Niger Consultation Report Consultation Niger A program of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency in collaboration with the Government of Niger With the support of the Norwegian Government September 2012, Niamey, Niger Table of Contents Niger Consultation Report ....................................................................................................................... 1 Acronyms and abbreviations ................................................................................................................ i Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................................ii 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Background and Methodology of the study ........................................................................................ 2 2.1. National context of Niger ............................................................................................................. 2 2.1.1. Economic performance ......................................................................................................... 2 2.1.2. Poverty .................................................................................................................................. 2 2.1.3. Food insecurity ...................................................................................................................... 2 2.2. Work methodology ....................................................................................................................... 3 3. Results of national consultations ........................................................................................................ 4 3.1. Results of interviews with institutional stakeholders .................................................................. 4 3.2. Results of the filed survey ............................................................................................................ 5 Access to services ............................................................................................................................ 5 Services Providers ............................................................................................................................ 6 3.2.3. Profile of access to and control over productive resources .................................................. 7 Equity in access to and control of resources ................................................................................... 8 3.2.5. Division of labour in agriculture ............................................................................................ 8 3.2.5. Perception of climate change and its impact ........................................................................ 9 3.2.7.Frequency and severity of observed climate extremes and impacts ..................................... 9 3.2.9. Activities of environmental conservation ............................................................................. 9 4. Climate Change in Niger: current and projected situations ................................................................ 9 4.1. The current situation .................................................................................................................... 9 4.2. Projected climate for Niger ........................................................................................................ 10 5. Experienced climate changes and coping strategies of women farmers in Niger ............................ 10 5.1. Gender, climate change and extreme events ............................................................................ 10 5.2. Gender, climate change and water resources ........................................................................... 12 5.3. Gender, climate change and energy .......................................................................................... 12 5.4. Gender, climate change and health ........................................................................................... 13 5.5. Gender, climate change, agriculture and food security ............................................................. 14 5.6. Farmers adaptation strategies to climate change ...................................................................... 15 5.6.1. Adaptation Practices ........................................................................................................... 15 5.6.2. Current initiatives relating to gender, climate change and women’s empowerment ........ 16 6. Gender, Climate Change and Agriculture: Political and Institutional Responses in Niger ................ 19 6.1. Political Responses ..................................................................................................................... 19 6.1.1. The Rural Development Strategy and the National Agricultural Investment Plan.............. 19 6.1.2. The 3N Initiative .................................................................................................................. 20 6.1.3. The National Gender Policy (NGP) ...................................................................................... 21 6.1.4 The National Plan for Environment and Sustainable Development ..................................... 22 6.1.5. The National Adaptation Programme (PANA) ..................................................................... 23 6.1.6. The Economic and Social Development Plan 2012-2015 .................................................... 23 6.1.7. The draft version of the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Livestock .................... 24 6.2. Institutional context: the national gender machinery ............................................................... 25 6.2.1 The General Directorate for Women's Promotion ............................................................... 25 6.2.2. Gender Units within technical ministries ............................................................................ 25 6.2.3 The National Council of the Environment for Sustainable Development ............................ 26 6.2.4 Complementary Institutional mechanisms .......................................................................... 26 7. Constraints and obstacles to effective adaptation of farmers to climate change in Niger............... 26 7.1. Political, institutional and legal constraints ............................................................................... 27 7.2. Economic barriers ....................................................................................................................... 27 7.3. Social and cultural barriers ......................................................................................................... 28 8. Priority investment needs to improve the resilience and adaptability to climate change of farmers in Niger .................................................................................................................................................. 28 9. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................ 31 References ............................................................................................................................................. 32 Appendix i Acronyms and abbreviations AGR: Income Generating Actvities CAADP: Comprehensive African Agriculture Developpement Programme CCIAN: Chamber of commerce, industry and handicraft of Niger CCNUCC: United Nation Framework Convention on Climatic Changes CNEDD: National Coincile for Environement and Sustanable Developpement CONGAFEN: Women Organizations Federation Coordinating Unit ECOWAP: ECOWAS Agricultural Common Policy ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States ENBC: Nation al household survey FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization FCMN Niyya: Niger Market-garden Federation GDP: Gross Domestic Product i3N: the Nigeriens Feed the Nigeriens initiative LDCs: Less Developped Countries NIS: National Institute for Statistics HPI: Human Powerty Index MPF/PE: Ministry of Population, Women Promotion and Chlidren Protection NEPAD: New Economic Partnership for Africa Development MDGs: Millenium Development Goals NGO: Non Governmental organization PAA: African Adaptation Program PAC/RC: Climatic Resilience Adaptation Comunty Programme PANA-Resilience: National Adaptation Programme for the agriculture sector resilience to climate change PASR: Farming Support Programme PNEDD: National Plan for Environnement and Sustenable developpement PNG: National Gender Policy PNIA: National Agriculture prior Investments plan PRSSA: Strenghting of the agriculture support services programme PTF: Technical and Financial partners RECA: Niger Chambers of Agriculture Network RGAC: General census of agriculture and the Livestock RGP/H: General census of the Population and housing SDR: Rural Development Strategy SDRP: Development and Poverty reduction programme SNIS: National health information system SRP: Poverty Reduction Strategy UNDP: United Nation Developpement Programme UNICEF: United Nations Children Fund ii Executive Summary In Niger, agriculture remains the main socio-economic activity because it occupies 80% of the active population and contributes 42.8% of GDP. This agricultural population is made for nearly half of women found in most activities. In addition to the participation of women in subsistence agriculture,