There is a close link between environmental degradation and rural poverty. Desertification, water pollution, environmentally related conflicts, climate change and loss of biodiversity, all present major challenges, especially to poor rural people, many of whom depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. Land degradation and dwindling water resources have resulted in Africa’s soils being the most depleted in the world. In parts of the continent, extreme population pressure and poor land management practices have led to permanent loss of soil fertility.

In sub-Saharan Africa, IFAD supports responsible agricultural growth balanced with enhanced livelihood opportunities. It does this by supporting sustainable natural resource management and collective action for environmental sustainability. IFAD’s experience shows that secure access to natural resources, especially land and water, and the technologies to exploit them in an effective and sustainable manner, coupled with strong policies and institutional frameworks, are essential to poverty reduction.

Several IFAD-supported projects have been successful in scaling up good practices and recovering marginal land and ecosystems. These include rangeland management in Eritrea and Rwanda, improved land husbandry and crop production in Ethiopia, and soil fertility management and improvement in The Gambia and Malawi. Other successful examples include the traditional soil and conservation practice of managing rainfall, known as tassa, in the Niger, the use of planting pits in Burkina Faso, and the use of anti-erosive measures and the rehabilitation of natural tree plantations in Senegal.

The joint panel discussion organized by the Western and Central Africa Division and the Eastern and Southern Africa Division of IFAD will provide an opportunity to showcase what works and why, allowing for an exchange of views on the way ahead for future IFAD activity.