Full Project Title: Basin Focal Project Niger (PN64)
The Niger Basin, spanning 9 countries and over 1 200 000 km2, presents a variety of diverse and complex issues. A large transboundary basin supporting over 95 million people, it is characterized by extreme rural poverty. The basin countries suffer from a generalized state of underdevelopment (roads, electricity, health, water supply) as well as insecurity and corruption issues.
The project completed a diagnosis of the hydrologic and agronomic potential, before attempting to identify how good agricultural water management may reduce vulnerability in the region, and preserve local ecosystems. Major future threats and opportunities, as well as the influence of institutions on water and agricultural development are discussed.
- The study indicated that while many technical solutions are available and identified, institutional issues as well as generalized poverty undermine their sustained uptake by communities. Further research is required in order to determine how to overcome socio-economic and institutional issues.
- Climatic scenarios for the Niger basin predicting increased temperatures, variability, dry spells and extreme events as well as reduced rainfall in western parts of West Africa will increase the strain on already vulnerable agriculture.
- Small-scale irrigation is currently more water efficient and recommendations for its sustainable and equitable expansion should be examined.
- Land tenure is affected by the legal pluralism and reforms favoring individualized tenure and land titles. New participative and communal land titling systems may help protect the tenure rights of the poor.
- The report is the result of web based literature reviews and secondary information gathering. It summarizes the Niger basin countries major development missions, goals, objectives, challenges, and constraints, and suggests potential interventions that may ameliorate the identified development constraints.
- Improvements in agricultural water management and in the management of the Niger basin water resources can have significant effects on poverty.
To view all outputs from project PN64 visit our document repository.
Selected publications and outputs
- Baati S., Boucher F., Marquis H., 2009, Analyse institutionnelle de la gestion des usages agricoles de l’eau dans le bassin du fleuve Niger, TGE, AgroParisTech- ENGREF, feÅLvrier, 33p. + Annexes.
- Bader, J.-C. (2008). Note sur l’eÅLtat des preÅLvision climatiques en Afrique de l’Ouest : cas du bassin du Niger. IRD, Montpellier and CPWF, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 5 p.
- Barbier, B. et al. (2009). ProductiviteÅL de l’eau d’irrigation dans le basin du fleuve Niger (Draft). CIRAD/ 2iE, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and CPWF, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 151 p.
- Boyer, J.-F. (2009). BFP Niger, rapport final. HSM, IRD Montpellier and CPWF, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 11 p.
- Boyer, J.-F. (2007). Site : < www.BfpNiger.eu >
- Boyer, J.-F. (2008-09). Base de donneÅLes sur la productiviteÅL de l’eau dans le bassin du Niger, format IDIS, www.BfpNiger.
- Caron, A., (2009). BFP Niger – Institutional analysis. IRD, Montpellier and CPWF, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 4 p.
- Cecchi, P. (2009). Les petits barrages en Afrique de l’Ouest et note sur les ameÅLnagements du Bani. IRD, Montpellier and CPWF, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 4 p.
- Dieulin C., 2007. Afrique de l’Ouest et Centrale. Bassins hydrographiques. Paris, IRD Editions, 1 map.
- Dieulin, C. (2008). Bassin hydrographique du fleuve Niger. IRD Montpellier and CPWF, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 1 map.
CIRAD, HSM, INERA, CSIRO, ENGREF, IWMI, ILRI, ABN
For more information on Phase 1 outputs please contact Udana Ariyawansa.