The Agro-Climatic Restoration in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project seeks to address some of the critical challenges in Northern Nigeria. The region is characterized by high poverty rates, low literacy, an environment of fragility, conflict, and violence, degradation of natural resources, poor agricultural productivity, climate risks, desertification, poor penetration of modern technology, and weak institutional capacity. Addressing these issues will require effort in multiple sectors.
The ACReSAL project target selected States in arid and semi-arid area characterized by dry-semiarid conditions, low precipitation, and sparse vegetative cover. An integrated and participatory catchment management approach will be the operating framework for project implementation at field level. Appropriate modern technology will be leveraged throughout the project activities, including to manage the disruption of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and help build back better and smarter.
In particular, the project will support activities to develop multi-sectoral approaches for desertification control and landscape management, improve community livelihoods and resilience, and strengthen institutions. The ACReSAL project aligns with the Federal Government of Nigeria in restoring one million ha degraded land out of the 4 million ha targets set for broader landscape restoration by 2030.
a. The region is characterized by high poverty rates, low literacy, an environment of fragility, conflict, and violence, degradation of natural resources, poor agricultural productivity, climate risks, desertification, poor penetration of modern technology, and weak institutional capacity. Addressing these issues will require effort in multiple sectors.