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Mali

A multisectoral approach is needed to build resilience in Mali, which is highly vulnerable to climate change.

Overview

Mali faces a variety of recurring shocks resulting from poverty, conflict, and climate variability and change. Decreasing rainfall and increasing temperature exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, especially in conflict-affected areas in the north and central regions. Increasing and protracted conflict combined with contested governance makes these regions particularly vulnerable to food insecurity.

Risk Environment

Mali is a landlocked country deeply dependent on rain-fed agriculture. Increasing climate variability, particularly droughts, flooding, and crop pests continue to threaten food security and livelihoods. In recent years, persistent insecurity and increasing intercommunal conflict in the north and central regions have contributed to acute food insecurity and constrained humanitarian access. Escalations in violence have increased internal displacement, disrupted markets, and challenged populations’ ability to meet basic needs.

Resilience Approach

The government of Mali has actively engaged in the regional Global Alliance for Resilience process and, through that, has articulated national level resilience priorities. International donors implement multisectoral programs that aim to address the underlying causes of vulnerability as well as activities that specifically equip households to mitigate the effects of climate change. Improving economic opportunities, human capital, nutrition, agricultural practices, WASH services, access to financial services, and access to accurate, timely climate data help build household resilience to shocks.

The Government of Mali’s National Resilience Priorities/Priorités Résilience Pays (NRP/PRP-AGIR), which retraces the gaps and weaknesses in the existing policies, strategies, and programs to meet the specific needs of the most vulnerable populations and to strengthen their resilience to food and nutrition insecurity, is an important opportunity and framework for building and measuring resilience. The NRP/PRP-AGIR priorities are articulated around four pillars: (i) restore, enhance, and secure livelihoods and improve social protection of communities and vulnerable households; (ii) enhance the nutrition of vulnerable households; (iii) strengthen sustainable agricultural and food productivity, incomes of the most vulnerable and their access to food; (iv) strengthen food security governance and nutrition.

Opportunities for Strengthening Resilience

Studies in Mali show that diversifying into non climate-sensitive livelihoods and receiving remittances are important to reducing poverty, improving diet diversity, and promoting a higher rate of recovery, ultimately increasing resilience. Asset ownership, access to formal safety nets, exposure to information, and education of adult household members also help strengthen resilience. However, access to information and financial services is fairly low, and addressing these gaps represents an opportunity to have an important impact on household resilience. Increasing asset ownership, stronger formal and informal safety nets, reducing inter-community conflict, disaster risk reduction, increasing access to basic social services, and reinforcing adaptive capacities would also contribute to building resilience.

More About Mali

Case Study

Applying the Innovation Adoption Measurement Approach

07 Apr 2021 - USAID Mali Climate Change Adaptation Activity and USAID Reforestation Project, Chemonics

The Innovation Adoption Measurement Approach identifies recommendations for improving practices that strengthen resilience.

View Resource
Risk Profile

Climate risk profile: Mali

12 Feb 2021 - ATLAS - Adaptation Thought Leadership and Assessments

This profile provides an overview of climate risks in Mali, including how climate change will potentially impact four key sectors in the country: water, agriculture, human health, and ecosystems. The brief also...

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Policy Brief

Resilience analysis in Mali 2009/2010

27 Aug 2019 - FAO

This report identifies the key pillars of resilience and related contributing factors at household level in Mali using the FAO Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis (RIMA) model. The study...

View Resource
Assessment

The 2012 crisis in Mali and its implications on resilience and food security

27 Aug 2019 - FAO

This analysis highlights that household resilience deteriorates as a result of: reduced adaptive capacity; a decrease in productive and non-productive assets; and an increase in exposure to shocks.

View Resource
More Resources
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