Mauritania is one of the Sahelian countries most severely affected by the repeated periods of drought that have been occurring since the end of the 1960s. Desertification control has always been a national priority and a central concern of successive governments, taking the practical form of various development plans and programmes over the past four decades. After ratification of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in June 2001 Mauritania formulated a National Action Plan to Combat Desertification (PAN-LCD), adopting an integrated, participatory approach. As in other countries in the Sahelian region, constantly increasing desertification is due to various natural, human, juridical and socio-economic factors, which combine to cause degradation of soil, forest resources and biodiversity. Implementation of the PAN-LCD is based on various fundamental principals, including the adoption of an integrated approach and the integration  of poverty reduction into desertification control programmes, working with a participatory approach in close collaboration with grassroots communities local government and non governmental organizations.  The present publication has been produced within the framework of FAO support for the Mauritanian Government’s efforts to combat desertification, and reflects results and lessons learned during implementation of the Support for the Rehabilitation and Extension of the Nouakchott Green Belt Project with financing from the Walloon Region and the support of Prince Laurent of Belgium.