Over the years, NBA has provided hydrographic and hydrological technical expertise in the implementation of its programmes and projects, which has enabled it to establish itself as a major player in the management of the Niger Basin resources. Its historical knowledge of the basin, and of its challenges, in addition to the legal framework documents and in particular the existence of a Water Charter, give NBA legitimacy to its intervention in the region. Thanks to the elaboration of the Niger Basin Water Charter, the Authority has incorporated recognized principles in environmental law (principle of participation, of equitable and reasonable use, of precaution, etc.), thus strengthening its credibility as an stakeholder working for the management, but also the protection, of the resources and ecosystems of the basin. Its institutional framework, which is characterized by a desire to create permanent contact with the member countries, has also enabled it to promote cooperation between the nine Member States involved in the functioning and life of the Basin. Through their roles as national relays, the National Focal Structures act as an interface between the executive power of the NBA and the national entities of the member countries, and contribute to cross-border coordination work at the regional level. However, the NBA's actions now seem to have potential to be framed within a dedicated structure from a legal and financial point of view. The idea of creating a Regional Climate Change Adaptation Fund (FRACC), dedicated to the basin and which could be funded by several sources, has therefore emerged. The objective is to carry out basin-wide actions according to an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) logic. This fund could be funded by different sources, including an Payment for Ecosystem Services System, and would compensate for the increase in the NBA's portfolio of activities. Large, costly and high-stakes programmes are currently being implemented throughout the Basin and are indeed contributing to an increase in the Authority's expenditure. Finally, the establishment of a FRACC could also provide a financial lever for the recruitment and internalization of technical expertise, thus strengthening teams, retaining the best profiles, improving project coordination and ensuring a credible, sustainable and independent financial base for the implementation of climate change adaptation actions. The purpose of the present study is therefore to study the feasibility of setting up a Regional Climate Change Adaptation Fund (FRACC) and how this fund could be supported by a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme.

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Project Goal: Contribute to improving the resilience of the people and ecosystems of the Niger River Basin through sustainable natural resource management.

General programme overview: The Niger River, whose basin is shared by nine (9) West and Central African States (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad), is of paramount importance for residents of the area and the economies of member countries of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA). The growing aridity and the dwindling of water flows observed over several decades, associated locally with land pressure, have highly contributed to the widespread degradation of natural resources, the worsening of water and wind erosion and the silting of the Niger River. These phenomena - amplified year after year by recurrent droughts - have undermined the people's living conditions and the biodiversity of the Basin. Between 2006 and 2011, the Bank financed the Niger Basin Silting Control Programme (NBSCP) in three countries of the Basin (Burkina, Mali and Niger), which carried out pilot operations and enabled the development of a Master Plan for controlling the silting of the Niger River. At the request of the countries, the Bank in 2012 initiated the preparation of the Programme for Integrated Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Niger Basin (PIDACC), the overall objective of which is to contribute to improving the resilience of the people and ecosystems of the Niger River Basin through sustainable natural resource management. The programme comprises 9 national projects implemented by the countries and a regional project carried out by the NBA to ensure synergy. It is structured around three components: (i) Building the resilience of ecosystems and natural resources; (ii) Building the people's resilience; and (iii) Ensuring programme coordination and management. The main expected outcomes are: (a) the recovery of 140 000 ha of degraded land; (b) the construction of 209 water infrastructure systems for agro-pastoral and fish farming activities; (c) the implementation of 450 sub-projects for agricultural chain development purposes and 184 youth SMEs; (d) climate change (CC) adaptation capacity building for 1 000 000 households; and (e) the operationalisation of a sustainable financing mechanism for sustainable natural resource management activities. The programme will cost USD 205.188 million and will be implemented over a six-year period (2019-2024). In the 9 countries, the programme will directly benefit 4 million people, 51% of whom are women. The direct beneficiaries also include smallholder farmers and vulnerable groups (women and young people) promoting the sub-projects.

Download the Appraisal report of PIDACC

A team from the PIDACC/NB Niger National Coordination Unit (NCU) conducted an information and awareness campaign in its area of intervention with a view to implementation the sub-projects developed by the beneficiary communities with the support of the technical services of the Environment. This intervention integrates the Strategic Framework for Sustainable Land Management (SF-SLM) in Niger which aims to: "improve sustainable land management to silting food insecurity, improve the resilience of the populations to climate change and increase the performance of Niger's economy" and its Investment Plan 2015-2029.
The Niger Basin Authority (NBA) with the technical and financial support of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and its partners financed a large-scale program bringing together its nine (9) Member States entitled " Program Integrated for Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Niger Basin (PIDACC/NB)”.

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The execution of WSC/DSR works which is done through the sub-projects developed by the beneficiary communities with the support of experts from PIDACC-Chad by following the framework and taking gender into account. At the departmental, communal and cantonal level, from where several information/awareness meetings took place with the technical services, the administrative, communal and customary authorities. In addition, village general assemblies were also held with the beneficiary communities of the sub-projects before visiting the selected sites. These activities require a strong involvement of the communities as actors/beneficiaries of the Program in the first two components.

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