Introduction

The Sahel region faces recurrent problems of food and nutritional insecurity, natural resources degradation, climate change, and poverty. The region has seen the sharpest increase in hunger over the last decade, despite the mobilization and intervention of a wide range of actors to provide food aid to the most vulnerable communities.

In this context, several strategies have been developed by different partners to overcome this situation. Among them, The partnership between World Food Programme (WFP) and Sahelian higher education and research institutions can be consider as successful. Following the many successes achieved, six (6) higher education and research institutions, namely Université Nazi BONI (Burkina Faso), Université Gaston BERGER (Senegal), Université Abdou MOUMOUNI (Niger), Université Dan Dicko DANKOULODO de Maradi (Niger), Université de N’Djamena (Chad) and Institut Polytechnique Rural de Formation et de Recherche Appliquée (Mali), decided to join forces as a network. This commitment led to the creation in January 2020 of the “Réseau des Universités du Sahel pour la Résilience (REUNIR)”.

REUNIR aims to be a framework and active network of resilience, food and nutritional security, climate change and natural disasters in the Sahel. Initially composed of six (6) universities, REUNIR will have grown, by 2023, to 11 universities, with the addition of “University de Fada N’Gourma (Burkina Faso), Université de Ségou (Mali), Université de Diffa (Niger), Université Amadou Moctar Mbow (Senegal) and Université de Abéché (Chad).

In line with its objectives and as part of the implementation of its 2023 action plan, REUNIR will organize an international scientific symposium on “Migration, Climate Change, Food Security and Resilience” at the Dan Dicko Dankoulodo University in Maradi, Niger, in November 2023.

This symposium has been organized to discuss and to exchange on the major challenges undermining the development process and the importance of building the resilience of Sahelian communities and ecosystems.

I. Background and rationale for the symposium

The Sahelian region is characterized by spatiotemporal disparities in climatic characteristics that affect livelihoods, particularly agroforestry and fisheries production. This is due to the fact that Sahelian countries are of almost permanent situation of extreme vulnerability, linked to droughts, pest attacks, ongoing land degradation and progressive desertification of the natural environment.

Over the past few decades, the Sahel region has seen a sharp increase in the number of food-insecure people. More than 6 million children under the age of 5 are considered malnourished. The human development index for Sahelian countries is among the lowest in the world, and poverty levels are very high, with low female participation in economic activities and poor access to basic social services.

Beyond food issues, other social challenges, such as increasing insecurity migration as well as the large number of refugees and internally displaced people, are having a negative impact on the Sahel. Growing insecurity as a result of worsening conflict situations in the Sahel associated with half a million internally displaced people, is jeopardizing the livelihoods of Sahelian communities. The key challenges affecting the Sahel are outlined below.

• Migration

Migration is defined as the movement of people from their usual living environment to new horizons. It can be family or individual, temporary or permanent, occupational, forced or voluntary, and looking for a better life.

Migration issues are currently the subject of debate at all levels. It is estimated that some 8.4 million migrants leave West Africa for various destinations, mainly Europe.

Various sources now consider sub-Saharan Africa to be particularly vulnerable to climate change and its various impacts (IPCC, 2014). The effects of climate change, in the form of erratic rainfall, degradation of agricultural land, drying up of ponds and disappearance of vegetation cover, are at the root of the massive displacement of populations to areas where they can carry out their activities.

Migration, especially in the Sahel, is of major concern, with the both internal and cross-border mass forced migrations intensifying the main causes of which are insecurity, famine, extreme poverty, etc.. 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 intercommunal conflicts (between farmers-herders).

Van der Land et al. (2018) highlighted the importance of circular migration and the impact of remittances on adaptive capacities and resilience in West Africa. Environmental factors are therefore not the only variables to be considered in the decision to migrate. Therefore, Research must consider broader approaches that take into account the heterogeneity of West African contexts.

• Food and nutritional security

For about four decades, extreme climatic conditions have continuously pushed millions of people across sub-Saharan Africa into acute food insecurity. Climate-induced shocks to the food system now occur about every 2 years, and in some places are almost permanent. Under these conditions, farms in these countries or regions have no chance of recovering from the shocks. This means that we need to invest in the resilience of communities and ecosystems to overcome food shocks more quickly.. According to the United Nations, up to 65% of productive land in Africa is degraded, and 45% is affected by desertification. Desertification reduces soil fertility and the amount of land available for grazing. In a joint statement at the annual meeting of the Network for Food Crisis Prevention 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 Programme (WFP) sounded the alarm.

These organizations pointed out that the number of people suffering from hunger in West and Central Africa will reach more than 48 million, including 9 million children, by the end of 2023 if urgent and sustainable solutions are not found. According to the latest results of the Harmonized Framework for Food Security Analysis, over 35 million people (including 6.7 million children) in the Sahelian region, or around 8% of the estimated population, are currently unable to meet their basic food and nutritional needs.

