Niger restores five million hectares via natural regeneration

Farmers in Niger have successfully restored approximately five million hectares of degraded land, an area equivalent to 50,000 square kilometers, through a process known as Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR).

Unlike traditional reforestation efforts that rely on planting saplings from nurseries, this method involves protecting and managing existing trees and shrubs that regenerate from roots, stumps, and seeds already present in the soil. This approach has significantly impacted food security, contributing to an annual increase in cereal production of more than 500,000 tons.

The environmental recovery follows decades of severe drought, famine, and soil erosion in the Sahel region during the 1970s and 1980s, which heavily impacted areas such as Maradi and Zinder.