The Sahel, Beyond the Headlines: Population, Environment, and Security Dynamics [Video]
Publisher: The Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars
Date: 2015
Topics: Conflict Causes, Conflict Prevention, Weapons, Waste, and Pollution
Countries: Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel
Violent extremism in the Sahel region has dominated the news since Boko Haram kidnapped 276 Nigerian schoolgirls one year ago. But the complex dynamics that are compounding the region’s security emergencies are often left out of the headlines. Poor governance, rapid population growth, and environmental pressures, like food insecurity, climate change, and poor natural resource management, all contribute to chronic crises and eroding the region’s resilience to shocks and stressors. These interlinked challenges require integrated responses.
In a day-long event that looked beyond the headlines and at the challenges ahead, speakers from the region and US-based experts engaged in solutions-oriented policy dialogues that addressed demographic trends, reproductive health, food security, and peacebuilding. Additional cross-cutting themes throughout the discussion included gender, youth, and health.