Resource information
Mauritania is a vast country covering
over a million square kilometers, where a relatively small
population of 3.5 million people lives on just one-fifth of
the country’s total area. With extremely advanced
desertification, the country is particularly vulnerable to
the impact of climate change and other external shocks. The
main sources of income in Mauritania are agriculture, which
is either irrigated or rain-fed, and livestock. This is
especially the case in the Senegal River Valley, where
people make their living farming, raising livestock, and
fishing, while mining is prevalent in the north. Arable land
is therefore one of the country’s main resources, but it is
also a major source of contention due to increasing
urbanization and the limited availability of arable land.
This presentation relies on the key recommendations
emphasized in the Land Governance Framework Report (LGAF),
published by the World Bank in 2014. This report established
a far-reaching and more inclusive national land policy that
strengthens the security of land tenure for vulnerable
groups, including women. This framework was the first to
propose a national platform for all stakeholders, including
women, to openly discuss and reach consensus around land
issues. The inclusive workshops that were held by LGAF
helped stimulate discussion at all levels, from civil
society, both men and women, to senior officials, promoting
a national debate on land issues with a strong gender
perspective. The workshops were particularly beneficial for
many female participants, as these women now have increased
access to information about land issues in their own communities.
