SUB-REGIONAL SECTIONS

WESTERN AFRICA

As shown in Figure 8, about 70 per cent of Western Africa, covering mainly the Sahelian zone, is semi-arid to desert (CILSS 2005). The sub-region is experiencing an increase in land degradation caused by salinity, erosion and the loss of soil fertility.

OVERVIEW OF LAND RESOURCES

The total land area of the sub-region is 607.84 million ha (FAO 2005). Arable land, permanent pasture and protected areas are shown in Table 11.

Table 11: Arable land and permanent pasture
	Country	Land area (1 000 ha)		Arable land (1 000 ha)		Permanent pasture (1 000 ha)
		1990	2003	1990	2003	1990	2003
	Benin	11 062	11 062	1 615	2 650	550	550
	Burkina Faso	27 360	27 360	3 520	4 840	6 000	6 000
	Cape Verde	403	403	41	46	25	25
	Côte d’Ivoire	31 800	31 800	2 430	3 300	13 000	13 000
	Gambia	1 000	1 000	182	315	450	459
	Ghana	22 754	22 754	2 700	4 185	8 405	8 350
	Guinea	24 572	24 572	728	1 100	10 788	10 700
	Guinea-Bissau	2 812	2 812	300	300	1 080	1 080
	Liberia	9 632	9 632	400	382	1 993	2 000
	Mali	122 019	122 019	2 053	4 660	30 000	30 000
	Mauritania	102 522	102 522	400	488	39 250	39 250
	Niger	126 670	126 670	11 036	14 483	22 000	24 000
	Nigeria	91 077	91 077	29 539	30 500	40 000	39 200
	Senegal	19 253	19 253	2 325	2 460	5 744	5 650
	Sierra Leone	7 162	7 162	486	570	2 204	2 200
	Togo	5 439	5 439	2 100	2 510	1 000	1 000
	Total	605 537	605 537	59 855	72 789	182 489	183 464
Source: FAOSTAT 2005

ENDOWMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

West Africa is projected to grow 4.5 per cent in 2005, with 8 of the 15 countries expected to record improvements over those achieved in 2004. These are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Senegal (ECA 2005). Land resources are the primary driver of this growth. Factors behind this growth include agricultural growth in Benin, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo; donor support for Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone; expansion in mining in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ghana, Mali and Sierra Leone; foreign investment inflows to Cape Verde and Liberia (in response to anticipated improvement in political stability); and growth in tourism in Cape Verde and Gambia (ECA 2005).

Agriculture is the main source of revenue of almost 60 per cent of the population. The main subsistence and cash crops are maize, rice, coffee, cotton, cocoa, palm oil and fruits. Agricultural income represents an important part of GDP.

In the Sahelian zone, semi-nomadic and domestic livestock production are important activities. However, the long duration of the dry season compels breeders to move their cattle towards the south. This happens in Senegal, Niger, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso.

Regionally, oil has been an important stimulant of growth. The full potential of this for Western Africa is not known. Benin, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo are all believed to have some oil deposits. Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa and the eleventh largest in the world, In 2004, Nigeria’s production averaged 2.5 million barrels per day (bbl/d) and it plans to increase this to 3 million bbl/d in 2006 and to 4 million bbl/d by 2010 (Energy Information Administration 2005b).

Mining, including for gold, phosphates, iron, uranium and diamonds, offers opportunities for development.

CHALLENGES FACED IN REALIZING OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT

Land degradation is the main threat to the opportunities of land for sustainable development. There are several reasons for land degradation in Western Africa: overexploitation, bush fires, and population pressure associated with high population growth rates, to name but few. Land degradation can also be attributed to repeated periods of drought. The immediate effects of the degradation process are erosion, loss in soil fertility, reduction of biodiversity and biomass productivity, and impoverishment of the population.

In the Sahel, overgrazing is another threat to opportunities as it emphasizes land degradation.