Over one-third of the planet's land surface is affected by desertification today, essentially in dry regions where 2 billion of the poorest people in the world live. In West Africa, this degradation of the land is accelerated by climate change, increasing human activity, deforestation, and fragile socio-economic systems.
Although often considered as secondary influences, the built habitat and associated construction techniques can have
both positive and negative impacts on the causes and consequences of desertification. The Nubian Vault technique promoted by AVN helps significantly to preserve ecosystems and their biodiversity, through the use of locally available and appropriate construction materials. In a wider context,
AVN's programme encourages socio-economic development of rural populations (often those most affected by the consequences of desertification), in particular through sustainable job creation and the strengthening of local economic circuits.
Accordingly, as part of the global day for the fight against desertification and drought initiated by UNCCD and celebrated in June each year, AVN took part in two international events: the
World Forum on desertification and drought in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), and the
Désertif’Actions Forum in Strasbourg.
> Read more AVN Steering Committee: a strategic event for the programme AVN's end-of-season Steering Committee brought together some 40 participants at the beginning of July in Burkina Faso to analyse the season's results, and to discuss the evolution of the programme, its methodologies, and priority strategic orientations.
This season an important role was assigned to workshops on the programme's key themes: technical and entrepreneurial training, awareness raising and the kickstart method, incentives to accelerate market growth etc.
Members of the regional, national, and international teams worked together on the operational improvements needed, identifying the drivers for each methodology in the light of the different contexts.
This collaborative work was a great success, and will facilitate the definition of strategies for each regional team and for the various centres. Some serious discussions were also held on the internal organisation of AVN, in view of a better definition of each staff member's roles and more efficient working methods.
The next stage: to update our methodological
corpus, refine our regional and central strategies so as to combine growth with a balanced budget, refine each staff member's job description, and develop internal communication in the light of new activities.
Next meeting: at the start of the 2017/2018 season, for Committee approval of the new season's strategy and budget.
> Read more
