MAURITANIA Livelihood Profiles May 2015 MAP OF LIVELIHOOD ZONES IN MAURITANIA FEWS NET Washington FEWS NET is a USAID-funded activity. The content of this report does not [email protected] necessarily reflect the view of the United States Agency for International www.fews.net Development or the United States government. MAURITANIA Livelihood Profile May 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS Map of Livelihood Zones in Mauritania ........................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................................................... v Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Terminology ............................................................................................................................... vi Overview of the Household Economy Approach ......................................................................................................................... 7 The Household Economy Approach in Mauritania ...................................................................................................................... 8 Rural Livelihoods in Mauritania ................................................................................................................................................... 9 Overview of Sources of Food and Income ................................................................................................................................. 11 Nomadic Pastoralism (Zone 1) ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Zone description .................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Market access ........................................................................................................................................................................ 13 Seasonal calendar .................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Drivers of wealth ................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Sources of food, income, and expenditures .......................................................................................................................... 14 Hazards and coping strategies ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Mining and Pastoralism (Zone 2) ............................................................................................................................................... 17 Zone description .................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Market access ........................................................................................................................................................................ 17 Seasonal calendar .................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Drivers of wealth ................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Sources of food, Income, and expenditures .......................................................................................................................... 18 Main sources of food, income, and expenditures of poor households ................................................................................. 20 Hazards and coping strategies ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Coastal Fishing (Zone 4) ............................................................................................................................................................. 22 Zone description .................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Market access ........................................................................................................................................................................ 22 Seasonal calendar .................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Drivers of wealth ................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Sources of food, income, and expenditures .......................................................................................................................... 23 Main sources of food, income, and expenditures of poor households ................................................................................. 24 Hazards and coping strategies ............................................................................................................................................... 24 Pastoralism and Trade (Zone 5) ................................................................................................................................................. 25 Zone description .................................................................................................................................................................... 25 Market access ........................................................................................................................................................................ 25 Seasonal calendar .................................................................................................................................................................. 25 Drivers of wealth ................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Sources of food, income, and expenditures .......................................................................................................................... 26 Main sources of food, income, and expenditures of poor households ................................................................................. 27 Hazards and coping strategies ............................................................................................................................................... 28 Transhumant Pastoralism (Zone 6) ............................................................................................................................................ 29 Zone description .................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Market access ........................................................................................................................................................................ 29 Seasonal calendar .................................................................................................................................................................. 29 Drivers of wealth ................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Sources of food, income, and expenditures .......................................................................................................................... 30 Main sources of food, income, and expenditures of poor households ................................................................................. 31 Famine Early Warning Systems Network ii MAURITANIA Livelihood Profile May 2015 Hazards and coping strategies ............................................................................................................................................... 32 Agro-Pastoral (Zone 7) ............................................................................................................................................................... 33 Zone description .................................................................................................................................................................... 33 Market access ........................................................................................................................................................................ 33 Seasonal calendar .................................................................................................................................................................. 33 Drivers of wealth ................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Sources of food, income, and expenditures .........................................................................................................................