Promotion of dialogue and prevention of conflicts between farmers and cattle owners in Dallols

In Dallols region; ecosystems are under increasing pressures due to ways local population manage natural resources. These pressures result not only in decreasing the availability of natural resources but they have induced increasing conflicts, sometimes bloody, between farmers and cattle breeders for access to water sources and pastures. At the time of transhumance of drove from the arid North to the sub-humid South, such conflicts can degenerate in armed confrontations leaving dozens dead every year in Niger Despite existing legal texts and mechanisms to secure land tenure, this phenomenon persists and increases. Stakeholders in natural resources management are left helpless in dealing with the issue. The present project consists in initiating a dialogue between farmers, cattle breeders, local leaders, civil society and customary and administrative authorities in a limited area in Dosso region to discuss the issue of equitable access and sharing of natural resources and find consensus to avoid more conflicts. Lessons learned and proposed solutions will be validated at national level and disseminated at international level through IUCN publication in 2006 and support the development of a wider programme within West Africa.

This project has enabled a dialogue between pastoralists and crop farmers in the region of Dallols in Niger. The dialogue aims at sharing a common vision on natural resources management in the project area and thus preventing conflicts. This initiative has encouraged the emergence of a peaceful climate and has enabled resolutions towards co-management of natural resources. The community’s capacity to promote a concerted management of natural resources has been strengthened. These exchanges over peaceful co-management of resources were capitalized and valued at the local, national and international level through the IUCN network. A participatory diagnostic of the studies and reflections engaged, led to a better understanding of the causes of these conflicts, including farming encroachment into forested areas and grazing lands, bush fires, overexploitation of NTFP, overgrazing, conflicting stakeholders’ interest, land tenure etc. A plan of action has been elaborated involving the Code Rural secretariat. This plan will be implemented in a longer term project that is being drafted. Furthermore, the project led to participatory elaboration of conflict prevention measures in forms of Conventions Locales and co-management contracts. The project has put in place an Information Education and Communication approach through a workshop and production of a TV documentary.