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Call for papers: International scientific conference on “Migration, Climate Change, Food Security and Resilience in the Sahel”

Introduction

The Sahel region is repeatedly confronted with problems of food and nutritional insecurity, degradation of natural resources, consequences of climate change and poverty. In short, it is the part of the world which has experienced, over the last decade, the greatest increase in hunger despite the mobilization and intervention of a diversity of actors to provide food aid to the most vulnerable. .

Following the multiple successes recorded within the framework of scientific partnership agreements between the World Food Program (WFP) and six (6) higher education and research institutions in the Sahel, namely the Nazi BONI University (Burkina Faso), the Gaston BERGER University (Senegal), Abdou MOUMOUNI University (Niger), Dan Dicko DANKOULODO University of Maradi (Niger), University of N'Djamena (Chad) and the Rural Polytechnic Institute of Training and Research Applied (Mali), the latter decided to unite their efforts within a network. This commitment resulted in the creation in January 2020 of the Network of Sahel Universities for Resilience (REUNIR).

REUNIR aims to be a support and decision-making tool in the areas of resilience to food and nutritional insecurity, climate change and natural disasters in the Sahel. Initially composed of six (6) universities, REUNIR will have 11 universities during this year 2023 with the membership of the University of Fada N'Gourma (Burkina Faso), the University of Ségou (Mali), the University of Diffa (Niger), Amadou Moctar Mbow University (Senegal) and the University of Abéché (Chad).

In accordance with its objectives and as part of the implementation of its 2023 action plan, the Network of Sahel Universities for Resilience (REUNIR) is organizing an international scientific conference in November on questions of Migration, Climate Change, Food Security and Resilience at Dan Dicko Dankoulodo University in Maradi, Niger.

I. Context and justification for holding the conference

The Sahel region is characterized by spatio-temporal disparities in climatic characteristics which influence livelihoods, particularly agrosylvopastoral and fisheries production. This is due to the fact that the Sahel countries are in a situation of almost permanent extreme vulnerability, linked to droughts, pest attacks, continued land degradation and progressive desertification of the natural environment.

For several decades, the Sahel region has seen a sharp increase in the number of people experiencing food insecurity. More than 6 million children under the age of 5 are considered malnourished. The human development index of the Sahel countries is among the lowest in the world, the level of poverty is very high with low participation of women in economic activities and low access to basic social services.

Beyond food issues, other social challenges, including growing insecurity and the phenomenon of migration with a significant number of refugees and internally displaced people, are negatively impacting the Sahel. Growing insecurity, a corollary of the worsening conflict situations in the Sahel and the difficulties linked to the care of more than half a million people displaced within their own countries, provides the means to existence of communities.

Thus, the major issue which justifies the holding of this conference is to create the conditions for in-depth reflection around the major challenges which undermine the development process and the construction of the resilience of Sahelian communities and ecosystems.

Challenges linked to the migration phenomenon

Migration is defined as any movement of individuals from their usual living environment to other horizons, which can be family or individual, temporary or permanent, professional, forced or voluntary. It is a universal phenomenon based on the search for a better life.

The migration issue today constitutes one of the subjects of debate at all levels. It is estimated that around 8.4 million migrants are leaving West Africa for various destinations, mainly Europe.

Various sources today consider sub-Saharan Africa to be particularly exposed to climate change and its various consequences (IPCC, 2014). The effects of climate change, which result in the irregularity of precipitation, the degradation of agricultural land, the drying up of ponds, the disappearance of plant cover, are at the origin of the massive displacement of populations towards areas where they can carry out their activities.

The phenomenon of migration, especially in the Sahel countries, is very worrying with the intensification of massive forced migrations, both internal and cross-border, having as main causes insecurity, famine, extreme poverty, etc. Indeed, for more than a decade, the Sahel region has been plagued by growing insecurity linked to the actions of terrorist groups operating in the sub-region and to intercommunity conflicts (farmers-breeders).