It’s not enough for people to have access to food; they also need a nutritionally balanced diet, especially for children aged 0 to 5. Acute malnutrition is often widespread in these countries. The causes are social, cultural and behavioral, but this malnutrition is exacerbated by the growing and widespread insecurity in Sahelian countries. To meet this challenge, it is essential to mobilize scientific expertise to support the development strategies of these countries.

In addition, African countries in general, and those in the Sahel in particular, are affected by global shocks that undermine food systems, including volatile commodity markets, increases in energy and fertilizer prices, disruptions into international trade, and the ongoing events in Ukraine. These shocks have led to sharp increases in food prices across the region, exacerbating food insecurity as inflation strains poor household incomes and threatens community resilience. All indicators point to the urgent need to find sustainable solutions to ensure that future generations have productive land to meet their needs.

• Climate change

Developing countries, particularly those in the Sahel, are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. This vulnerability is manifested by a steady rise in temperatures, high spatiotemporal variability in rainfall, and increase in extreme events on a global scale. We may not yet know all the reasons for the rise in temperatures, but the main cause is due to the enormous quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted into the atmosphere as a result of human activities (industry, agriculture, livestock farming, transport, etc.). It is widely accepted that climate change will be difficult to reverse in the medium term.

II. Objectives of the International Scientific Symposium

The aim of the symposium is to mobilize professors, researchers, PhD candidates, government agencies, extensionists, s and communities to support peace- building and sustainable development in the Sahel. The main theme will be: « Migration, Food Security, Climate Change and Resilience in the Sahel: What contributions can scientific research make to sustainable peace and development ?

The main objective is to propose guidelines, and intervention strategies for achieving sustainable resilience of the populations and ecosystems.

Specifically, the symposium will focus on the :

• impacts of climate change, agroforestry and fishing practices in the Sahel;
• causes,     consequences,    and     solutions    of migration and food insecurity in the Sahel ;
• natural resources governance and sustainable land management for resilience;
• systems and/or approaches to managing cross- border migration flows.

III. Organization of the international scientific symposium

The international symposium will last three (3) days,from November 6 to 8, 2023 at the Université Dan Dicko Dankoulodo in Maradi, Niger An inaugural conference will focus on sustainable development in the Sahel – Issues and challenges. This will be followed by five panels on the following topics:

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

Under the patronage of the Minister of Higher Education and Research, the symposium will be organized by REUNIR.

IV. Expected results of the symposium

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

• The causes, consequences , and solutions of migration in the Sahel are analyzed;
• Systems and approaches for managing cross- border migration fluxes are analyzed.
• Mechanisms for good governance of natural resources and resilience building 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 impact of good practice on sustainable land management and resilience is well known.
• A final declaration on the proposed strategies and recommendations addressing the various crises is drafted and circulated.

V. Scientific Committee

An International Scientific Committee made up of researchers and lecturers from REUNIR member universities has been set up. Its task is to receive proposals for papers, and to select and evaluate manuscripts after pre-evaluation by reading committees. Validated papers will be published as conference proceedings.

VI. International scientific symposium format

The symposium will provide a forum for the exchange and sharing research findings, as well as an opportunity for broad reflection, leading to proposals for strategies to address the various challenges hampering development in Sahelian countries. It will take place in a hybrid format (face-to-face and virtual) to facilitate the participation of communicators. The Colloquium will be held in French and English, and the sessions will be led by high-level academics and experts. All papers will be published as proceedings. A final declaration of the symposium will be available in French and English.

VII. Conditions of participation

The symposium is open to researchers, PhD students, professors-researchers, and experts from non-governmental organizations, private or public structures. Each potential participant has to register and submit a abstract for one of the four topics of the panels presented above.

VIII. Submitting communications

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

The abstract should be provided in French and English, and should be one page in length, with the first name(s) and surname(s) of the author(s) and full address(es), professional status and institution of affiliation. Authors should submit their manuscripts to the following e-mail address: mailto:reunir@u-naziboni.bf , only complete articles will be considered. Texts should be in Times New Roman, font size 12, single-spaced. Participants and experts intending to submit papers for the international colloquium must respect the deadlines indicated in the table below.

Table: deadlines

Activity	Period
Call for applications	July 15, 2023
Abstract submission	1er to August 30, 2023
Article acceptance notification	September 15, 2023
Submit full article	September 15 to 30, 2023
Participation registration	September 25 to 30, 2023
International symposium	November 6 to 8, 2023
Publication of the proceedings	December 2023

NB: registration is subject to payment of the registration fee:

• Lecturers and Researchers: 30,000 F CFA
• Members of NGOs and other organizations: 30,000 CFAF
• PhD candidates: 15,000 F CFA

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	1er 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