La problématique foncière et la gestion pastorale entre décentralisation et développement local : le cas de Keita au Niger

In recent years the Sahelian pastoral system has known radical transformation and global changes make its future even more uncertain. The land question, in terms of access to water and pasture, is a key element. However, neither the central government before decentralization nor local administrations since have found operational and legal measures to ensure equitable access and sustainable use of resources. With thirty years experience in natural resource management, the Keita department, Niger, has always been at the forefront and has proven to be an extraordinary laboratory for experimentation. In recent years, new approaches have been tested in land management to seek win-win solutions to conflicts over access to natural resources and to the issue of equitable distribution of rehabilitated resources. This study presents the approach of grazing management used in Keita. It is based on a multi-player process with wide consultation focused at the inter-communal level.