Published in The Journal of Climate Change and Health, this paper examines the intensifying impacts of climate change in West Africa’s Sahel region, focusing on countries such as Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, Mauritania, and Senegal. Rising temperatures, desertification, erratic rainfall, and flooding are exacerbating competition over land and water, escalating violent conflict, and triggering mass displacement. Over 13 million people are now internally displaced across the region. Urban and rural populations alike face growing food insecurity, water scarcity, health service gaps, and significant mental health burdens. The paper calls for integrated climate adaptation policies, improved protection of displaced populations, conflict prevention strategies, and enhanced regional cooperation. It also highlights the urgent need for further research and investment to strengthen resilience and prevent humanitarian crises

Climate change, Natural ressources, Security, Conflict, Political Violence, Human security, Violence, Threat, Soicial sciences, Knowlege production

In her review of Guérir en Afrique. Promesses et transformations, Géraldine Vernerey-Kopp examines a collective volume edited by Alice Desclaux, Aïssa Diarra, and Sandrine Musso. The book investigates the concept of healing in various African settings through a multidisciplinary and constructivist lens. Spread over 14 chapters and four parts, the work explores healing as a therapeutic promise, a collective construction, an individual perception, and a global health issue. It highlights the complexities of medical pluralism, the interaction between biomedicine, traditional, and religious healing systems, and the challenge of defining “healing” in chronic or socially constructed illnesses. Although the notion of healing sometimes remains elusive, the book offers valuable insights to rethink healthcare systems and the role of local therapeutic knowledge in Africa and beyond.

Power, Natural ressources, Education, Gold, Social, Health, Customs, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production

Bréma Ely Dicko’s article traces the history of forced migration in Mali from the colonial era to the present. During colonization (1893–1960), forced labor, head taxes, and military conscription caused massive displacements. After independence, political repression, Tuareg rebellions, droughts, poverty, and institutional fragility intensified these movements. The 2012 security crisis marked a significant shift, leading to unprecedented internal displacements and refugee flows, further exacerbated by the 2020 and 2021 coups. Drawing on documentary research and interviews, the article highlights the complex drivers of forced migration in Mali and the limited capacity of state responses. It emphasizes the humanitarian consequences, long-term exile, and growing social tensions in a persistently unstable environment.

Politics, Political party, State, Migration, Natural ressources, Education, Gold, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production

This Policy Brief analyzes how population displacements have accelerated urbanization in secondary cities across the Sahel, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. These cities, already marked by infrastructural shortcomings, face mounting pressure on housing, land use, and basic services. The massive influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) reshapes social dynamics, especially gender roles, with displaced women often becoming heads of households under precarious conditions. “Non-loti” areas—informal settlements—emerge as default reception zones despite lacking infrastructure. Displaced populations are sometimes viewed with suspicion and associated with security threats. The study urges moving beyond institutional categories and quantitative data, advocating for deeper exploration of “practical norms” that govern urban life. It calls for empirical research to guide inclusive urban planning and better integration of displaced communities in fragile Sahelian contexts.

Politics, Political party, Natural ressources, Education, Gold, Threat, Urbanisation, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production, Internally displaced persons

In contexts of insecurity, qualitative research requires constant "adaptations," encapsulated by the phrase "the field dictates." This article explores ethnographic approaches that diverge from traditional methods, drawing on collaborative research conducted in Niger's Liptako-Gourma region—a transborder area between Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and the epicenter of insecurity since 2015. Inspired by Michel de Certeau's concept of "tactics," the author employs "adaptation" to analyze practices in qualitative research under insecure conditions. Ethnographic constraints are viewed not as insurmountable obstacles but as opportunities to develop new methods while maintaining scientific rigor. These adaptations involve variations in usage and room for maneuver, influenced by the specific relationships between the researcher and the subject of study. The analysis of "ways of doing" encompasses both practical and ethical dimensions, as conducting research in insecure contexts leads to sensitive responses laden with emotions, discomfort, and empathy, which in turn influence knowledge production.

Knowlege production, Insécurité, Ethnography, Qualitative research

The report “Climate Change, Development and Security in the Central Sahel”, published in June 2021, explores how climate change impacts development and security in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. It highlights the links between climate stress, food insecurity, human mobility, and conflict. Climate change exacerbates existing vulnerabilities such as poverty, inequality, armed group proliferation, and social tensions. The study argues that current responses, often overly focused on militarised security, fail to address local realities. Instead, it recommends integrated and context-sensitive strategies to enhance resilience. These include supporting sustainable livelihoods, acknowledging mobility as a coping mechanism, and reinforcing local conflict-resolution systems. The report also advocates for more coherent European and international policies that align climate adaptation with peacebuilding and development goals.

Economic Development, Climate change, Security, Conflict, Education, Development, Food security, Human security, Threat, Knowlege production

This study, conducted in Mali, Niger, and Togo, analyzes the sociocultural, economic, and legal determinants of child marriage (CM) and proposes empowering girls as a strategy to combat it. Despite national laws, traditional and religious norms, particularly Islam, favor the continuation of this practice. Child marriage is often perceived as a protection mechanism against out-of-wedlock pregnancies, a religious obligation, or an economic survival strategy. The low educational attainment of girls and poverty exacerbate the phenomenon. The research mobilized a multidisciplinary and mixed-methods approach, involving qualitative and quantitative surveys. The authors recommend greater involvement of community actors and a change in social norms. Empowering girls through education and economic skills is essential to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and domination.

Gender, Natural ressources, Political Violence, Education, Family, Gold, Threat, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production

Action Against Hunger's 2024 regional report assesses biomass production in the Sahel and West Africa. Following a poor rainy season in 2023, 2024 was marked by abundant rainfall, particularly in the central Sahel, leading to exceptional biomass yields in Niger, Chad, and Burkina Faso. In contrast, coastal countries and some agricultural areas of Mali, Senegal, and southern Chad recorded moderate to low biomass production. Despite sufficient overall resource availability, access is hampered by insecurity, restrictions on livestock mobility, and pressure on grazing land. The report highlights the importance of sustainable resource management, support for pastoralists, and facilitating cross-border transhumance before the 2025 dry season.

Politics, Political party, Natural ressources, Security, Development, Gold, Poverty, Human security, Vulnerability, Knowlege production

Pastoralism plays a vital role in West and Central Africa, contributing to food security and biodiversity conservation. However, this way of life is threatened by climate change, land degradation, and socio-political conflicts. Action Against Hunger (ACF) has implemented various initiatives to strengthen the resilience of pastoral communities, including improving access to water and pasture, promoting sustainable practices, and establishing early warning systems. Regional and national policies support pastoralism through infrastructure, regulations promoting transhumance, and climate adaptation programs. However, challenges persist, including agricultural expansion, land privatization, resource conflicts, and widespread insecurity. A coordinated approach and concerted action are needed to preserve this essential way of life.

Economic Development, Livestock, Climate change, Security, Conflict, Education, Development, Human security, Soicial sciences, Knowlege production