SUBREGIONAL WORKSHOP FOR GEF FOCAL POINTS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA DAKAR, SENEGAL - MAY 2007

1. SUBREGIONAL WORKSHOP FOR GEF FOCAL POINTS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA DAKAR, SENEGAL - MAY 2007 NIGER’S EXPERIENCE IN INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES AND STRATEGIES DAN BAKOYE CHAIBOU ME/F /CLD/OFFICE OF THE GEF-OFP Niamey

2. EVOLUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT POLICY As it evolved over the years, the national environmental management policy adopted a number of successive approaches. From 1963 to 1970: A sectoral, conservationist approach to natural resource management and the fight against desertification. The environmental policy was then based solely on the goal of reducing illegal logging in forest massifs and strengthening the capacities of the Water and Forestry Department. From 1971 to 1983 : The “conservationist” policy evolved spontaneously as a result of the major droughts which occurred in 1973 and 1983. The strategy selected to combat desertification was based both on a sectoral approach and a technicistic approach focusing on:

3. The protection of the national forest domain, of which the Forestry Code (Law no. 74-7 of 7 March 1974) is the implementation instrument; • The promotion of numerous sectoral projects whose objectives were the fight against desertification and timber production, with the support oof external partners; • The strengthening of the Forestry Department through training of forestry agents. From 1984 to 1993: A period marked by an important debate in Maradi in May 1984 which reiterated the importance of the fight against desertification as the main thrust of the national environmental policy. Populations’ accountability was selected as a new strategic approach as opposed to the technicistic approach applied in the 70s. While criticizing the sectoral approach, the Maradi outcome document specifies that the fight against desertification must contribute to to improving production systems aimed at achieving food self-sufficiency. This requires multisectoral, multidisciplinary actions mobilizing all rural development actors.

4. The strategic thrusts selected promoted a village-land development approach, a participatory, comprehensive and integrated one. This new strategy highlighted the necessity of taking into consideration the forestry, agricultural and pastoral dimensions as interdependent tracks within the process to combat desertification. A new approach taking into consideration the global dimension of environmental issues was making progress. The use of the term “environment” in the name of a ministry department appeared then for the first time. 1992 to nowadays : The emergence at the international level of the concept of sustainable development reinforced this awareness of the need for a global vision of the environment. Beginning in 1992, the environment is recognized as an interest enjoying constitutional protection. The Constitution of 26 December 1992 included among individual human rights the right of everyone to a healthy Environment. Environmental protection is one of the state’s responsibilities (Article 28, para.1).

5. This provision was included in all the Constitutions of Niger adopted since 1992. In 1996, the National Environment Council for Sustainable Development (CNEDD - Conseil National de l’Environnement pour un Développement Durable) was created and entrusted with the mission of ensuring the implementation, monitoring and evaluation the country’s environmental policy as enshrined in a National Environmental Plan for Sustainable Development (PNEDD - Plan National de l’Environnement pour un Développement Durable) aimed at the following objectives: • Enhancing grassroot communities’ participation; • Developing partnerships; • Achieving improved integration of the interventions and greater synergy among actors; • Establishing a robust, efficient mechanism to finance environmental activities.

6. Up until 2003, GEF interventions in Niger consisted mainly of Enabling Activities. These allowed the preparation of Strategies and Action Plans to implement the conventions and the production of the Initial National Communication on Climate Change. Under the Operational Programs, the only activities carried out were the Community Action Program (PAC - Programme d’Actions Communautaires) and the preparation of a few regional projects et (Niger River Basin, Lake Chad, WAP, …). Beginning in 2003-2004, the adoption by the GEF Council of a number of other national initiatives (COGERAT, PLECO, Biodiversity, NAPA, NCSA, SCN, etc.) and regional intiatives (Niger-Nigeria, WAEMU Biosafety, GEF/ABN, DMP, etc.) as well as the effective start-up of the Niger SGP in June 2004 constitute a big step in the promotion of GEF activities. EVOLUTION OF THE GEF PROJECT PORTFOLIO IN NIGER

7. Responsibilities: Collect and distribute information on GEF activities among members; Disseminate information to all stakeholders; Ensure coordination of activities between government ministries, civil society, the private sector and GEF agencies present in Niger; Assist Implementing Agencies to improve synergies among themselves and with national stakeholders; Develop and adopt a portfolio Monitoring & Evaluation Strategy; Convene bi-annual meetings to review the GEF portfolio with the Implementing Agencies; Help project promoters by establishing a database to capitalize on all project concepts in order to submit proposals to GEF. THE NATIONAL GEF COMMITTEE

8. MEMBERSHIP: Under the chairmanship of the GEF Operational Focal Point and with the GEF Political Focal Point as the vice-chairman, the National GEF Committee consists of 19 members including : The conventions’ national Focal Points; IA representatives  (UNDP, WB); The Environment Focal Point of the EU Delegation; Appointed representatives of the line ministries in charge of environmental issues; Representatives of the National Technical Commissions for the implementation of the conventions; Representatives of research and training institutions; One civil society representative; One representative of the SGP National Steering Committee;

9. A technical secretariat with 4 staff members is responsible for : Preparing committee meetings; Preparing minutes of the meetings and activity reports; Implementing the decisions of the committee; Developing yearly and quarterly activity programmes and related budgets. The Committee participates in GEF project activities through its members individually or through its Technical Secretariat which keeps it informed of all project management processes (CNP, CTR, NAPA, NCSA, SCN, etc.).

