An ecosystem approach to restoring west African drylands and improving rural livelihoods through agroforestry-based land management interventions: project description

This new project will contribute to the implementation of DPDL-UNEP’s 2004-2005 Biennial Programme (UNEP GC.22/6) Programme Element 2.4: Policy Review, Analysis and Development, in particular Programme Component 2.4.2: to provide technical assistance and capacity building to countries to implement appropriate policies, strategies and action plans for advancing sustainable development objectives. The project aims to promote an ecosystems approach for sustainable management of the Parkland ecosystems (integrated crop-tree-livestock systems) of the semi-arid lowlands of West Africa. The project will build regional and local capacity in environmental policy development for restoring the WAfrican Parklands with the ultimate aim of improving human well-being and alleviating poverty. More specifically, the project will (a) build capacity of village communities in sustainable land use planning and conservation agroforestry practices; (b) train national teams in five countries in quantitative characterization of land degradation, and targeting, evaluation and monitoring of policy and conservation agroforestry interventions; (c) locate land degradation hot spots in the region and spatially target recommendations on appropriate policy and agroforestry-based land conservation practices; (d) produce guidelines and case studies for characterization of dryland degradation, targeting interventions and monitoring impact; and (e) provide guidelines and case studies for improved national and regional policy based on adaptive ecosystem management. Activities will be principally undertaken through partnership with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), the University of Florida Center for Environmental Policy (UF/CEP), national institutions in the five participating countries (Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal), and regional policy networks such as UNCCD-RAPs, AMCEN, NEPAD, CILSS, and INSAH. The project will complement UNEP’s support for the implementation of the UNCCD, by aiming to restore degraded drylands in Africa, prevent further desertification and promote sustainable land management as an integral part of national development policies, strategies and plans. est

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