Please download the PEI Country fact sheet on Mauritania (PDF)


Basic facts of the PEI in Mauritania

• Programme on Capacity building for a better articulation of the environment policy within the national development planning processes.
• Started in October 2005, Phase I has been scaled-up for 2007-2008.
• A joint initiative between UNEP, UNDP and the Government of Mauritania;
• Executed by the Government of Mauritania (NEX) through national partner institutions, led by the Ministry of Environment (Ministère Délégué auprès du Premier Ministre pour l’Environnement - MDAPMCE) and the Ministry of Economics and Finance (Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances).
• The project is implemented through a National Project Management Unit – under the supervision of the MDAPMCE - who leads the process and liaises closely with the other national partners.
• Donors: Norway – through UNEP, UNDP-Mauritania (TRAC) and Spain (MDG-F). Funds distributed through UNDP Mauritania.
• Total budget:
  • 2005-2006: USD 240,000 (UNEP-Norway: USD 200,000, UNDP-Mauritania: USD 40,000)
  • 2007-2008: USD 827,460 (UNEP-Norway: USD 577,460, UNDP-Mauritania: USD 200,000 and GoM: USD 50,000)
  • 2007-2009 scale-up through additional MDG-F funding: USD 667,000 (UNEP-MDG-F: USD 333,500 and UNDP-MDG-F: USD 333,500)

The context of mainstreaming of environment in Mauritania

• The 1st PRSP was developed in 2002. It was the basis for the development of the regional Plans for Poverty Reduction implemented at the district level.
• In 2004-2005, a National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) was developed which was approved and adopted in 2006.
• In 2006, the second generation of PRSP has been developed. The PEI country project team was involved in the development of PRSP 2 and made contributions towards mainstreaming the environment.
• CSLP 2 recognizes Environment and sustainable management of natural resources as one of the 2 priority cross cutting-issues through the implementation of the NEAP as an important step in to fully take into account the cross-cutting aspect of the environment.

Main activities of the PEI 2005-2007

• Engagement in the CSLP process by participation in various workshops and consultations.
• Training of academics, policy makers, economists and CSOs to techniques of integrated ecosystem assessment, which will lead to a better understanding of the links between poverty and the environment.
• Identification of the national geographical areas where the Poverty-Environment linkages are the most critical.
• In depth analysis of to which extent environment is integrated into the main national development strategies, the sectoral strategies, the decentralized development strategies/plans and national projects/programmes. The report also provides a clear description of the institutional mechanisms in place for the environment sector and provides specific recommendations to strengthen the mainstreaming of environment in Mauritania.
• Development of environmental indicators for Mauritania (request from the Ministry of Environment and in line with priority interventions identified in the NEAP) – as an initial step for the development of P-E indicators and to feed in the PRSP and the State of Environment report to be developed.
• Upon direct request from the Ministry of Finance, development of a matrix for monitoring environmental activities planned in the PRSP 2 (2006-2010).

What has been achieved to date?

• The development of the national environmental action plan (PANE) has been strongly supported by PEI.
• Recognition by GoM of the importance of environmental issues and their link to poverty.
• Increased awareness and improved knowledge base on the links between environment and human well-being through the training on integrated ecosystem assessment and country specific evidence on P-E linkages.

Lessons learned

• Importance to develop and implement community based demonstration projects - for sustainable environmental management and the improvement living conditions – to support the decentralization of natural resource management and strengthen advocacy for environmental mainstreaming into national and local development plans.
• Importance of involving all relevant stakeholders in order to achieve better results by turning our objectives into the main priorities of the different Government bodies.
• There is a need for constant follow-up at country level to insure a fair implementation rate and keep our support from the relevant decision makers.

Key documents for PEI Mauritania

• “Cadre Stratégique de lutte contre la pauvreté plan d’action 2006-2010”, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, 2006
• “Analyse de l’intégration de l’environnement dans les politiques publiques en Mauritanie”, Ministère délégué a l’environnement (RIM), UNDP, UNEP, 2007
• Etude d'identification des sites d'intervention du projet Articulation Pauvreté-Environnement
• Plan d'Action national pour l'environnement (PANE) - National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP)
  • Matrices
  • Summary
• Stratégie Nationale de Développement Durable
• Selected documents from the United Nations

Way forward

• Support the mainstreaming environment into sectoral strategies and the implementation of the NEAP in line with CSLP 2.
• Support capacity building activities on sustainable environmental management targeted at decision makers and national planners.
• Conduct studies to highlight poverty and environment linkages and implement small community based pilot projects at district level to influence and advocate for environmental mainstreaming into national and local development planning processes.
• Development of mainstreaming tools.
• Scale-up of the mainstreaming process (PEI-Mauritania) through the Joint MDG-Fund Programme in collaboration with UNDP, FAO, WFP, UNICEF, UNESCO and UNDESA