According to the UNCCD, droughts are among the greatest threats to sustainable development, particularly in developing countries, but also increasingly in developed countries. In fact, forecasts estimate that by 2050, droughts could affect more than three-quarters of the world’s population.
The number and duration of droughts have increased by 29% since 2000, compared to the previous two decades (World Meteorological Organization, 2021). Today, more than 2.3 billion people are facing water stress. These figures are growing and worrying, especially as one in four children in the world will be affected by this phenomenon by 2040 (UNICEF). No country is immune to drought.
Aware of this threat, Africa, and particularly the countries of the Sahel-Saharan zone, in collaboration with various partners, is organising the fight against desertification and drought in the Sahel.
The fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification was held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 9 to 20 May 2022 under the theme “Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity”. It brought together government officials, representatives of the private sector, civil society and other key actors from around the world, mobilised to advance the sustainable management of land, one of our most precious assets.
COP15 is an African COP and a key moment in the fight against desertification, land degradation and drought. 45% of Africa is dryland, and three quarters of productive land is degraded.
Combating land degradation and desertification and mitigating the effects of drought are essential for economic growth and social progress.
Building on the Great Green Wall programme, the conference aims to provide a concrete response to the interconnected challenges of land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss as we enter the “UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration”.
OM Consulting supports this fight through its support to various key actors in the fight against desertification. These include:
The Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel, commonly known as the Great Green Wall (GGW). This is the African Union’s flagship initiative to combat the effects of climate change and desertification in Africa. OM Consulting supported this initiative in Ouagadougou for the implementation of its computerised monitoring and evaluation system.
The Sahel and Sahara Observatory (OSS): OM Consulting supported the OSS to set up a web-based database for monitoring and evaluating SAWAP performance indicators. Some of the indicators use satellite imagery data to visualise the reduction of drylands. Our support was provided through the Building Resilience through Innovation, Communication and Knowledge Services (BRICKS) project.
The international NGO SOS SAHEL
For 45 years, SOS SAHEL has been working with the people of the Sahel to overcome hunger and poverty, and thus meet the many other challenges of one of the world’s most fragile regions.
From Senegal to Djibouti, SOS SAHEL is developing local and sustainable solutions to build a green and nourishing Sahel, which is essential for the stability and prosperity of 300 million people.
OM Consulting is supporting SOS Sahel in the implementation of its regional project performance monitoring system to respond more effectively to the challenges posed by the drought in the Sahel.
