ENB:04:11
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CILSS:
Fatou Ba pointed out that the first response of the
Sahel countries in tackling serious drought was to address the
economic and social balance. CILSS has adopted a regional
desertification control strategy that is based on the total
commitment of the people. This strategy incorporates a
redefinition of the role of national services, training and
follow-up, and increased coordination between CILSS member
countries. She explained that during the implementation of the
programme some difficulties were experienced, including land
tenure issues, decentralization and duplication of efforts. Thus,
there needs to be integrated national policies and a review of
the rules and regulations governing land resource management.
CILSS has an environmental monitoring institute, an early warning
system, and a population research institute that provide data and
information useful in combatting desertification. She said that
the success of the programme is due to: finding common
approaches; being within reach of the peasant community; its
combination of economies of scale and experiences of different
countries; and its replicability. She warned that the Convention
would only be meaningful and effective if farmers found markets
for their produce, terms of trade are improved, the drier arid
and semi-arid areas are integrated into national economies,
answers are found to land tenure problems and activities are
better coordinated.