In an analysis of migration issues in West Africa, Van der Land et al. (2018) highlighted the importance of circular migration and the consequences of remittances on adaptation capacities and resilience. Environmental factors are therefore not the only variables to study in making the decision to migrate. Research and future reflections must enlighten us on broader approaches that take into account the heterogeneity of West African contexts.

Challenges related to food and nutrition security

For around four decades, extreme weather conditions have continually pushed millions of people into acute food insecurity across sub-Saharan Africa. Climate-induced shocks to the food system now strike approximately every 2 years, and are even almost permanent in places. Under these conditions, farms in these countries or regions have no possibility of recovery as the shocks approach. This therefore means that to overcome food difficulties more quickly, it is necessary to invest in the resilience of communities and ecosystems. According to the United Nations, in Africa, up to 65% of productive land is degraded and 45% of land is affected by desertification. This desertification leads to a decline in soil fertility and land available for grazing. In a joint statement at the annual meeting of the Network for the Prevention of Food Crises in West Africa (RPCA) held in Lomé in December 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) , the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program (WFP) have sounded the alarm.

Indeed, these organizations highlighted that the number of people suffering from hunger in West and Central Africa is expected to reach a historic record of 48 million, including 9 million children next year if urgent and lasting solutions are not found. not brought. According to the latest results of the Harmonized Food Security Analysis Framework, more than 35 million people (including 6.7 million children) in the region, or approximately 8% of the population assessed, are currently unable to meet their needs. basic food and nutrition.

It is not enough for populations to have food products at their disposal, but a nutritionally balanced diet is necessary, especially for children aged 0 to 5 years. Malnutrition, in its acute form, is often very widespread in these countries. The causes are social, cultural and behavioral, but this malnutrition is aggravated by the growing and widespread insecurity in the Sahel countries. To meet this challenge, there is an absolute need to mobilize scientific skills to support the development strategies of these States.

In addition, African countries in general and those in the Sahel in particular are affected by global shocks that undermine food systems, including volatility in commodity markets, increases in energy and fertilizer prices, disruptions to international trade and ongoing events in Ukraine. These shocks have led to sharp increases in food prices across the region and worsened food insecurity, with this inflation straining meager household incomes and threatening the resilience of communities. All indicators show that it is urgent to find lasting solutions to ensure future generations have a productive land capable of meeting their needs.

Challenges linked to Climate Change

Developing countries, particularly the Sahel countries, are vulnerable to the harmful effects of climate change. This exposure is manifested by a continuous increase in temperatures, a strong spatiotemporal variability of rainfall, accompanied by an increase in extreme events on a planetary scale. All the reasons for the increase in temperatures may not yet be known, but the main reason is due to the enormous quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs) released into the atmosphere linked to activity. of man (Industries, agriculture, livestock, transport etc.). It is in fact admitted that climate change is difficult to reverse in the medium term.

II. Objectives of the International Scientific Conference

This conference aims to mobilize Teachers-Researchers, Researchers, Doctoral Students, Development Actors and communities to support the construction of peace and sustainable development in the Sahel. The work will be structured around the main theme: “Migration, Food Security, Climate Change and Resilience in the Sahel: What contributions does scientific research make to sustainable peace and development? ".

The main objective is to make proposals for tools and intervention strategies to achieve sustainable resilience of populations and ecosystems.

Specifically, this will involve analyzing:

the impacts of climate change and agrosylvopastoral and fishing practices in the Sahel and environmental risks;
the causes, issues and consequences of migration and food insecurity in the Sahel;
the causes, issues and consequences of migration and food insecurity in the Sahel;
systems and/or approaches for managing cross-border migratory flows.

