Living Land

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solid fillers. These structures must be strengthened by biologi-

cal plantation to ensure durability.

Results achieved

The implementation of this first phase of PLCE has yielded

very encouraging results. These include the development and

adoption of a master plan for siltation control in the Niger

basin including an action plan and an investment programme;

the implementation of actions to protect and fight against the

siltation of 41,600 ha in Burkina, Mali and Niger; beneficiaries’

use of technical and planning tools to protect and fight against

erosion and silting through a participatory approach; training

of 100,000 farmers in the different technical areas for degraded

lands restoration; and the installation and supervision of 217

Village Committees for Natural Resources Management.

The PLCE programme implementation has generated other

positive environmental and socioeconomic effects including

restructuring and improving the texture and fertility of soil,

revegetation (grass and trees) and the reduction of rural youth

exodus in the basin. The main lessons learned are that:

• reversing the trends of land and water degradation is

possible if you put in adequate human, financial and

technological package resources

• fighting against desertification and Niger River siltation

should be a cross-border/multinational and multisectoral

issue with strong involvement of all the stakeholders

which augers well for accountability in the whole basin.

The implementation of PLCE in the Niger basin helped to

achieve the desired results for all the planned activities. This

performance reflects the effectiveness of an intervention

strategy based on a participatory approach that enabled the

empowerment of benefiting communities through an effec-

tive decentralization of financial resources and of natural

resources management.

In order to consolidate the significant benefits and

to bring actions across the entire basin, the African

Development Bank and other NBA partners (including

UEMOA, KfW, the Global Environment Facility and the

West African Development Bank) commenced, in 2014, the

formulation of an ambitious (scaled-up) siltation control

programme covering all nine countries of the basin. This

is called the Integrated Development and Adaptation to

Climate Change Program in the Niger Basin (PIDACC/

BN). Its overall objective is to contribute to the improve-

ment of livelihoods and resilience of people in the rural

communities through sustainable management of natural

resources in the basin. Specifically it aims to reduce the

silting process of the Niger River, improve communities’

adaptive capacity to climate change, and improve the inte-

grated management of natural resources in the Niger basin.

PIDACC/BN will focus on developing the resilience of

ecosystems and natural resources through the protection of

natural resources and ecosystems and the strengthening of

shared management of water resources; and on developing

the resilience of rural communities through the construc-

tion of multipurpose infrastructure and social protection.

The estimated cost is US$300 million. The programme

preparation is to be finalized in 2016 for effective imple-

mentation in 2017.

Bench restoration in the Tillabery region, Niger

Image: AfDB

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