At the request of the Government of Niger and in agreement with the World Bank, a mission from the FAO Investment Centre visited Niger from 7 to 29 February 2000 to provide assistance to the Nigerien authorities in drawing up a national and operational strategy for the development of irrigation extended to include the collection of runoff water.
For the Government of Niger, which has initiated several programs to develop irrigation and treat degraded land (CES/DRS) to deal with climate constraints, the development of a global strategy for the valorization of water resources has become necessary to lay the foundations for secure, profitable and sustainable agricultural development, in particular by seizing the investment opportunities offered by recent monetary, economic and institutional reforms at the national level (
disengagement of the State, liberalization of economic activities) and sub-regional
(devaluation of the F.CFA and reform of the trade system within UEMOA).
The mission worked in close collaboration with all public and
private institutions involved in the development of irrigation, bilateral and subregional organizations in
charge of international water management, farmers' organizations, representatives of
donors involved in financing the sub-sector and non-governmental organizations. At the end of
this mission, a document entitled “National Strategy for Irrigation Development and Runoff
Water Collection (SNDI/CER)” was developed, debated and validated during a national workshop held from 15
to 16 February 2001; but it was not adopted by the government.
The current context, marked by a political will to make irrigation and the mobilization of runoff water national priorities, required a review of the SNDI/CER. This review, while maintaining its basis on the document validated in 2001, is motivated to be consistent with the Rural Development Strategy, which itself derives from the Poverty Reduction Strategy, which remains the only reference framework for economic and social development in Niger.