As the military-political crisis ended by March 2007, traveling is now secured all around the country. So, the research team of the Unit was able to launch the study on the Impact of the crisis on Natural Resources. The mission traveled to Soubré (in the vicinity of the rainforest of Taï) 300 km west of Abidjan June 22-29. The objective of the mission was to present the project to local authorities and to extension agencies in charge of forestry and rural development. The first day the team met the "Préfet" (Governor) of the department to whom the project was presented. General objective is to measure the impact of the crisis on natural resources in protected areas. More specifically the project aims at studying the production systems of displaced farmers living inside the protected area, identifying potential sources of conflict due to scarcity of resources between host populations and migrants, on the use of arable land, forest resources and water, measuring also the impact of migrations on food security and poverty.
The team met also the major extension agencies to present the project and get the stakeholders involved in the study. In collaboration with local agencies, a stratified sample of 120 farmers will be surveyed in November. The objective is to capture the needs of the migrants who infiltrated the protected zone, and the agricultural practices, in order to help government in the search of alternative activities that will protect the rainforest and the biodiversity of the area.
The new project
Following the Eleventh UNU-INRA board meeting, it was strongly advised that the Unit prepare a project at the continent level on Natural resources management and Conflicts, framed on Global climate change.
As a fact, in many African countries (Sudan, Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, etc.), civil wars and other conflicts, are rooted in climate change. As Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said, "People are being pushed into other people's terrain by the changing climate and this is leading to conflict."
The pre-proposal write-up and the budget are being completed. The w ill the first draft sent to UNU-INRA for discussion and approval early December. Potential sources of financing are: the Islamic Development Bank (as suggested by the Chair of the board), the African Development Bank, the Central Bank of West Africa, the CGIAR and other funding agencies.
The coordinator is planning to attend a three- day conference and workshop on the theme: Science and Technology and Climate Change Adoption in Africa from 19-21 November 2007, in Johannesburg South Africa. This important meeting will help in finalizing the full proposal. All costs will be supported by the operational unit own funds in the training of trainer chapter.
