2013-2015: Water Conflicts and Best Management Practices in Pastoralist Areas in the Sahel Region

The African Union Research Grant is funding the SUNARPA project “Mapping of water conflicts and best management practices in pastoralist areas in the Sahel region
– create in-depth knowledge, develop an interdisciplinary research methodology and transfer the know-how to all relevant stakeholders”.

Conflicts over access to water have their origin in a complex bundle of social, economic, environmental and political reasons and cannot be researched without having an integrated view.

 

Overall Objective(s) of the Research:

  • to contribute to the wellbeing and improved quality of life for the African citizens and to understand science as a tool for sustainable development;
  • to contribute to Africa’s poverty reduction strategies, sustainable development and peace;
  • to contribute to making the use of natural resources sustainable and peaceful and improving the living conditions of one of the poorest sections of Africa’s population, the pastoralists in the arid and semi-arid areas;
  • to contribute to the establishment and strengthening of networks of centres of excellence

Specific Objective:

  • to produce in-depth, evidence-based multi-level and interdisciplinary know-how to sustainably manage and resolve conflicts over access to water resources in the pastoralist areas of the Sahel and
  • to transfer the gained know-how to the target groups and all relevant stakeholders in order to raise awareness for the challenges pastoralists face and over how to effectively manage water resources and conflicts and in order to introduce changes.

Estimated results:

  • In-depth evidence-based multi-level and interdisciplinary know-how to sustainably manage and resolve conflicts over access to water resources in the pastoralist areas of the Sahel created;
  • An interdisciplinary research and action methodology as well as training manual and a mapping of best practices designed;
  • Gained know-how transferred to all relevant stakeholders.

Target group(s):

researchers, water, conflict and pastoralism governance framework (policy makers, regional /national/ local authorities), development /security actors, civil society, pastoralist (agro-pastoralist /farmer) organisations (unions)

Final beneficiaries:

Pastoralist (agro-pastoralist and farmer) communities and their representing organisations (unions), irrigation companies as well as the target groups.

Main activities:

  • interdisciplinary and participatory research: international and inter-African know-how exchange, desk and field research, interdisciplinary methodological development,
  • outreach /awareness raising: policy advice, publications/ manuals, conferences/workshops /stakeholder consultations, training