Expert meeting Green Desert Call for Action in Mali
On Saturday 12 March, ADI organized an expert meeting for the publication of our 'Green Desert Call for Action'. This publication is a starting point for a search for knowledge, skills and cooperation partners needed to cope with the consequences of climate change in Pays Dogon.
During the event about thirty scientists, environmental activists, NGOs and government agencies took part in a brainstorming session on this topic with the central question: What are possible solutions for the future? The video is part of the Call for Action made a deep impression on the participants. “Shocking to see” as said by some as well as “We had no idea this was happening in Pays Dogon.”
The video shows how heavy rainfall creates huge erosion channels that cover vast agricultural lands with a thick layer of sand. It is just one of many challenges for the residents of Pays Dogon. Soil erosion, lack of fertile land for both agriculture and livestock, changes in rainfall, population growth, insecurity; it is a long and complex list of causes that put food security in Pays Dogon under pressure.
The meeting in Bamako was a first step to draw attention to this situation in Mali itself. Numerous ideas and suggestions were collected during the meeting. For example, about nature-friendly methods to increase agricultural production, technical interventions to combat erosion and ways to train the local community in the search for solutions. Equally important was the offer of all present to support ADI in this quest in the future as well. The fact that ADI in Pays Dogon actively collaborates with the local population is seen as a big plus by all those present: 'The problems are large-scale and global, but if action is needed, this can only be done in close collaboration with the residents themselves'.
Source text: Partners Pays-Dogon
This event is part of Project DJAM
The project in brief
Project DJAM is a Nuffic Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) and is implemented by Maastricht School of Management (MSM), Partners Pays-Dogon (PPD), CINOP, Viewpoint and Université DELTA – C to improve the access to vocational training for young people and women from the Dogon country. The consortium partners with project beneficiaries Association Dogon Initiative (ADI) and Lycée Professionnel Sangha (LPS) to empower them with the tools and knowledge they need to face the challenges posed by food and nutrition insecurity in the region of Mopti.
Orange Knowledge Programme
This project is part of the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) which is funded by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by Nuffic. For more information click here.
MSM's Expert Centre on Emerging Economies
This institutional collaboration project is part of MSM's Expert Centre on Emerging Economies. The department is an expert centre on local economic development in emerging and developing markets. We capacitate managers and professionals from government, private sector, NGOs, and post-secondary education in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Latin America. We offer consultancy and customized training programs, and we manage complex projects in key sectors, e.g. water, agriculture and health. For more information click here.
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