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30% of the Senegalese population lives on livestock products, without managing to meet all the country’s needs (meat, milk, etc.). The semi-arid territory of Ferlo is enhanced by an extensive livestock farming system, characterized by shared access to space and resources. In recent decades, climate change, the extension of cultivated areas and various pressures on natural resources have greatly accentuated the desertification of this fragile pastoral territory.

The Ega Egga project supported the establishment and structuring of 26 pastoral units (PU) that constitute spaces for consultation between users of a territory to ensure collective management guaranteeing equitable and sustainable access to natural resources. The project also supported the networking of PUs through Federations and strengthened the technical skills of the actors as well as the diversification of economic activities in the area.

The evaluation confirmed the relevance of support to PUs to protect and maintain the fragile ecosystems of Ferlo in a participatory and equitable manner. This approach, recognized as integrated and innovative, contributes to supporting the emergence of a pastoral population that is more resilient to current and future climate and demographic challenges. However, there are still many challenges to scale up these approaches and sustain the functioning of existing PUs. For more information: https://www.avsf.org/fr/posts/859/full/pastoralisme-et-lutte-contre-la-desertification-au-nord-senegal