Mali Resilience Factsheet

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Decreasing rainfall and increasing temperatures exacerbate existing vulnerabilities in Malawi, especially in conflict-affected areas in the north and central regions. Escalations in violence and conflict have increased internal displacement, disrupted markets and led to widespread food insecurity.

USAID’s resilience strategy involves a collaborative, multisector approach that aims to support systems strengthening in these topical areas:

1. Climate and conflict early warning systems
2. Local conventions for natural resource management
3. Investments in health, nutrition and governance

USAID’s Resilience Focus Zone (RFZ) includes accessible areas within the Mopti, Timbuktu, and Gao regions. Levels of humanitarian needs have increased in the RFZ in recent years due to shocks that directly impact food security, nutrition and livelihoods. Insurgents and criminals continue to disrupt market function, reduce mobility and limit access to land and basic services. According to climate projections, rainfall in the RFZ and throughout Mali will continue to become more intense, less predictable and less frequent, leading to localized flooding and drought. Rising temperatures will continue to impact agriculture and water availability, and in the near term, COVID-19 worsens these shocks by further disrupting market function and the flow of government resources.

Program Strategies

Studies in Mali show that diversifying into non-climate-sensitive livelihoods is integral to reducing poverty, improving dietary diversity and promoting a quicker recovery from shocks, ultimately increasing resilience. Asset ownership, access to formal safety nets, exposure to information and education of adult household members will also help strengthen resilience. Access to information and financial services is currently low. Addressing all these gaps will build household resilience. Resilient market systems will also be supported in ways that are inclusive for women and marginalized communities, to adapt to local impacts of conflict and extremism and to link to lucrative regional, national and international markets.

Activities and Strategic Partnerships

The Mission has designed a comprehensive set of activities to be layered in the RFZ, as follows:

The Sene Yiriwa (Prosperous Agriculture) Activity focuses on sustainable intensification of value chains, including those for maize, millet/sorghum, rice, horticulture, livestock/poultry, agroforestry and oilseed, while improving natural resource management and increasing the adoption of climate-smart agricultural technologies.The activity will also work at the community level to facilitate conflict prevention between agriculturalists and pastoralists.

The Sugu Yiriwa (Prosperous Markets) Activity is increasing economic resilience by improving the efficiency of markets and enabling the inclusive participation of agri-businesses, farmers, herders and other target beneficiaries. The activity will also improve access to risk-reducing services, including agricultural insurance, quality inputs and seeds, financial services and climate, weather and market information.

The Keddo Diren Activity will improve participatory and inclusive management of land and water resources by strengthening local land use conventions with a focus on dry season wetlands and rainy season upland pasture areas in the Mopti region.

The Albarka Resilience Food Security Activity will respond to and strengthen resilience capacities within local systems and relevant local partners. This five-year activity seeks to improve food security and resilience of communities in conflict-affected areas by strengthening local systems and community participation in north and central Mali.

USAID’s Global Health Supply Chain— Procurement and Supply Management Project supports the Government of Mali by facilitating the quantification and use of the Directorate of Pharmacy and Medicines’ electronic logistics management information system.

The Household and Community Health Activity (Keneya Nieta) will promote household- level early detection and response to newborn and child illness, growth faltering, and maternal complications. It will also build household capacity to save funds for health, empowering citizens to prepare for future shocks.

The Health Systems Strengthening, Governance, and Finance Activity (Keneya Sinsi Wale) will improve the quality of comprehensive primary health care and strengthen the capacity of community health associations.

USAID’s MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience Activity will work to improve access to and use of health services in northern Mali. It will support local government entities, such as district health management teams and community health associations, to supervise health facilities. The activity will also coordinate the multiple actors involved in the humanitarian development nexus in their jurisdiction, including those funded through the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.

The Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE) Activity, implemented in the Mopti region, will provide access to quality education for adolescent girls and empower them to adopt positive health behaviors in order to make better decisions about their health and family planning.

The Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Activity will work in conflict-affected northern Mali to assist education stakeholders to preserve the continuity of education while adapting to unexpected insecurities. Specifically, ECW will support risk reduction strategies for high-risk student groups, including adolescent girls, nomadic and displaced populations and Koranic school students.

Evaluation and Learning

In 2021, USAID conducted a population-based survey in Mali’s RFZ that measured resilience, food security, household economic status, gender, agriculture and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Full results of the survey are expected in late 2021.