Near East and North Africa

IFAD’s presence in the region

IFAD has invested US$980.0 million in 83 programmes and projects in the traditional borrowing countries of the region, and has mobilized cofinancing of US$1.3 billion. In order of importance, these operations have been in the areas of agricultural development (40 per cent), rural development (20 per cent), credit and financial services (10 per cent), irrigation (9 per cent), livestock (9 per cent), fisheries (6 per cent) and research (5 per cent). In addition, IFAD has provided 14 large technical assistance grants (of more than US$100,000 each) for research, training and capacity-building activities in the subregion.

Because of the severe natural resource constraints facing rural poor people in the region, IFAD investments have increasingly focused on natural resource management. IFAD-financed programmes and projects address the closely linked issues of rural poverty reduction, agricultural growth and sustainable environmental management.

Land tenure and land-use reform also are crucial issues addressed by IFAD operations. IFAD also focuses on improved water harvesting and management of rangelands and fisheries, benefiting a large portion of the poor people in the region, who depend on these resources for their livelihoods.

• Jordan: Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Management Practices
• Morocco: Participatory Control of Desertification and Poverty Reduction in the Arid and Semi-Arid High Plateau Ecosystems of Eastern Morocco
• Tunisia: Support to Sustainable Land Management in the Siliana Governorate

Source: IFAD