Visitors Now:
Total Visits:
Total Stories:
Profile image
By Desdemona Despair (Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories
Story Views

Now:
Last Hour:
Last 24 Hours:
Total:

Impoverished Niger creates fund to fight desert spread

Friday, October 26, 2012 20:11
% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

(Before It's News)

Desdemona Despair

Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou talks during the UNCTAD XIII opening ceremony in Doha 21 April 2012. Mohammed Dabbous / REUTERS

NIAMEY, 23 October 2012 (Reuters) – Niger said on Monday it will launch a $110 million project to counter the impact of rapid expansion of deserts and increasingly unpredictable rains in one of the world’s poorest countries.

“The programme aims to test strategies that will help us integrate climate risk and adapt climate change into our national planning,” Abdou Souley, spokesman for Niger’s planning and community development ministry, said.

The five-year programme aims to improve community use of water resources and alter herding and wood harvesting patterns to protect vegetation in the West African state. Souley said the program would be funded through loans and donations.

Niger earlier this month announced a separate $620 million plan to boost agriculture this season, including through the development of enhanced irrigation techniques.

The vast country is already three-quarters desert, but increasingly arid weather has seen desert sands advancing south at a rate of about 10 km (six miles) per year.

More than 18 million people, including at least six million people in Niger, are suffering from food shortages this year due to last season’s failed harvest.

Impoverished Niger creates fund to fight desert spread



Source:

Report abuse

Comments

Your Comments
Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

Top Stories
Recent Stories

Register

Newsletter

Email this story
Email this story

If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.