10. CHALLENGES FACED BY THE COMMITTEE Among the challenges encountered in the operations of the GEF Committee, mention must be made of the lack of appropriate operating resources (field monitoring), equipment and other material (communication and exchanges). Major challenges impinging upon the coordination of the GEF portfolio remain to this day: The creation of a national database on projects; The definition of a set of monitoring indicators for each of the GEF focal areas; The establishment of a portfolio M&E system patterned after the SDR monitoring system and, beyond, the SRP system;

11. FUTURE PROSPECTS:  Revitalization of the Committee with a view to enhanced coordination of GEF activities taking into consideration new RAF requirements; Continued alignment of strategic GEF objectives on government priorities (SRP and SDR) ; Promotion of such principles as national ownership, harmonization of techniques and approaches, result-based management, and capitalization of good practices throughout GEF project activities.

12. In January 2003, Niger adopted a Poverty Reduction Strategy (SRP - Stratégie de Réduction de la Pauvreté) providing reference and constituting the framework for all sustainable development actions undertaken in the country. This strategy, the result of a participatory, iterative process, received support from the international donor community. Its ambition is to achieve a reduction of the overall poverty rate from 63% to under 50% by 2015. The revised version currently being adopted, while based on the Paris Declaration and MDGs, is focused on the following priorities: THE NATIONAL STRATEGIC FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION

13. Promotion of sustainable growth based on growth-engine sectors (agriculture, livestock); • Control of water resources as a fundamental, vital issue; • Development of human resources; • Regeneration of the environment; • Development of economic and collective infrastructures. In view of the high proportion of the population living in rural areas (85%), the level of poverty in these areas (86%) and the considerable importance of production from such sectors as agriculture, livestock, forestry, wildlife and fisheries (41% of the GDP and 44% of export income), the SRP selected the rural sector as the country’s main economic growth engine to 2015.

14. A document titled “Rural Development Strategy” (SDR - Stratégie de Développement Rural) was adopted in May 2004 with a view to providing consistent operational content to the SRP in the primary sector. The SDR is organized along three closely complementary strategic priorities: • Strategic Priority no. 1 : “Facilitating access of rural populations to economic opportunities so as to establish favourable conditions for sustainable economic growth in rural areas”; • Strategic Priority no. 2 : “Preventing risks, improving food security and managing natural resources sustainably in order to increase security and living conditions for the population”; • Strategic Priority no. 3 : “Reinforce capacities in public institutions and rural organizations in order to improve rural sector management”.

15. The expected results for each specific objective were organized as Priority Intervention Lines (LIP - Lignes d’intervention prioritaires) based on which 14 SDR implementation programmes were developed. The National Monitoring & Evaluation Framework is structured as a three-tier mechanism at three levels: • SRP Level – through the SP/SRP and the CCD/ME/F; • SDR Level – based on SE/SDR and DEP/MT; • SDR Programme Level – were S&E is entrusted to the entities in charge of specific programme objectives.

16. SYNERGIES BETWEEN GEF ACTIVITIES AND NATIONAL POLICIES AND STRATEGIES Within the Rural Development Strategy, government activities in the areas of environment and sustainable development were determined within a set of programmes : No. 1: Local and community development; No. 2: Local governance of natural resources; No. 7: Strengthening public institutions in the rural sector; No. 10: Preserving the environment; No. 11: Fight against food insecurity and development of irrigation; No. 12: Pastoral development and security of pastoral systems; No. 13: Land restoration and reforestation; No. 14: Ecosystem reclamation and valorization of the Niger River valley.

17. The strategies and action plans pertaining to PNEDD areas are implemented, as they should be, within the overall structure established for the implementation of the Rural Development Strategy (SDR). The programme approach is promoted by way of a gradual priority being given to budget support within a Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (CDMT - Cadre de Dépenses à Moyen Terme) currently being finalized. The goal is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public expenditures (harmonizing procedures, strengthening coordination between national stakeholders, the public sector and development partners, etc.). An effort to establish linkages between all projects and programmes and the Rural Development Strategy (SDR) is required. It will be necessary to show how, in each project, a given indicator contributes or may contribute to achieving results corresponding to each SDR Priority Intervention Line.

18. Thank you