NCU Niger: 
The Tafouka Experience
 

 
Harouna Talatou, NCU Niger

The analysis of livelihoods in the community using PRA tools (spatial, temporal, institutional and technical information) for the three social classes identified (elderly people, women and fishermen) contributed to a better understanding of the vulnerability context, capital assets, institutional environment, livelihoods strategies, and expectations of the Tafouka people.

According to the 1988 census, the population of Tafouka village is estimated at 2,600. For a long time, Tafouka has been involved in agriculture, extensive livestock farming, cattle-grazing, petty trading and more recently, fishing. The social capital assets of the people have their origin in the prevailing traditional environment since the creation of the village in 1928.

Although situated in the sudan-sahel zone which registers the highest rainfall level in Niger (400 to  600 mm/year), the Tafouka territory is subject to extreme weather conditions like serious drought or water and eolian erosion, as well as attacks from crop pests and different cattle diseases.

Furthermore, the demographic growth associated with the increased livestock registered after the arrival of migrant cattle rearers led to an increased demand for farmland, water firewood and construction wood, and pastures.

This situation places the Tafouka community in a vulnerable context characterised by the limited supply of potable water, dried up water bodies, loss of agricultural products during and after cultivation, briefly put, over-exploitation of natural resources leading to  reduced productivity of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The lack of food security resulting from this is made worse by the difficulty encountered in obtaining access to credit, lack of socio-economic infrastructures (health centres, markets, fish-processing and storage equipment), a low literacy level and lack of technical extension workers in the proximity.

In the fisheries sector in the past, access to lake resources by migrant fishermen was granted by the village chief. Now it is governed by national legislation and the agreement of the villagers, thus favouring the establishment of the natural resources co-management policy promoted by the SFLP.

In order to reduce its vulnerability context, the Tafouka community developed several strategies based on traditional knowledge and technological innovations: rational management of potable water, traditional pest control methods (insects and parasites). They also seek for assistance from technical Departments and encourage family and community solidarity, agro-forestry, organic fertilisation, constitution of a village funds system, traditional medication, and rural relocation. The most innovative of all these strategies is the one implemented by fishermen to ensure the sustainability of the fishery.

The fact that water bodies dry up completely during the dry season means that fish disappear and fishery activities are interrupted in subsequent years. In order to resolve this problem, fishermen organised themselves and constructed concrete storage reservoirs which they locate near their houses to preserve thousands of  fingerlings (Clarias gariepinus) during the dry season which extends from March to June. These juvenile fish are then used to introduce fish into the lakes as from July when they fill up with water in the rainy season. The rapid growth of these fingerlings (30g in July and between 1 and 2kg in October) after their introduction into lakes is certainly related to the rich organic conditions created in the water that flows into the lakes from the floodplains.

The community action plan elaborated at the end of the participatory diagnostic exercise is an indication of the expectations of the community, the most important of which are: increased supply of potable water, improved productivity of water bodies, reduction in the loss of agricultural products, fish and animal mortality, improved food security level, restoration of farmlands, stronger technical framework and improved socio-economic infrastructures (markets, roads, health centres, forestry and customs and excise stations, etc.), increased  investment of funds in the village, and less domestic work for the women In order to meet the expectations of the fisheries and fish-mongering sector, two small projects were drawn up and submitted to the SFLP for financing. After approval,  the 12.721.050 FCFA1/ granted by the Programme is to be used for training stakeholders (fishermen and fish mongers) in the management, protection and preservation of the aquatic ecosystems, to reinforce savings and loan schemes, and for institutional development. The ultimate goal of the exercise is self-management in intensive fisheries towards the improvement, sustainability and diversification of the livelihoods of the Tafouka community, whose contribution in kind comes to about 7.155.500 FCFA.
 

Niger embarked on a series of political, institutional and legal reforms in natural resources management since 1990. These reforms led to the elaboration of development plans and programmes. One of the main strategic orientation is the participatory approach which passes the responsibility for identification of development actions to the community, and involves them in the implementation and monitoring/evaluation process. In the area of water body management, great importance has been given to the promotion of community management of intensive fisheries in the new law regulating fishery activities. In the medium and long term, it is hoped that the Tafouka experience will inspire the elaboration of fisheries development projects that lay emphasis on community participation.