Prepare to live: strengthening the resilience of communities to manage food
Communities in the Sahel region (Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali) in West Africa are faced with hazards like drought year after year. Those that are chronically poor, in debt and lacking sufficient assets, struggle to cope effectively with these shocks.
This report identifies disaster risk reduction (DRR) approaches to build on the resilience of communities and their diversified strategies to manage food insecurity in the Sahel. It focuses on short to medium term (harvest-to-harvest) hazard threats to communities in terms of food insecurity. It also analyses the relevant policies and practices of donors, governments and NGOs in Burkina Faso and Niger (the findings may be relevant to other countries in the Sahel like Mali).
The report highlights ways to prevent food crises, reduce their impact and ensure that communities are prepared. It also promotes communities’ understanding of food security and their strategies to manage food insecurity. Integrating these approaches into development, relief and recovery policy and practice will improve the effectiveness and sustainability of future development efforts.