Resilience and Economic Growth in the Sahel - Enhanced Resilience REPUBLIC OF NIGER and BURKINA FASO REGIS-ER

The project aims to enhance resilience and economic growth in the Sahel region through the promotion of local institutions and sustainable development practices. REGIS-ER's sustainability strategy focuses on the promotion of three local institutions: Municipal Councils (CMs), Citizen Working Groups (CWGs), and Local Development Committees (CLDs). The project has achieved significant progress in implementing its strategy, with key results and encouraging progress reported during the quarter. Municipal Councils (CMs) have been instrumental in promoting REGIS-ER's activities, with all CMs in the Communes of Concentration (CCs) voting unanimously to accept ownership of the project's successful activities. The CMs have also developed monitoring tools, including the Habbanayé Placements and Livestock Asset Transfers Tracker for Communes, and have increased involvement of resilience activities in commune events. Citizen Working Groups (CWGs) have also shown significant progress, with increasing collaboration between CMs and CWGs. REGIS-ER has initiated the process of creating a public-private partnership between the CM and the CWG, a commune-level civil society organization. CWGs have also become more involved in Habbanayé operations, with some members of the habbanayé committees being elected to the CWGs' best practices commissions. Local Development Committees (CLDs) have effectively implemented Conservation Farming/Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (CF/FMNR) action plans, mobilizing producers and promoting sustainable agriculture practices. The project has also increased formal relationships with the communes on water point management, with management agreements signed between 57 existing Water Point Management Committees (CGPEs) and their respective communes. The REGIS-ER project has also provided technical support for pump repairs, with CMs supporting market gardening groups in finding professional repairers for solar pumps. The project's focus on promoting local institutions and sustainable development practices has shown significant progress, with encouraging results and a strong commitment from the local communities. The project's implementation has been supported by various cross-cutting activities, including monitoring and evaluation, gender, communications, and the implementation of the Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP). The project management has also been strengthened, with program support, grants management, and cost share being implemented effectively. Overall, the REGIS-ER project has made significant progress in promoting local institutions and sustainable development practices in the Sahel region. The project's focus on enhancing resilience and economic growth has shown encouraging results, with a strong commitment from the local communities and a clear path forward for sustaining resilience activities.