Challenges for the Center of Mali

1. Inner Niger Delta• Setting the stage

2. Water Resource Conflicts: • Inappropriate conflict management• Intensification of violence • The rise of inter-community violence

3. Development plans related to the Niger riverConflict-sensitivity and dialogue

4. Way forward: Opportunities and challenges

5. Conclusion and recommendations

The Inner Niger Delta

Largest wetlands in west Africa, Hub of food production and biodiversity Provides 15% of the national cereal production• Provides 80% of the national

fish production• Is home to 50% of the

national herd

• Shrinking of flooded area:

→ from 41 000 Km2 to less than 10 000 Km2 in 50 years….

• Speed population growth:

→ from half million to over 2 million depending on livelihoods from IND

Drastic increase of water stress resulting in (armed) conflicts between fishermen, farmers, pastoralists

IND: Climate buffer and Epicenter of Conflicts, Why?

4

Water-Resource Conflicts

Competition for access to and management of water resources• Conflict over Bourgoufields• Conflict between socio-economic groups• Ethnic polarization

Water-Resource Conflicts: Inappropriate Conflict Management

Laws and Justice systems

• Overlaps & contradiction: Traditional and modern laws

• Disconnect between people and modern justice system

• Traditional justice lacks power and its legitimacy is questioned

• Some misbehavior within the defense and security forces

Water-Resource Conflicts: Intensification of violence

Spread of conflict from the north to the center

• Terrorist and Jihadist groups• Marginalized and young

people are targets• Exploitation of feelings of

inequality• Self-proclaimed self-defense

militias

Water-Resource Conflicts: Inter-community violence

Development plans related to the Niger river

Two projects aimed at food and energy security, but conflict driving, require inclusive Dialogue between stakeholders• Water infrastructures: Fomi

dam• Large scale irrigation: Office du

Niger

Opportunities created by setting up Unions and Coalitions

• Improved communication between water user groups (farmers, fishermen and pastoralists):

➢ Peacebuilding pathway forward

➢ better future predictable;

• Improved organizational capacity of communities for better governance:

➢ negotiation capacity increased

➢ Interests of each group considered

The way forward

10

Challenges

• How improving access to credits to scale up bourgouculture (water grass pilot actions)

• How assuring transparent communication from national policy level to downstream actors

• Handle insecurity linked to external actors imposing charia

The way forward

Conclusions and Recommendations

How to create more security in this complex situation• Challenging wetlands ecosystems sustainable management• Policy and social inclusive dialog on natural resource

management, especially water (gvt, communities, CSO/NGO…)

Thank you!

www.wetlands.org/watershocks