GCA and World Bank Group Launch Livestock and Agriculture Modernization Project in Niger
R
otterdam, the Netherlands, 28 June 2024 – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) today announced a significant partnership with the World Bank Group (WBG) to quantify climate risk in the USD$350 million World Bank Livestock and Agriculture Modernization Project (LAMP) in Niger. The initiative aims to increase productivity, commercialization and climate resilience within the country’s agri-food sector, ultimately benefiting 1,500,000 farmers, water user associations, and small and medium agribusinesses.
Under this collaboration, GCA will provide detailed climate risk assessments tailored to various climate change scenarios. These findings will be integrated into the project’s implementation to reinforce climate resilience. GCA will also estimate the Agricultural Productive Capacity Index (PCI) to determine the impact of climate vulnerabilities on crop and livestock production. Additionally, GCA will analyze market access and competitiveness for priority agricultural and livestock value chains. By facilitating the extension of credit enhancement grants and guarantees through local financial institutions, GCA will also help value chain participants—including private producers, agribusinesses, and farmer organizations—improve infrastructure, equipment, and market linkages.
Through the program, 1,500,000 people (including 500,000 youth and 675,000 women) are expected to achieve greater resilience against climate risks. The project seeks to increase average yields of major crops, such as rice, onion, and cowpea by 40 percent among targeted beneficiaries and boost the average yield of selected animal products by 30 percent. A total of 18,000 hectares are set to receive new or improved irrigation and drainage services, further strengthening local livelihoods.
“With Niger’s economic performance heavily dependent on agriculture, it is crucial to bolster productivity while safeguarding communities against intensifying climate risks,” said Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation. “By integrating robust climate adaptation measures, we aim to help the people of Niger achieve greater food security, foster inclusive economic growth and build resilience for future generations.”
Despite its immense agricultural potential, Niger remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with a GDP per capita of USD$654.3 (2022) and a population of 28 million. More than half of Nigeriens live in extreme poverty, the vast majority of them in rural areas. Agricultural activities constitute 44.3 percent of the nation’s GDP, leaving the economy vulnerable to climate-related shocks such as droughts, floods, and heat stress. Political transitions have posed additional challenges, yet boosting agriculture and livestock productivity continues to be a national priority amid persistent food and nutrition insecurity—currently affecting over 3.3 million people.
The LAMP is organized into multiple components: building resilient agricultural productive capacity, improving agriculture and livestock markets, facilitating access to finance, strengthening institutional coordination, and including a contingency emergency response mechanism. GCA has already coordinated closely with the project’s stakeholders, including SOCODEVI and CGIAR to ensure adaptation solutions are mainstreamed into field activities. GCA will continue to work alongside the LAMP Directorate, Niger’s General Directorate of Agriculture, and other partners to monitor the technical assistance provided. This support will validate deliverables and ensure that innovations—identified by CGIAR scientists—are effectively adopted. By reinforcing climate resilience strategies through strong partnerships, LAMP will enable Niger’s rural communities to protect their livelihoods, improve productivity, and foster sustainable economic growth.
Notes to Editors
About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that promotes adaptation to the impacts of climate change. It works to climate-proof development by instigating policy reforms and influencing investments made by international financial institutions and the private sector. The goal is to bring climate adaptation to the forefront of the global fight against climate change and ensure that it remains prominent.
Founded in 2018, GCA embodies innovation in its approach to climate adaptation as well as in its physical presence. It operates from the largest floating office in the world, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Beijing, China. The Center will open a new office in Nairobi, Kenya in 2025.
