USAID TerresEauVie Activity Annual Report FY2020

The Activity is part of the Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE II) project, which aims to support chronically vulnerable populations in managing shocks and stresses and pursuing sustainable pathways out of poverty. The Activity is implemented across forty rural communes in the Centre-Nord, Est, and Sahel regions of Burkina Faso and in the Maradi, Tillaberi, and Zinder regions of Niger. The primary implementing mechanism is dedicated to achieving RISE II's first objective, which is to enhance social and ecological risk management systems through three intermediate results: improved water security, enhanced sustainable productive land use, and improved management of shocks, risks, and stresses. During FY2020, the Activity faced several challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, insecurity, and severe flooding in Niger and Burkina Faso. In response to these challenges, the Activity adapted its approaches, activities, and operations to continue work with communes and partners. TerresEauVie staff started teleworking, and the Activity developed an adaptive plan to address the pandemic. Through Component 3, TerresEauVie provided support to communes to plan, publicize, and manage organized responses to COVID-19. The Activity also signed protocol agreements with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG/EL) and the Ministry of Environment and the University of Niamey (Faculty of Agronomy) in Niger. Additionally, an agreement was signed with the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, and a collaboration protocol was established with the Water Agency of Niger. In Burkina Faso, the Activity engaged local and national stakeholders through communal workshops, which enabled the Activity to discuss its mission, objectives, and strategies with targeted communes. These workshops also provided opportunities for feedback and revisions of the Annual Workplan and activity implementation. The Activity's progress during FY2020 was marked by several key achievements, including the completion of the Refinement Period and the organization of communal workshops in Burkina Faso and Niger. The Activity also provided support to communes to plan, publicize, and manage organized responses to COVID-19, and initiated collaboration within RISE II activities to address this shock. The Activity's impact during FY2020 was significant, with the completion of several key milestones and the achievement of several intermediate results. The Activity's progress was also marked by several challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, insecurity, and severe flooding in Niger and Burkina Faso. Despite these challenges, the Activity adapted its approaches, activities, and operations to continue work with communes and partners, and made significant progress towards achieving its objectives. The Activity's success during FY2020 was due in part to its ability to adapt to changing circumstances and to engage local and national stakeholders in its work. The Activity's commitment to its objectives and its willingness to revise its approaches and activities in response to challenges also contributed to its success. The Activity's progress during FY2020 sets the stage for continued success in the coming years, as it works to achieve its objectives and make a lasting impact in Burkina Faso and Niger. The Activity's impact on the ground was significant, with several key achievements and high-level impacts reported in Niger and Burkina Faso. In Niger, the Activity signed protocol agreements with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG/EL) and the Ministry of Environment and the University of Niamey (Faculty of Agronomy). The Activity also provided support to communes to plan, publicize, and manage organized responses to COVID-19, and initiated collaboration within RISE II activities to address this shock. In Burkina Faso, the Activity engaged local and national stakeholders through communal workshops, which enabled the Activity to discuss its mission, objectives, and strategies with targeted communes. These workshops also provided opportunities for feedback and revisions of the Annual Workplan and activity implementation. The Activity's progress during FY2020 was marked by several key achievements, including the completion of the Refinement Period and the organization of communal workshops in Burkina Faso and Niger.