III. Organization of the international scientific conference

The international conference will last three (3) days. An inaugural conference will focus on the sustainable development issues in the Sahel – issues and challenges. Then five panels will be organized on the following sub-themes:

Panel 1: Food and nutritional security, migration and sustainable development in the Sahel;
Panel 2: Climate change and agrosylvopastoral and fisheries practices;
Panel 3 : Natural resource governance and sustainable land management for resilience;
Panel 4: Systems and approaches for sustainable management of migration flows;
Panel 5: Round table discussion on research, development issues and resilience.

Placed under the patronage of the Minister of Higher Education and Research, the conference will be organized by the Network of Sahel Universities for Resilience (REUNIR). It will be held from November 6 to 8, 2023 at Dan Dicko Dankoulodo University in Maradi, Niger.

IV. Résultats attendus du Colloque

At the end of the Conference, the following results are expected:

The causes, issues and consequences of migration phenomena in the Sahel are analyzed;
Systems and/or approaches for managing cross-border migratory flows are analyzed;
The mechanisms for good governance of natural resources and building resilience are analyzed;
Current issues and challenges related to food and nutritional security are analyzed;
The impacts of climate change and environmental risks are assessed;
The impacts of good practices in sustainable land management and resilience are known ;
A final declaration on the proposed strategies and recommendations for managing the various crises is developed and disseminated.

V. Scientific Committee of the Conference

An international scientific committee composed of researchers and teacher-researchers from REUNIR member universities has been set up. Its task is to receive draft communications, select and evaluate article manuscripts after pre-evaluation by reading committees. Validated communications will be published in the form of conference proceedings.

VI. Format of the international scientific conference

This Conference will be a framework for exchanges, sharing of research results but also a moment of great reflection that could lead to proposals for strategies for managing the various challenges that are hampering the development of the Sahel countries. It will take place in a hybrid format (face-to-face and virtual) to facilitate the participation of communicators. The conference will take place in french and in English and the sessions will be led by high-level scientists and experts. All communications will be published in the form of conference proceedings. The conference will be the subject of a final declaration which will be available in French and English.

VII. Conditions of participation

The international conference is open to researchers, doctoral students, teacher-researchers, and experts from non-governmental organizations, private or public structures after registration and submission of their communication for one of the four sub-themes of the panels presented above .

VIII. Submission of communications

The summary : it must be succinct (250 words maximum), attractive and structured into problem/objective, materials and methods, main results/discussion and five (05) key words maximum.

The summary must be provided in French and English, and must contain on one page, the first name(s) and last name(s) of the author(s) and the full address(es), professional status and parent institution. Authors should submit their manuscripts to the following email address: mailto:reunir@u-naziboni.bf , only complete articles will be processed. Texts must be in Times New Romanian, font 12, single spaced. Participants and experts who intend to submit papers for the international conference must respect the deadlines indicated in the table below.

Table: the different deadlines

Activité	Période
Launch of the call for applications	July 15, 2023
Submission of abstracts	1^er as of August 30, 2023
Notification of acceptance	September 15, 2023
Full article submission	September 15, 2023
Participation registration	September 15, 2023
Holding of the international conference	November 6 to 8, 2023
Publication of the conference proceedings	December 2023

NB : Registration for the conference is subject to payment of the registration fee:

Teachers, Researchers and Researchers : 30 000 F CFA
Members of NGOs and other organizations : 30 000 F CFA
Doctoral students: 15 000 F CFA

Training of trainers on community participatory planning and asset creation techniques/technologies (for resilience) adapted to arid and semi-arid contexts

The overall objective of the “bootcamp” is, among others, to test and validate the bootcamp program and process and to develop the final prototype which can be replicated at different levels, in particular by universities and technical departments of ministries of guardianship.

The specific objectives of this intensive technical training will be to strengthen the capacity of WFP, government technical service teams, CPs and universities to:

(i) Identify an integrated set of relevant livelihood asset creation activities based on local biophysical and agro-climatic characteristics, in addition to other socio-economic considerations,

(ii) Select, for several assets, the correct design, territorial positioning, scale and calibration of the asset, its potential for adaptation to CC, etc.

