Project for Oasis Micro-Basin Sand Invasion Control in the Gouré and Maïné-Soroa Provinces

Project for Oasis Micro-Basin Sand Invasion Control in the Gouré and Maïné-Soroa Provinces

UNDP Project Document

UNDP-GEF Full-Size Project (FSP)

Government of NIGER

Project for oasis micro-basin sand invasion control

in the Gouré and Maïné-Soroa provinces

Projet de lutte contre l'ensablement des cuvettes oasiennes

dans les départements de Gouré et de Maïné-Soroa

--- PLECO ---

PIMS No. 3225

1

Table of Contents

ACRONYMS

I. Situation Analysis

A. Background

B. Land degradation issues

C. Threats and root causes of land degradation and sand invasion, and barriers to their control

D. Description of the project's zone, baseline and stakeholders......

II. Strategy

A. Policy conformity and country ownership

B. Design principles and strategic considerations

C. Project's objectives and description

Goal, objective and outcomes

Duration and intervention zone

Proposed activities

Financial modality

D. Project Analysis

Cost-effectiveness and sustainability

Global environmental benefits and GEF relevance

Value added of GEF financing

Risk analysis and management

E. Management Arrangements

Executing agency

Project oversight

Project coordination and implementation

Additional dispositions

F. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Budget

G. Legal Context

III. STRATEGIC RESULTS FRAMEWORK

IV. TOTAL BUDGET AND WORKPLAN

ANNEXES

Annex 1. Endorsement letters from the country

Annex 2. Co-financing letters

Annex 3. Outline of Terms of Reference for key project staff

Annex 4. Signature Page

1

ACRONYMS

APRAnnual Project Report

ARRDIAgricultural and Rural Rehabilitation and Development Initiative Project

AWPAnnual Work Plan

CBDConvention on Biological Diversity

COFOLand Commissions

COFOBLocal-level Land Commissions

COGERATProject for Co-management of Natural Resources in the Aïr-Ténéré

CSIFCountry Strategic Investment Framework (conceived for SLM)

GDPGross Domestic Product

GEF Global Environment Facility

GISGeographic Information Systems

IECInformation, Education, Communication

IFADInternational Fund for Agricultural Development

IRIntermediate Result

M&EMonitoring and Evaluation

MELCDMinistry of the Environment and Desertification Control

NAPANational Action Plan for Adaptation (climate change)

NGONon-governmental organization

NAPNational Action Program to combat desertification

NEXNational Execution

NRM Natural Resource Management

PACCommunity Action Programme

PADLProgramme to Support Local Development

PAGRNProgramme to Support Natural Resources Management

PAN/LCD/GRNNational Action Plan for Desertification Control and NRM

PASAMProject to Support Household Food Security

PIMSProject Information Management System

PIP2Private Irrigation Project (phase 2)

PLECOProject for Oasis Micro-Basin Sand Invasion Control

PMUProject Management Unit

PNEDDNational Plan for Environmentally Sustainable Development

PRS Poverty Reduction Strategy

ROSELTNetwork of Long-term Ecological Monitoring Observatories

SIPStrategic Investment Programme (for SLM)

SLMSustainable Land Management

SRD Rural Development Strategy

TPRTerminal Tripartite Review

TTRTripartite Review

UNCCDUnited Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

UNDAFUnited Nations Development Assistance Framework

UNFCCCUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNDP-COUnited Nations Development Programme – Country Office

UNDP-RCUUnited Nations Development Programme – Regional Coordination Unit

WBWorld Bank

I. Situation Analysis

A. Background

Niger is a land-locked country in the Sahel, with a total land area of 1,127,000 km2 and a population of some 14,297,000 inhabitants. About 70% of the country is located in the Sahara Desert and only some 12% of the land is considered fertile and arable. Agriculture and cattle rearing are the major land uses. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 177 out of 177 nations as regards to the Human Development Index (2005). A population growth rate of 3.3%, as of 2008, leads to increasing pressure on the natural resource base. Spatial distribution of the population is highly unbalanced with 75% of the population living on just 25% of the nation’s land area.

