Resource information
The Natural Resources Management Project
(1996-2002), was intended to provide assistance to the
Government of Niger to (a) assist rural communities in
designing and implementing community-based land management
plans by providing them with the necessary know-how,
information, technical and financial resources, and proper
institutional and legal framework for implementation; and
(b) assist the Borrower in building capacity to promote,
assist and coordinate various natural resources management
initiatives within the framework of a long term national
program. Project design capitalized on experience gained in
Niger and the sub-region by the Bank and other donors
(multilateral and bilateral) in community-based operations
and natural resources management. During the first phase
(1996-1999), efforts focused on capacity building at both
Institutional and community level, and by January 2000, when
the MTR was implemented, the 95 communities originally
targeted for implementation had drafted their community
development plans including CBNRM (Community-Based Natural
Resources Management). An episode of acute food crisis in
1998 resulted in these plans focusing initially on food
security and the establishment of community cereal banks. At
the Mid term Review (January 2000), community based
procurement was introduced, and implementation was extended
to a further 30 communities bringing the total number of
beneficiaries to half a million.