(iii) include key aspects for sustainability and synergies such as land, protection, integration with nutrition and education, value chains, environment, gender and women's empowerment that are essential for the selection, design and implementation, as well as for the sustainability and replicability of the assets created and the integrated whole in general; And

(iv) ensure that the quality of assets and maintenance is maintained during and beyond the life of the project, including self-help and solidarity mechanisms (e.g. progress). This will build on training previously provided by RLU on community planning (PCP), asset creation and resilience activities.

The representation of their land by the beneficiaries

WEBINAR: “Sustainable management of agricultural land in the Sahel for better community resilience: Issues and Challenges”

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE WEBINAR ON: “Sustainable management of agricultural land in the Sahel for better community resilience: Issues and Challenges”

REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/3CrtbFt

Sahel Collaboration and Communication (SCC)/Grants Program for
l’Innovation

Among the contexts most vulnerable to climate change, the Sahel is affected by high and persistent levels of poverty. In Niger and Burkina Faso, decades of investment by governments, the private sector, local organizations and international actors to address structural development challenges show that progress can be made, but millions of people are still affected by food crises, conflicts and recurring shocks, often in the same geographic pockets. Insufficient coordination between initiatives and contradictory approaches between development and humanitarian actors have made it impossible to leverage investments in a way that strengthens learning capacities at the local level, expands and sustains results. Growing regional terrorism, intensified by climatic and environmental constraints, adds to the complexity. Achieving sustainable pathways out of poverty and reversing chronic food insecurity will require a coordinated effort to address these interrelated challenges.

USAID’s resilience programs provide a pathway to maximize development outcomes in areas affected by recurring, protracted, and chronic shocks and stresses. As mutually reinforcing multi-sectoral strategies, they highlight the need for diverse development, humanitarian and private sector stakeholders to work more closely together to achieve collective impact. There is a need to focus on aligning these investments under a shared vision and coordinated approach, with clear advocacy and communications strategies and capacities. Strengthened collaboration through joint analysis, planning and implementation – underpinned by iterative learning and frequent course correction through adaptive management – provides a compass for working together by accounting for complexity and giving life to a portfolio of mutually reinforcing impacts.

In response to this context, Mercy Corps, with its partners Equal Access International and Tulane University, designed the Sahel Collaboration and Communication (SCC) activity. SCC aims to operationalize this collaborative, complexity-aware way of working to leverage investments from RISE II, Bridge, GPCS and the complementary efforts of donors, communities, governments and the private sector, by a coherent and efficient portfolio. The objective of the SCC: Ensure collaboration, learning and communication between USAID implementing partners and stakeholders to improve development outcomes in targeted areas of the Sahel.

Result 1: Strengthened collaboration for collective impact
Outcome 2: Improved learning and adaptive management
Outcome 3: Increased awareness of USAID contributions among key audiences

Outcome 3: Increased awareness of USAID contributions among key audiences Innovative Grants Program in English) of SCC aims to catalyze systems-level changes or transformational changes, aiming to establish connections between higher education researchers and USAID implementing partners to support the execution of the CSC's Common Learning Agenda. The objective of the PSI is to catalyze innovative solutions to approaches to resilience, collaboration, learning and adaptation through the engagement of multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary research teams around the learning issues of the health agenda. learning of SCC. The goal of the program is to generate and enrich the knowledge base on catalytic approaches to resilience in communities including the barriers and obstacles that communities face on the ground.

The research teams will be composed of professors and students from universities and/or local research organizations, with an emphasis on the participation of women and young people. Members of the selected research teams will also engage in some CSC activities to become familiar with resilience concepts and approaches. Teams will be encouraged to be composed of individuals from different institutions and disciplines and will include at least two paid students in each team, under the supervision of researchers. The first round of grants will be rapid grants lasting six to twelve months on research questions in Annexe 1.

