Preservation of the environment by promoting the value of shea and endangered plant species

Summary

The women and young people in the region have been collecting shea almonds for generations, an activity enabling them to fight poverty. Today, shea is an endangered plant species because of human action, high pressure, climate change. To preserve the shea resources, the women of UGF/CDN are carrying out a number of activities:

Development of shea parks
Preservation of endangered plant species
Agroforestry
Sustainable Land Management / Natural Resource Management
ANR, MED, reforestation, transplanting

The project was funded with the community’s own funds, as well as contributions and donations.

Other actors included the MARP Network, DRYDEV and Equité.

Process

The approach has been participatory and, thanks, to the transfer of capacities, today the population is applying the techniques without the need for the presence of a technician. The project approach is based on the enhancement of local knowledge. The local administration, communities and STD were involved through social mobilisation, participation in activities, material support. The coordination was done by a team composed of OPs, STDs and the City Council.

Women and young people are at the heart of the activity, which focuses on creation of employment, social support for young people, and combating malnutrition. The CBDRM programme has taken into account the various marginalised groups (the elderly, people with disabilities, all are involved in the programme).

The approach involved all the social strata of the community. The monitoring mechanism is internal, and the facilitators are trained to collect data and do the follow-up.

Impact

The initiative is continuing because the beneficiaries have become aware of the importance of DRM activities and are championing the project. The municipal authorities have committed to support them. The activities are continuing until now.

Since the establishment of the programme, the life of the population has changed: no longer illegal cutting of wood, trees are planted and transplanted, there are reforestation activities going on, development of shea parks, and restoration of degraded land.

Other

The programme has been able to transfer skills to the communities.

Yes, there is the Forestry Code, the Rural Land Act. Our structure works with other organizations to influence the laws and policies such as: CRA, TFK, PNCE-B and CPF.

At the local level, it is the village development council that is responsible for coordinating the CBDRM actions, involving the local elected officials.

Financial resources for CBDRM are available because community level DRM is taken into account in the municipal development plans, and women's groups are also processing and marketing products thus generating additional income.

The communities are now planting shea. The CSOs are developing agroforestry parks. The Government is applying the Rural Land Act, the activities are taken into account in literacy centres and school programmes and the PRDs and PCDs.

Summary

Process

Tell us about the extent to which the CBDRM intervention was ‘owned’ by the community. Were local skills and knowledge used? What was the role of the local government? How were the CBDRM activities coordinated? By whom?

To what extent were the most marginalised and at-risk groups included in the CBDRM process? Focus on women, children and youth, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Are there any other marginalised groups in your society who were included in the CBDRM activities?

Were the CBDRM activities adjusted in any way to account for changing priorities and/or contexts in the community? If so, how? Think about mechanisms to monitor changes and learn from the activities, and who this monitoring and learning is coordinated by.

Impact

Please reflect on how well the initiative has been able to continue beyond the end of the programme. To what extent were local resources used for the CBDRM activities? How long since programme completion have the CBDRM practices continued?

Please describe how lives have changed since the CBDRM project. Think about different people’s levels of resilience and vulnerability.

Other

Please provide us with any other information you think will highlight the sustainability of your particular CBDRM project. Feel free to add relevant pictures, photos, graphs or anything else that may highlight the sustainability of your project.

Discuss the availability of long-term funding for CBDRM in different budgets. To what extent do incentives and disincentives exist for CBDRM? Please provide any details, including reference to the continuity and diversification of funding.