Livelihood Security: Climate change, conflict and migration in - UNEP

Fishing is a key source of income and food in the region, particularly in coastal states such as Senegal, Cape
Verde and Mauritania
in contributing to livelihood security is discussed in
further detail in Box 1.
2.4 Natural resource governance
The region covered by this study is characterized
by complex natural resource governance systems
that combine customary structures with rules and
laws inherited from the colonial era, as well as
reforms undertaken by governments during the
1980s-90s. The disconnect and overlap among
these three elements, as well as a lack of capacity
and resources to implement reform, have posed
serious challenges for the effective governance of
natural resources in the region, and contributed
to further environmental degradation, as well as
tension and local-level conflict. This is particularly
the case for land tenure, a critical issue for naturalresource
based livelihoods.
Indeed, a brief look at the history of statutory
governance systems shows that after their independence,
most countries in the region continued
20
to manage their land through the rules and laws
inherited from the colonial era. Starting in the 1990s,
however, many States attempted to reform their
land and natural resource laws to address the failures
of former policies, particularly through initiatives
of decentralization. 61
Decentralization was seen as a way to promote
local-level development, but limited technical
capacity and insufficient financial resources at the
local level have largely prevented effective management
of common property resources, such as
land. 62 In addition, although enhanced participation
at the local level was one of the major goals of
decentralization, national political authorities have
often continued to hold ultimate influencing power.
Further challenges observed by CILSS include
problems of implementation due to the fact that
many new laws lack a mechanism for application,
or are not known or followed by relevant stakeholders.
In many cases, both customary and statutory
systems continue to exist and overlap, leading to
confusion over land rights, ownership, and access.
Livelihood Security: Climate Change, Migration and Conflict in the Sahel
© UN Photo/Evan Schneider