Niger
Resilience approaches can help address poverty, climate change, and instability in Niger.
Overview
Recurring shocks from poverty and climate change have been exacerbated by conflict. Deteriorating security has caused a sharp escalation in humanitarian needs, putting more families at risk of food insecurity and acute malnutrition. In recent years, the Government of Niger has taken a proactive leadership approach to building resilience.
Complex Risk Environment
Insecurity and attacks by armed groups are leading to internal displacement across the Lake Chad Basin and other parts of Niger, complicating service delivery and humanitarian relief efforts. As crops and infrastructure are destroyed, rural populations dependent on subsistence agriculture become increasingly at risk for acute malnutrition and food insecurity. Other vulnerabilities, including disease outbreaks, flooding, and drought are unlikely to abate.
Resilience Approach
In 2012, the Government of Niger established a High Commission called Nigeriens Feeding Nigeriens (3N), to coordinate all development programming in food security and nutrition. 3N prioritizes improvements in water access, agricultural production, and resilience. International donors contribute to building resilience through improvements to agriculture, health, and governance. Investing in resilience also supports efforts to counter violent extremism. Resilience investments respond to common grievances, such as lack of government services and poor economic opportunities, and address common drivers of instability, such as local conflicts and shock-related population displacements.
Opportunities for Strengthening Resilience
There are many opportunities to strengthen resilience from the local to national levels, including: improving access to and management of water and other natural resources; promoting business development and opportunities to engage in growing markets; improving health outcomes; strengthening community and national health systems; strengthening effective governance at all levels; and empowering women and youth to be a force for positive change. An additional new and important focus will be on maintaining improving security and accountability.
Featured Resources
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The USAID Center for Resilience commissioned the Overseas Development Institute, in...
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Gender inequality can undermine efforts to enhance resilience capacity. In this study we explored both gender inequality in Hausa communities in...
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The purpose of this study is to explain the role of key variables in determining the current level of resilience of the population in Niger...
More Resources
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Lessons for Building Resilience in Protracted Crises and Conflict-affected Settings
This brief examines factors that contribute to local-level variation in social cohesion in order to improve programming. Hypothesized to reduce violence, social cohesion is a necessary...
Conflict and FragilitySocial InclusionNiger -
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Join REAL for a discussion on the practical aspects of planning and implementing a recurrent monitoring survey (RMS), featuring panelists from Mercy Corps and TANGO International with first-hand experience of completing an RMS. The panelists will discuss considerations for setting up an RMS and...
AgricultureEvidence and AnalysisDemocratic Republic of the CongoNigerBurkina Faso -
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The RISE portfolio aims to strengthen resiliency in communities and governments in selected, somewhat adjoining areas of Burkina Faso and Niger.
Conflict and FragilityGovernanceShock Responsive ProgramsNigerBurkina Faso -
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This evaluation explores how different productive inclusion programs impact the wellbeing and economic stability of safety net beneficiaries in Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.
GovernanceShock Responsive ProgramsSocial ProtectionNigerBurkina FasoSenegal -
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Join panelists from TANGO International and USAID for a presentation of the key findings from the RISE I (Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced) recurrent monitoring surveys (RMS). The RMS followed a group of RISE I households from August 2018 through April 2019 in both Niger and Burkina Faso to...
EducationNutritionGovernanceDiversify Livelihood RisksBurkina FasoNiger -
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This report documents the analysis of the Recurrent Monitoring Survey (RMS) 20I8-19 data set collected as part of the impact evaluation of the Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) program. The overarching goal of the RISE program is to increase the resilience to shocks of chronically...
Conflict and FragilityShock Responsive ProgramsBurkina FasoNiger -
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This report documents the resilience analysis of the midline data set collected for the impact evaluation (IE) of the Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) initiative.
Evidence and AnalysisBurkina FasoNiger -
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This series of cases explores central questions for practitioners interested in conducting a risk and resilience assessment. Each case explores various contexts where Mercy Corps conducted a risk and resilience assessment, the Strategic Resilience Assessment (STRESS), in Niger, Nepal and...
Evidence and AnalysisNigerNepalUganda -
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Health intersects with resilience and sustained poverty escapes in at least three ways. Poor health reduces well-being and can be a shock or stressor at the individual, household, community or systems level. It can also act as an important form of human capital, a resilience capacity that...
Sustainable Poverty EscapesHealthTanzaniaNigerMalawiEthiopiaUgandaKenyaPhilippinesNepalCambodiaBangladesh -
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Gender inequality can undermine efforts to enhance resilience capacity. In this study we explored both gender inequality in Hausa communities in southern Niger and the meaning of women’s empowerment in this context.
Gender EquityNiger