Niger

In Niger, ten major droughts and nine flooding events have been recorded over the last 30 years. The result has been a rural exodus and uncontrolled demographic growth in the urban areas. In abandoned rural areas, serious soil erosion has gravely reduced the water absorption capacity of the land, allowing water to flow torrentially with damaging results.

Fragility/Conflict status:	Conflict situation
Programme type:	Country multi-year
Funding:	$2.74 million
Duration:	2017-2022
Status:	Completed

In Niger, CREWS enhances the food security early warning system, and establishes a flood and extreme weather warning service (focusing on urban areas and along Niger and Komadougou Rivers).

CREWS resources contribute to improvement of the Government of Niger’s early warning services by enhancing food security early warning system and by establishing a flood and extreme weather warnings (mostly in urban areas and along major Niger and Komadougou Rivers).

Key Deliverables

Institutional and regulatory strengthening, capacity building and implementation support by reinforcing the legal and regulatory framework of hydromet and DRM services (DMN, DGRE, DGPC, DNPGCA, MAHGC) in order to develop partnerships and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for delivery of service and implementing a capacity development and training program for staff
Delivery of basic early warning services by identifying requirements through decision-makers and the population at-risk and supporting the design and production of more accurate, timely and relevant warnings and information
Development of flood risk maps in pilot vulnerable communities

Spotlight

Looking ahead at what’s still to come.

COVACC will be decentralized to each region to ensure permanent monitoring, early warning, early action – and faster disaster response to save lives, homes, and assets. Flash Flood Guidance System developed by CREWS West Africa will be operational in 2023. In a country where 16 of 20 natural hazard-related disasters since 2012 were caused by floods, leaving an estimated 635,000 people homeless and killing nearly 750 people,5 the system will mark key and tangible early warning progress in Niger.