Dynamics of poverty and land degradation in Sahelian Countries

Poverty and land degradation are major problems in sub-Saharan Africa in general, and in the West African Sahel in particular. Countries in the Sahel encompassing substantial parts of Senegal, the Gambia, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad are among the least developed countries in the world on the basis of low national income, weak human assets and high economic vulnerability. Between 70% and 85% of the 100 million inhabitants of these countries live and work in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Poverty and vulnerability are severe and in many cases are worsening for millions of these people. Underlying these adverse conditions are many factors, including harsh climatic conditions, rapidly growing populations, degrading natural resources, prevalence of diseases and pests, poor development of infrastructure and markets, governance failures, conflicts and others.