenders with a view to
recruiting consulting firms specializing in communication and conflict management.
COMPONENT 4. Contingent Emergency Response
74. Following any untoward, adverse natural event that causes a major natural disaster, the Government
may request to reallocate project funds to this component to support response and reconstruction. This
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component would allow the Government to request to re-categorize and reallocate financing from other project
components to partially cover emergency response and recovery costs.
.
.
Legal Operational Policies
Triggered?
Projects on International Waterways OP 7.50 No
Projects in Disputed Areas OP 7.60 No
Summary of Assessment of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts
.
The main environmental and social risks and impacts may include: (i) impacts on water quality and quantity and
aquatic ecology; (ii) soil erosion due to earthworks and runoff; (iii) health (injuries, STIs/HIV/AIDS, COVID-19) and
safety (accidents, vehicular traffic, etc.) of workers and communities associated with the activities; (iv) environmental
and social impacts of the project; (v) nuisance from air and noise emissions; and (v) possible impacts on biodiversity
(flora and fauna) if located near or in a protected area, etc. Most of these risks and negative impacts can be mitigated
or even avoided with the correct implementation of easily identifiable measures.
E. Implementation
Institutional and Implementation Arrangements
75. The implementing agency for the project is the MELCD, which will ensure oversight for overall project
activities. Day-to-day implementation of the project’s activities will be carried out through a PMU directly
attached to the General Secretary of the ministry. The PMU will implement the project and will be responsible
for all aspects of the project, including managerial, coordination, planning, fiduciary, supervision, review, quality
control, monitoring and evaluation, and dissemination functions.
76. At the national level, a Project Steering Committee (Comité de Pilotage, COPIL) chaired by the Secretary
General of the MELCD and comprising key stakeholders working on natural resources management and climate
change, is the body supervising and validating project activities.
77. A Multisectoral Technical Committee (MTC), comprising members of the PMU and a focal point at the
level of the ministerial departments of the MELCD, the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Territorial
Management and Community Development (MATDC), the Ministry Livestock, the Ministry of Tourism and
Culture as well as the Permanent Secretariat of the Rural Code, will provide technical advisory services and
support the PMU in implementation of the project. The PMU, under the General Secretary of the MELCD, will
be responsible for overall project management and coordination, as well as the M&E of project activities.
78. At the regional level, RSUs will be established in each of the six regions covered by the project, housed
under the Regional Directorate of MELCD. RSUs will coordinate with other government directorates,
decentralized technical services and communal councils on project implementation. Partner institutions will
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support the RSUs and participating communes in the design and implementation of subprojects. In addition, the
Regional Directors of the Environment will ensure the supervision of project activities at the regional level.
.
CONTACT POINT
World Bank
Taoufiq Bennouna
Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist
Aurelie Marie Simone Monique Rossignol
Environmental Specialist
Jialing Celine Lim
Natural Resources Management Specialist
Borrower/Client/Recipient
Republic of Niger
Implementing Agencies
Ministry of Environment
Salissou Yahouza
Directeur DGDTF
s.yahouza2003@gmail.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20433
Telephone: (202) 473-1000
Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects
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APPROVAL
Taoufiq Bennouna
Task Team Leader(s): Aurelie Marie Simone Monique Rossignol
Jialing Celine Lim
Approved By
Practice Manager/Manager:
Country Director: Aissatou Maisha Dicko 21-May-2022
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