Project profile — Support of natural resources governance and peacebuilding in Mali

This project with Alert International focuses on peacebuilding and aims to improve natural resources governance to restore social cohesion by promoting local conflict resolution initiatives in the Koulikoro, Mopti, Ségou, Sikasso and Tombouctou regions of Mali. The initiative is based on the principle that building capacities, coupled with facilitation, and enhancing communities’ understanding of statutory instruments, primarily the legal framework for land governance, is critical and will inevitably help improve the target communities’ resilience to climate and environmental shocks with a view to efficient natural resources governance. Project activities include: (1) providing communities with guidance on identifying, developing and implementing local peace initiatives focused on natural resources governance; (2) ensuring broad awareness of land statutes and regulations in Mali; (3) providing support to build the capacities of community forums and village and commune land commissions regarding the provisions of the land code, conflict analysis, gender sensitivity and conflict sensitivity, advocacy, and how the effects of climate change make conflicts worse; and (4) organizing a national forum to capitalize on best practices in land governance and natural resources management. These activities aim to bring together representatives of commune, village and local land commissions, legal authorities and court officers, and state technical services.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) better governed natural resources to restore social cohesion and ensure gender integration by promoting local conflict resolution initiatives in the regions of Mopti, Koulikoro, Ségou, Sikasso and Tombouctou; (2) supported community members, including various women’s groups to understand statutory instruments and the legal framework for land governance, and there is a stronger link between natural resources management and conflicts; (3) better integrated social juniors (young people and women) into natural resources governance structures and into the dynamics of building trust, peace and social cohesion in communities; (4) improved resilience and local coordination between communities and natural resources governance structures, including various women’s groups; and (5) enhanced the technical capacities of institutional players (including land commissions), resulting in better land governance to prevent and resolve conflicts and tensions related to natural resources development, all while integrating the gender dimension.

Results achieved at the end of the project (August 2023) include: (1) organized information and awareness sessions on the agricultural orientation act (loi d’orientation agricole), the agricultural land act (loi sur le foncier agricole), the agricultural land policy (politique foncière agricole), their implementing decrees and orders on agricultural land, for the benefit of the 20 target municipalities; (2) distributed 2,000 copies, in local languages, of the 2 acts and agricultural land policy in the communities targeted by the project; (3) produced and presented a play in the communities on management of natural resources and conflicts; (4) produced and broadcast 42 interactive radio shows on how climate change effects exacerbate conflicts, with an estimated audience of over 312,000 people; (5) established 20 community forums on local issues relating to land governance, with the participation of 410 people (95 women and 315 men); (6) supported the implementation of 20 local peace initiatives based on sound government of natural resources, with the engagement of 1,556 people (679 women and 877 men); (7) guided and supported the skills of 400 members (83 women and 317 men) of land commissions working within municipalities involved in the project, in the development of natural resources with the integration of a gender- and conflict-sensitive approach; (8) organized 8 training sessions on the agricultural land act, the land and titles act (loi domaniale et foncière) and the agricultural orientation act for the benefit of 168 participants (50 women and 118 men); and (9) organized dialogue and capacity-building sessions on rural land issues and natural resources with the participation of 11 judges, 20 elected deputies and 100 elected municipal officials.