Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : SAHEL IN TRANSITION - Can the re-greening help smallholders escape persistent poverty ?

Pays/Région : Sahel

Date : 1 January 2011–31 December 2012

Identifiant : 2013-06161_VR

Présentation
The recent re-greening of Sahel, manifested by increased landscape productivity, is described as a success story where local people have been able to improve their welfare. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence for the benefits.

The aim of this project is to quantify the effects of a greener Sahel on local smallholders livelihoods. The project strives to answer if productive ecosystems can help people escape persistent poverty. Combining participatory field research with modeling of rainfall and welfare dynamics, the income contribution from local ecosystem services will be investigated in communities situated along a non-greened to re-greened gradient in the Sahel. Since recurring droughts implies a risk for poverty traps, special focus will be on the influence of landscape productivity on peoples capacity to cope with drought without having to deplete their asset holdings.

Coordination : Stockholm University

Financement : Swedish Research Council
Budget : 1,915,000 kr

Swecris project database