Located in the center of Niger, Keita Department is a 4,860 sq km plateau with rocky slopes and valleys forming a complex system of watersheds subject to strong winds and water erosion. Plateau slopes covered by forests in 1962 were completely deforested by 1984. As in other Sahelian nations, droughts experienced by Niger in the 1980s exacerbated the country’s difficult social and economic situation. Droughts, damaging farming practices, and a rapidly increasing population led to a widespread crisis. With meager agriculture investments and no credit systems or dynamic marketing networks, Niger had to import more cereals to meet national requirements even though agriculture and livestock accounted for 80 percent of the country’s livelihood.