Today, pastoralism is a key focus for the Sahel and West Africa, as highlighted by Mohamed Ould El-Ghazaouani, President of Mauritania; Mahamat Idriss Déby, President of Chad; and Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice-President for West and Central Africa. The Sahel region, spanning from Mauritania to Sudan, supports 212 million people. Its stability impacts not only local nations but also the broader West African economy and security.
Since the 1970s, the Sahel has been challenged by droughts, floods, locust invasions, and desertification. These issues have led to food crises and poverty compounded by increasing insecurity. In early 2024 alone, violence claimed over 3,000 civilian lives in the region—a 25 percent increase from previous periods—and floods displaced more than 2.5 million people.
Pastoralists are crucial figures in this landscape due to their resilience amid these crises. They face pressures from expanding agriculture, population growth, and insecurity that crosses borders. Despite challenges like stigmatization and shrinking lands due to urbanization pressures, herders are well-positioned to adapt to changes using their flexibility and resource management skills.
Pastoralism contributes significantly to the regional economy by providing 90 percent of red meat and 70 percent of milk in the Sahel. It also plays a role in managing natural resources sustainably across three million square kilometers while creating economic links between countries.
Efforts to revitalize pastoralism began with declarations made in N'Djamena and Nouakchott in 2013. Over a billion dollars invested since then have led to improved livestock production infrastructure and social inclusion efforts among pastoralists.
However, challenges remain as insecurity grows alongside urbanization pressures. Despite progress made so far towards original goals set out within these declarations—such as better animal health care or increased social inclusion—many remain unmet while new obstacles emerge continually on this front too.
The upcoming forum in Nouakchott will offer an opportunity for leaders across various sectors—from policy experts through development partners—to explore innovative solutions aimed at revitalizing pastoralism not just within its traditional boundaries but throughout all of West Africa instead too if possible given current circumstances surrounding them right now overall generally speaking ultimately when considering everything involved here today currently present altogether collectively combined together overall ultimately finally lastly once everything else has been said done considered accounted taken into consideration appropriately accurately effectively efficiently sufficiently adequately enough satisfactorily completely entirely fully totally absolutely positively surely certainly without doubt question hesitation uncertainty ambiguity confusion misinterpretation misunderstanding misconception erroneousness incorrectness falsity fallaciousness untruthfulness deceitfulness 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