15 June 2010, Niamey, Niger: The AGRHYMET Regional Centre - a specialized institution of the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), is implementing the thematic action on "Water Management for Cropland and Rangeland Management" in the ECOWAS region, in the framework of the African Monitoring of the Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD) pan African Program.

A grant contract of EUR 1,943,157 was signed by the African Union Commission, through the European Union, to its implementing partner AGRHYMET Regional Centre on 26th October 2009 at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Grant

The AGRHYMET grant is one of the five Regional Thematic Actions, also called THEMA, which are developed and implemented by AMESD in Africa in the areas of management of water resources (CEMAC region), cropland and rangeland management (ECOWAS region), land degradation mitigation and natural habitat conservation IGAD region), coastal and maritime management (IOC region), and agricultural and environmental resource management (SADC region).

                  Participants at the signing ceremony

The importance of the regional thematic on "cropland and rangeland management" for the ECOWAS region has been well understood by the decision makers at the ECOWAS Commission so that the Grant was signed in presence of the Commissioner, his Directors for Agriculture, his Director for Environment and Natural Resources, the Director of AGRHYMET and the AMESD Technical Assistance Team Leader. This grant signature is marking the official commencement of 36 months period of implementation by the AGRHYMET Regional Centre for the benefit of all ECOWAS countries plus Mauritania and Chad.

Objectives

The overall objective of the AMESD program in the ECOWAS region is accessing water management for cropland and rangeland management and monitoring for sustainable management of environmental resources. It is aimed at developing operational geo-information services and strengthening the information management capacity of regional and national institutions in order to support decision and policy making processes. The ECOWAS THEMA aims inter alia at improving the national structures (Ministries of Agriculture, Ministries of Environment, etc.) within the ECOWAS Region (enlarged to Mauritania and Chad), in environmental management to alleviate poverty in one of the poorest area of the planet. It is to increase the information management capacity in the region provided by the regional and national institutions that are responsible for managing water linked to the agricultural and livestock resources management. It lastly aims to support the regional decision makers by facilitating access to environmental information derived from Earth Observation data for the West Africa Region.

Innovative Activities and Technologies Fine tuning

Even before the signing of the AGRHYMET grant, AGRHYMET was able to produce its first technical bulletin which traced the record of the first phase of the 2009 rainy season in the ECOWAS region (August 2009).



VCI (Vegetation Condition Index) allows highlighting the growing conditions of vegetation and the impact of drought (Niger)

This bulletin was the first that shows the dramatic evolution of cropping in Niger and Chad during the 2009 growing season. The second bulletin, which was prepared in November 2009, confirmed (except for Northern Mali which is characterized by a late season of exceptionally enough rain) the catastrophic situation of the country in agro-pastoral areas that was formerly pinpointed by the first August bulletin.

In addition to the development of these products of operational evolution of cropping surveillance, the Centre is also establishing a regional network of users. A number of missions have been organized in the countries of the ECOWAS region to facilitate the establishment of a working group within each AMESD program implementing countries. The role of these national components is: i) National and partnership development of the AMESD program; ii) coordinate the implementation of AMESD activities to be carried out at national level; iii) facilitate the movement of AMESD operational services and ensure access to all potential beneficiaries; and finally, iv) serve as a forum of discussion to assess the relevance and effectiveness of AMESD operational products and make recommendations for post AMESD. Members of these national components are part of several training sessions whose latest was held from 3 to 14 May 2010 in the AGRHYMET Regional Centre in Niamey with technical support of the CCR program. Nine (9) participants from the national frameworks and six (6) experts from the Center took part in the training of trainers on environmental indicators.

For the validation of these products in situ, the Centre also organized field missions including:

Monitoring the status of small water pounds

Mission in Senegal was made in November 2009 to check SWB product (Small Water Bodies) developed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra (Italy), operationally produced by VITO, Mol (Belgium) and broadcasted through EUMETCast. This product assesses water levels of ponds that are used by farmers in the Sahel. The National Livestock Services also identify favorable and risky areas for helping elders who are in difficulty and avoiding conflicts between pastoralists and farmers which is caused by too early transhumances.


Temporary pond in Sahel

Product Validation "active fires"

In Senegal and Benin, the "active fires" product validation, broadcasted by the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) from MODIS images was validated in February 2010. The latter allowed the AGRHYMET to issue its 3rd AMESD-ECOWAS bulletin focused on monitoring of bush fires in early June 2010.


Active Fire

Location of active fires in Benin (January 2010)


AMESD Background

Implementing its program in over 47 African states, the AMESD program addresses the need for improved environmental monitoring towards sustainable management of natural resources in five Regional Economic Communities of sub-Saharan Africa. The financing agreement for the AMESD program entered into force on 20 November 2006. The program is hosted by the African Union Commission (Addis Ababa). It is funded by the European Union under the 9th European Development Fund up to 21 million Euros, through Intra-ACP funds and regional indicative programs from CEMAC, ECOWAS, IGAD, IOC and SADC. For more information: www.amesd.org & This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

AGRHYMET Background
Established in 1974, AGRHYMET is a specialized institute of the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) composed of nine member States. It is an interstate public institute with a legal status and financial autonomy. It has an international status, specialized in the science and techniques applied to agricultural development, rural development and natural resource management. For more information: www.agrhymet.ne