Four climatic zones are identified in Niger:

  • Saharan zone (65% of the country’s surface), characterized by rainfall below 100 mm annually.
  • Sahelo-Saharan zone (12% of the country), with annual rainfall between 100-300 mm.
  • Sahelo-Soudanian zone (22% of the total land area), with rainfall ranging from 300 to 600 mm.
  • Soudanian zone (1% of the total land area), with rainfall over 600 mm annually.

The most important water body is the River Niger, which crosses the Western part of the country for a distance of over 550 km. The north-western part of Lake Chad (approximately 3,000 km2) is situated within Niger’s territory. Although most of the lake basin is desiccated, it remains a major element of the regional ecosystem shared by four countries (Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria). Smaller water bodies exist throughout the country, some of which are seasonal. Two principal winds sweep the country: the Harmattan (November to April, direction NE to SW) and the Monsoon (May to October, direction SW to NE). With the steady decline of vegetation cover over the past three decades, these winds become more destructive, eroding surface soils of their organic matter and other structuring elements, leading to the creation of mobile dunes and sand encroachment into agricultural and pasture lands and villages.

The rural sector is the core economic sector in the country. Its contribution is estimated to 40% of the national GDP. Almost 3 million people are working in that sector (source: National Statistical Institute). Niger’s agriculture is based on rain-fed food crop production and contributes to 22% of GDP. The main crops are millet, sorghum, cowpea, peanuts, maize and rice. Only 1% of the total cultivated area is under irrigation. The area under cultivation has increased sharply in recent years: from 21% of the arable land (some 3 million hectares) in 1965 to 93% (some 14 million hectares) in 1999. Most soils in Niger are sandy and poor in nutrients and organic matter, which leads to low productivity and the expansion of the farming area. The main constraints to agriculture in Niger are lack of water, declining soil fertility, pests and diseases, lack of rural credit and affordable inputs, and suboptimal traditional cropping techniques coupled with a weak research-extension service. The commercialization of cash crops beyond the local and regional levels remains weak. Livestock production of cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, horses and camels is an important domain of the rural economy. Although experiencing a prolonged period of decrease in terms of its contribution to the GNP (from 21% in 1960 to 13% in 1991), livestock production is regaining importance (15% of GNP in 2005). The main constraints of this sector are the declining quantity and quality of pasture and water resources. Niger’s forest lands are estimated at 14 million hectares, which is a figure far from reality as most of the forested lands have been cleared for agricultural purposes in the last decade. In the province of Maïné-Soroa, for example, it is estimated that 75% of classified forests have been lost, largely due to unsustainable practices. Few financial and/or credit facilities for funding forestry activities are available to the local population. Firewood provides the main source of energy for cooking and heating. The agricultural systems still use the traditional slash and burn practice, which often threatens wooded lands.

Over the past 30 years, average annual rainfall in Niger has declined, with high inter-annual variability and between different regions. Desertification is a major threat to the country’s economic development. Desertification in Niger is caused by a combination of climatic factors and human-induced actions. The prolonged periods of dryness in the past decades are one of the fundamental causes of the accelerated degradation of natural resources, including declining vegetation cover, high mortality of certain tree species, modifications in faunal and floral species composition, and low recharge rates of ground and surface waters. The expanding sand dune invasion is an indicator of the scale of the desertification dynamics and threats. Lack of vegetation cover combined with high evaporation rates and strong winds have increased soil exposure to wind erosion leading to large-scale desiccation and degradation of landscapes, loss of soil fertility and the development of moving sand dunes. However, while past observations tended to suggest a southward advance of the Sahara desert in Niger, data of recent scientific observations show the concentration of desertification affected areas around human settlements, suggesting the key role of human activity in this process, leading to a further reduction of the total land area available for agriculture and grazing.

B. Land degradation issues

In many parts of the country, sand dune invasion has become a major phenomenon, which threatens agricultural lands, water resources and social infrastructures alike. It is especially pronounced in the region of Agadez, in the northern part of Maradi, and in the Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder and Diffa regions. For example, in Maïné-Soroa province, roughly 25% of the department’s land area (305,000 ha.) is now affected by sand dune invasion, up from 5% in 1986, with an increase of approximately 12,360 hectares per year. In the period 1986-2005, approximately 34,000 hectares of micro-basins and shallow depressions in the proposed project areas (Gouré and Maïne-Soroa provinces) were lost due to sand dune invasion, and a significant number of the remaining micro-basins are currently under high risk. The first sand dune control programs were initiated 30 years ago and several of these treated sites were technically successful. Nevertheless, efforts to date remain time-bound and geographically isolated in their achievements in view of the large scope of the phenomenon. A major challenge nowadays is to tackle the problem on a larger scale and in a manner that ensures the sustainability of results over the long term. The control of sand dunes invasion has been identified as a priority under Niger’s National Action Plan for Desertification Control and Natural Resources Management (PAN-LCD/GRN, 2000). In his speech on Niger’s National Day (3rd August 2006), the President of Niger reaffirmed the importance of, and his steadfast commitment to implementing sand dune invasion controls and to protecting the micro-basin ecosystems in the eastern region of Niger.

