In Niger, Switzerland helps secure transhumance corridors in order to reduce conflicts between nomadic and sedentary populations.
Resolving pastoral conflicts
Promoting economic development by improving the coexistence of sedentary farmers and nomadic herders is one of the priorities of the SDC’s programme to support livestock farming in Niger, a country that mainly lives off the agro-pastoral sector. Transhumance (which concerns 70% of herds) leads to recurrent conflicts, which are sometimes deadly, and significant financial losses. This is caused by pressure on natural resources due to the expansion of cultivated land, strong demographic growth and climate change. Nomadic pastoralists are also victims of armed groups in the north of the country, which force them to flee with their herds.
For several years the SDC has been working to develop and secure grazing land, including in cross-border areas, in tandem with local populations and authorities. It supports consolidation of the rural code and implementation of the ordinance guaranteeing nomadic populations the right to mobility. These efforts have led to tangible results: 2,000 hectares of grazing land have been restored, 4,000km of pathways have been designated and documented, over 100 wells have been cemented and land commissions are in place to manage and prevent disputes. These measures serve as a model for the whole of Africa.
