WaterAid West Africa's report (July 2021) highlights that climate change exacerbates water insecurity in Burkina Faso and Niger, where access to safe water and sanitation remains limited. Climate variations lead to unpredictable water availability, affecting agriculture, livestock, and public health. Surface water resources are weakened by recurrent droughts and desertification, intensifying water stress. WaterAid urges governments to incorporate water, sanitation, and hygiene into climate policies as key adaptation strategies, enhance climate resilience, and develop national funding proposals to address these challenges.

Governance, Climate change, Security, Hygiène, Désertification

The World Bank article, published in February 2021, highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the most severe recession in the Sahel since independence, plunging an additional 1.3 million people into extreme poverty. This crisis is compounded by the escalation of violence, particularly in the tri-border region between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, causing the displacement of 2 million people. To address these challenges, the World Bank is focusing its efforts on three main areas: Climate: Investing in restoring degraded land, increasing agricultural productivity and strengthening water security to develop climate-resilient food systems. Population: Focusing on educating girls and keeping them in school, particularly through the SWEDD project, to combat early marriage and promote women's empowerment. Infrastructure: Improving connectivity and promoting digital transformation, with projects aimed at providing access to electricity to millions of people. These initiatives aim to build a more sustainable and resilient future for the Sahel countries.

Governance, Climate change, Security, Development, Poverty, Women

The article “Knowledge is Power: Youth-led research to address power dynamics in knowledge and advocacy processes to end child marriage and promote girls’ education in West Africa” published in July 2024 by Girls Not Brides, highlighting the alarming prevalence of child marriage in West and Central Africa, where 39% of girls are married before the age of 18. Countries such as Niger (76%), Central African Republic (68%) and Chad (67%) are among the highest rates in the world. The project aims to strengthen the participation of young people, especially young women, in research and advocacy processes

Education, Women

The Danish Refugee Council’s article “Education under attack in West and Central Africa highlights the devastating impact of conflict on education in the region. By the end of the 2021-2022 school year, more than 12,400 schools were closed in eight countries, mainly due to attacks by non-state armed groups, teachers fleeing or parents being afraid to send their children to school. This is jeopardizing the future of entire generations of children, depriving them of access to learning and exposing them to compounding risks such as early marriage, child labour and recruitment by armed groups. Despite the adoption of the Safe Schools Declaration by most countries in the region, persistent attacks underscore the need for concrete measures to protect education. The report recommends holistic and multi-sectoral approaches, strengthening alternative learning solutions and increasing funding for education in emergencies.

Governance, Security, Education

The OCHA report of March 2024 highlights the complexity of the humanitarian situation in Chad, exacerbated by structural crises, climate shocks and the massive influx of refugees fleeing the Sudanese conflict since April 2023. These factors seriously disrupt the provision of essential social services, particularly in the east of the country, and compromise development efforts. Chad, one of the poorest countries in the world, hosts more than a million refugees, placing it among the seven countries receiving the most. Inter- and intra-community conflicts, as well as the presence of non-state armed groups, lead to forced displacement of populations, particularly in the provinces of Logone Occidental and Lac. Food insecurity affects nearly 40% of households, with particularly high rates in the Sahelian and Saharan zones. The nutritional situation is worrying, aggravated by limited access to drinking water and health services. The 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan aims to provide emergency assistance to 4 million people, improve access to social services for 3.6 million people and strengthen the resilience of 4.6 million people, with a total budget of US$1.14 billion.

Security, Conflict, refugee, Crise humanitaire

The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) paper highlights increasing attacks on education in the Central Sahel, including in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, between 2015 and 2019. These attacks, often perpetrated by armed groups opposed to French-language education, include the burning and looting of schools, as well as threats, kidnappings, or killings of teachers. State and non-state forces have also used schools for military purposes, exacerbating insecurity. GCPEA recommends measures to protect education, such as implementing the Safe Schools Declaration, prosecuting those responsible for attacks, and implementing education programs that are tailored to local contexts.

Governance, Education, Military activity, Protection

The "Gender at the Centre Initiative" commissioned a study to assess the integration of gender equality into the educational sector planning in Mauritania. This analysis focuses on the Triennial Budgeted Action Plan (PATB) 2019-2021, developed in 2012 under the leadership of the Ministry of Education and UNESCO. Findings indicate that, although there is a political effort to include gender considerations in educational policies, this initiative primarily addresses concerns from external stakeholders. Civil society organizations and technical and financial partners observe that gender issues are often raised by external actors, with the ministry showing less proactivity in this area. Furthermore, there is no clear mechanism for accountability, reporting, and monitoring the implementation of gender equality in education. Final decisions regarding the PATB are mainly made by the planning directorate, with limited coordination among various ministry departments, hindering constructive dialogue and effective integration of gender considerations into sectoral planning.

Governance, Gender, Women, Violence, Marginalisation, Political participation, Inclusion, Parity

This article examines the impact of climate change and population displacement on the environment in the Hodh Chargui region of southeastern Mauritania. The Sahel, including Mauritania, is particularly vulnerable to global warming, with a projected temperature increase of 3°C by 2050, leading to desertification, drought, crop degradation, and soil erosion. The prolonged presence of refugees in the Mbera camp increases pressure on local resources such as water, fuelwood, and grazing land, creating potential tensions with host communities. In response, the Mauritanian government and its partners, including UNHCR, have incorporated environmental preservation into their strategies, notably through the National Strategy for the Environment and Sustainable Development and the Regional Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity (SCAPP/SCRAPP). Reforestation initiatives have been implemented since 2016, with thousands of trees planted in and around the Mbera camp, thanks to collaboration between UNHCR, SOS Desert, RET-Germany, and local communities

Climate change, Environment, refugee, Crisis

Amnesty International’s 2023 annual report on Mauritania highlights several human rights concerns. In May, after the ruling party won legislative, regional and local elections, allegations of fraud were raised by some opposition parties. In December, former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was sentenced to five years in prison for corruption. The report denounces cases of torture and ill-treatment, including the death in police custody of human rights defender Souvi Ould Jibril Ould Cheine in February, attributed to traumatic asphyxiation by strangulation. Freedom of expression has been restricted, with mobile internet cuts in June following protests, and during national reviews to prevent cheating. The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances has also highlighted the lack of thorough examination of proposals for a truth and reconciliation mechanism concerning human rights violations between 1989 and 1992.

Governance, Human Rights, Torture