Human activities are both exposing new areas to erosion and exacerbating degradation where it is already occurring. With increasing and more concentrated human and animal pressure, the natural resource base is suffering from various forms of overexploitation, including intense farming, overgrazing, tree cutting for firewood, expansion of agriculture onto marginal or sensitive lands (such as dunes and micro-basins), and bush fires. All these lead to the destruction of vegetation, the erosion of fertile soils, and the exhaustion of the regenerative capacity of the soil, aside from entailing Carbon emissions. This long and large-scale land degradation has resulted in the decrease of the productivity of pasture and agricultural lands, which in turn has affected food security and economic development.

However, it is worthwhile noting that various agro-forestry projects have been able to halt or redress these land degradation tendencies, particularly in Zinder Region during the 1990s. Communities in such areas have abandoned perverse practices, such as vegetation clearing, and have adopted new, sustainable ones, such as agro-forestry. These success stories are to be adopted and disseminated by new interventions.

C. Threats and root causes of land degradation and sand invasion, and barriers to their control

The key drivers that have impacted on ecosystem stability are mainly population pressure, changes in land tenure and degrading climate conditions. Niger has one of the highest population growth rates in the world (3.3%) that poses increasing pressures on a vulnerable ecosystem. In addition, reduction of available lands for grazing leads to settlement of people and prolongs the periods of herds staying on a given land area. As a consequence, vegetation cover disappears and erosion advances. The disintegration and dislocation of social structures and traditional natural resource management practices causes more people to encroach on new areas and to exploit natural resources without long-term vision. These social processes operate under harsh climatic conditions: droughts are recurrent and becoming increasingly frequent, thus exacerbating the already vulnerable ecosystems condition.

In general, Niger faces six main threats linked to land degradation, which are all critical in the proposed project provinces. They comprise as follows:

  • Sand dune formation and invasion: In the PLECO project zone, sand invasion has become a generalized phenomenon, threatening the region’s major productive assets and social infrastructure (roads, villages, etc.). In Maïné-Soroa the surface affected increased from 70 ha. in 1975 to 305,000 ha. in 2005. While it is less severe in Gouré, sand dune expansion tripled over the last thirty years, reaching 30,000 ha. in 2005. The key economic role played by the micro-basins and shallow depressions makes their situation even more critical. Between 1986 and 2005, approximately 34,000 ha. of micro-basins and shallow depressions in the PLECO project zone were lost due to sand dune invasion. A significant additional number are currently considered to be at high risk of invasion.
  • Agricultural soil fertility loss and soil erosion: Soil fertility and erosion have been dramatically affected by long periods of drought coupled with damaging agricultural and herding practices in the project zone, particularly as the increasing demographic pressure has encouraged the conversion of savannah to agricultural lands. The consequent removal of nutrients during harvesting, overgrazing and overexploitation of natural resources increase land vulnerability and exacerbates wind erosion. Unsustainable practices include the cultivation of marginal lands, shortening of fallow periods, inadequate manure input, and repetitive bush fires that destroy the regenerative capacity of the soil. Although some micro-basins and shallow depressions are currently under-exploited, others are showing stress from intensive use, in particular degradation and sand invasion of the protective outer perimeter of vegetation, falling water tables, raising salinity due to inappropriate irrigation and drainage techniques, and a declining nutrient balance due to insufficient input of manure.
  • Pastoral land degradation and soil erosion: The time spent by herds in the north is becoming increasingly shorter due to a combination of factors that have reduced fodder and drinking water availability, such as: the desertification process, drier climatic conditions, sand dune invasion of rangelands, and bush fires. As a result, herds return sooner to the areas surrounding the micro-basin zone. As animal concentrations rise, overgrazing and parking increase soil vulnerability to wind erosion and the formation of sand dunes in proximity to the micro-basins. Vegetation appearing in degraded pastures is of lower forage quality.
  • Decline in water availability: The prolonged dry period from the late-1970s to the mid-1990s led to a general drop in the groundwater table. Currently, water withdrawal for livestock and human consumption and for irrigation continue to threaten to lower groundwater tables below critical levels. In addition, sand invasion has destroyed many water points.
  • Loss of biodiversity: Land degradation, overgrazing, tree harvesting, increasingly prevalent bushfires, and hunting and poaching are serious threats to animal and plant biodiversity in the project zone. Tree composition in the area, for instance, has undergone a significant transformation since the 1970s with certain species experiencing high mortality. A number of unique agricultural plant varieties still exist. Wildlife remains relatively diverse, but poaching and organized hunting has put dramatic pressure on many species. More than 21 bird species have been identified in the area, putting the Nigerien side of Lake Chad on the list of wetlands of international importance. However, degradation of the micro-basins is resulting in the loss of important refuges for the aviary fauna coming from Lake Chad.
  • Loss of vegetation cover and carbon storage: The decline in vegetation cover, the increase of sand dunes and the overexploitation of agricultural soils have significantly decreased total carbon stored in vegetation and soils.

