8 October 2014: The Global Mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are working on a project that promotes sustainable land management (SLM) in migration-prone areas in West-Africa through the use of innovative financing mechanisms. The three-year project, funded by the Government of Italy, supports Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Senegal in efforts to prevent land degradation and restore degraded land areas by increasing investments in SLM.
Implemented by the two organizations, in partnership with sub-regional organizations in West Africa, UNCCD and IOM National Focal Points, and diaspora networks and migrant associations in the destination countries, the project provides support in three areas: integrating the SLM-migration nexus into development policies and budgetary processes; increasing economic opportunities and enhancing the investment climate for SLM; and disseminating best practices in SLM identified in the region, and their funding in international fora.
The project, titled ‘Promoting SLM in Migration-Prone Areas in West Africa through Innovative Financing Mechanisms,’ is aligned with the UNCCD’s broader goal of promoting the sustainable use of natural resources in the countries of origin in order to minimize environmentally-induced migration, and to build resilience to desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) and climate change at the local level. The sources of finance examined and promoted by the project include trust funds and payments for environmental services (PES), as well as pre-financing mechanisms, insurance schemes and mechanisms for “debt-for-nature swap.”
The project was showcased during a conference on ‘Integrating Migration and Development – Diaspora as a Development Enabler’ organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the IOM from 2-3 October in Rome, Italy. The focus of the conference, which attracted approximately 200 experts from around the world, ranging from governments to civil society and to the private sector, was on the migration-development nexus.
The three aspects covered during the conference were: the economic benefits of migration; social impact of migration; and environmental impact of migration, including DLDD as a driver and effect, and contributions of diaspora to SLM practices and climate change adaptation. [Global Mechanism Press Release] [Diaspora Conference Press Release] [IISD RS Sources]