28 June 2016
UNCCD, Partners Explore Land-Based Solutions to Counter Rural Exodus in West Africa
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A joint project by the Global Mechanism (GM) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is exploring ways to stem the rural-urban exodus in West Africa by developing sustainable alternatives for seasonal migration, which was traditionally used as a coping mechanism in times of poor harvests or extreme drought, but is increasingly being replaced by more permanent relocation due to the cumulative impact of drought, land degradation and climate change on local livelihoods.

global-mechanism-iom22 June 2016: A joint project by the Global Mechanism (GM) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is exploring ways to stem the rural-urban exodus in West Africa by developing sustainable alternatives for seasonal migration. Such migration was traditionally used as a coping mechanism in times of poor harvests or extreme drought, but is increasingly being replaced by more permanent relocation due to the cumulative impact of drought, land degradation and climate change on local livelihoods.

The GM/UNCCD, IOM and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation organized a regional workshop from 18-19 May, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Government of Burkina Faso. The event brought together more than 60 high-level representatives from regional institutions, international experts and the Governments of Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal, who discussed how to advance dialogue on this topic.

The workshop focused on how to: use migration as a resilience strategy to tackle the intertwined challenges of desertification, land degradation, drought, climate change and migration; promote investments in sustainable land management (SLM) and adaptation to climate change to build resilience in migration-prone areas in West Africa, including through the direct investments of migrants through remittances; and reduce vulnerability and insecurity caused by land degradation, in particular the negative effects of land degradation on population growth, migration and poverty and the increased risks of radicalization of young vulnerable people that might become a target for extremists groups.

Participants concluded that creating land-based green jobs is a crucial part of the solution to stemming the migration exodus of rural communities in West Africa. [Global Mechanism Press Release] [IISD RS Stories on the Great Green Wall of the Sahara and Sahel Initiative]

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