The rainfall pattern and the wind characteristics in the project area will determine the future conditions of the micro-basins. The micro-basins are fragile ecosystems and are vulnerable to climate change. The observed trend in rainfall using the modeling shows a future variation of the water tables of micro-basins water bodies from the drying (micro-basins with surface water) to the deepening (micro-basins with intermediate and deeper water tables). The impacts will be disappearance of vegetation and water scarcity. However, the predicted wind velocity will be lower than what is actually observed today, which will be a favorable situation as the sand dune formation and the micro basins silting will be reduced.

Poverty and food deficits have also become chronic. To adapt, villagers have modified their livelihoods and land use strategies, putting additional strain on the resource base as marginal lands are brought into production and productive ecosystems, such as micro-basins, are more intensively exploited by different actors. Conflicts between agricultural and pastoral land use systems are increasing. In many parts of the country, sand dune invasion has become a major threat to agricultural land, water resources and social infrastructure. For example in Gouré District, 246,203 ha of land have been recorded to be covered by sand from 1986 to 2005. The phenomenon is especially pronounced in the region of Agadez, the northern part of Maradi, Tahoua, Tillaberi and the regions of Zinder and Diffa.

The main barriers to overcoming the threats from land degradation are summarized in the table below, which also indicates the project components to address them.

Table 1. Barriers to sustainable land management (SLM) and proposed project's responses

Barriers to SLM / Project components
Insufficient local capacity in natural resource management planning and decision-making at the landscape scale and over the long term; / 2
Little progress towards the development of effective land use strategies due to increasingly frequent conflicts and the lack of efficient communication between the different stakeholders competing for resource use; / 2
The absence of practical strategies at the local, communal, departmental and regional levels for preserving and managing natural resources; / 2
The lack of access at the farmers’ level to improved techniques for agricultural intensification, soil conservation, livestock feeding and health, and for water conservation and management; / 1
Widespread knowledge gaps at the local, regional and national levels and within the research community about land degradation dynamics and their implications; / 1, 2, 3
Weak capitalization of indigenous and local practices for adapting to changing ecological conditions that could present important contributions to more efficient and sustainable natural resource management; / 1, 2
Scarce financial mechanisms and economic opportunities for farmers to commercialize their produce, including a lack of access to rural credit and other financial instruments at the local, regional and national levels to address land degradation with appropriate measures; / 2
The overall level of extreme poverty, which forces the population to focus on securing basic, immediate needs instead of looking ahead to the long term; and / 1
Unfavorable climatic conditions with consequent water stress triggering short term reactions and measures. / 2

The long term solution to remove the above-mentioned barriers is to provide strategic support to: (i) catalyse the up-scaling of local practices for dune, land and ecosystem management, coupled with (ii) strengthening of local institutions’ and stakeholders’ capacity in integrated management of land resources, plus (iii) strengthening of monitoring systems for assessing impact and for knowledge and lessons sharing.