**Figure:** Map of USAID Resilience Program Areas

The call for tenders will be published in April 2022; The technical selection committee will be composed of SCC project staff, Tulane University, and faculty from local universities. Potential applicants can participate in an orientation webinar to be held virtually in April 2022. Finalists for each research question (batch) after this selection will be called to a “co-creation” (refinement) workshop with researchers from Tulane University. Final selection of grants, which will be awarded through service contracts with Mercy Corps, will be made in June or July 2022. Tulane University will hold bimonthly meetings with grant recipients.

Activities of the consultant/principal investigator:
He/she will be responsible for organizing and managing the team to ensure the following:

Identify the approach and define the methodologies that will be used and prepare the tools, methods and masks/matrices for data collection and analysis;
Collect, analyze and synthesize relevant secondary data;
Coordinate, schedule, organize and facilitate data collection (may include quantitative or qualitative methods through surveys, individual interviews and/or group discussions or other appropriate participatory methods);
Ensure the support and training of students, research materials, tools and software and the logistics of missions (if applicable) as well as the financial management of the service; And
Provide deliverables in a timely manner and respond to all questions/comments from Tulane on research products and processes.

Deliverables of the consultant/principal investigator:

Inception report with tools, primary, secondary or mixed methods and collection and analysis masks/matrices clearly defined, as well as roles in the research team and their training;
Provisional report (with tools/masks/matrices/transcriptions/collection documents in annex);
Final report (with comments taken into account and annexes finalized), of maximum twenty pages.

Profile of consultant/principal investigator:

Have at least a higher university degree (BAC+8) in one of the following fields: sociology, anthropology, demography, economics, agriculture or a similar field;
Have at least 5 years of professional experience in the field of research including social and economic studies/analyses; experience with research carried out by NGOs on learning issues would be an asset;
Good command of qualitative and quantitative approaches, as well as their analysis and reporting using current software and approaches;
Experience in managing teams of researchers;
Very good command of French and national languages; fluency in English would be an asset.

The consultant/principal investigator will report to: Pr. Nancy MOCK.

The consultant/researcher will work in close collaboration with: Issaka OUMAROU.

To apply :

The consultant/principal investigator must submit their application at the link:
mailto:SoumissionOffresMCN@mercycorps.org at the latest May 15, 2022 at noon (Niamey time, GMT+1). The submission must be marked “Offer SCC Question X” and the name and contact details of the bidder and contain the following documents:

Detailed CVs of key study personnel, not exceeding 3 pages per person, including those of students;
A technical proposal detailing the study process, including suggestions for methodologies (5 pages maximum);
- The relevance of research to identify catalytic practices for resilience
- The research approach (the methods that will be used)
- Data source
- Team and organization chart
- Implementation plan

A financial offer (categories: personnel/consultants, field logistics, materials and other costs, taxes/BIC withholdings)
A list of references to contact (at least three);
A list of previous consultations conducted.

Technical evaluation criteria for concept notes:

Relevance (20%)
Methodological approach (30%)
Interdisciplinary team, inclusion and relevant research experience of the proposed team (30%)
Feasibility of the proposed research (20%)

Prospective bidders are invited to participate in an online meeting on the call which will take place on April 25, 2022. Questions and answers will be shared with all prospective bidders thereafter. Please complete the webinar registration form here: Inscription Webinaire: Appel Subventions a l’Innovation – Google Forms.

Appendix 1: Research Questions (Batches)

Sahel-Collaboration-and-Communication-SCC-Innovation-Grants-Program Télécharger

REUNIR PRESENTATION TOUR

As part of the promotion of the network, the Executive Secretary of the network went to the member countries for an information mission for better visibility of the network's objectives among the different institutions and structures in order to create a real partnership for a better resilience of the populations of the Sahel.

01/31 to 01/5/2021: Niamey and Maradi (Niger)
05 to 10/01/2021: Bamako (Mali)
02/15 to 19/2021: N’Djamena (Chad)
19 au 26/02/2021 : Dakar et Saint Louis (Sénégal)