Hilaire Sanou

Resilience to Drought and Resources Scarcity

West African Economic and Monetary Union

Building Resilience for Food and Nutrition conference Addis, Ababa

The West African Economic and Monetary Union is a regional organization of eight West African countries:

Benin Burkina Faso Ivory Coast Guinea BissauMali NigerSenegal Togo

Context• The territory covered is around 3.6 million km2 • Total population of 90 million. • Population growth of more 3%• 80% of WAEMU territory is in the Sahel region.• As you all know Sahel is characterized by:

– High dependence of the Agricultural sector to rainfall.– Recurrent droughts

• In most WAEMU countries, more than 70% of population have they livelihood coming from the agricultural sector (including Livestock, Forestry and Fisheries).

• In some Sahelian countries it goes up to 85%.

How to build resilience in such conditions?

1. Agricultural Policy development

2. Water management for Agriculture and Pastoralism

3. Capacity Development in Agricultural Research

WAEMU TRUSTS

Agricultural Policy developmentWAEMU has supported its member’s state:

to define and adopt the Common Agricultural Policy in 2001.

to put in place a High Level Committee for Food Security. The committee is currently chaired by His Excellency Mahamadou Issoufou, President of the Republic of Niger. The fourth session was held last week in Niamey, Niger.

Support to synergies. E.g. WAEMU has supported the AGIR initiative

Water management for Agriculture and Pastoralism

WAEMU strives: to support the Permanent Interstate Committee for

Drought Control (CILSS) to develop specific regional programmes and pilot

projects Regional project for Niger River management for agricultural

use in Mali (11 000 ha) Regional project for Climate Change adaptation (1 000 ha in

each member state)

Rural water supply program (8 000 positive drillings)

Capacity Development Agricultural Research

• WAEMU support West African Research institutes in developing new agricultural technologies as improved seeds …

Thank you