The Liptako‑Gourma region – shared by Burkina Faso, Mali and the Niger – has long relied on complementary livelihood systems such as pastoral transhumance and agriculture. Over the past decades, however, competition over land, water and pasture has sharply intensified due to population growth, agricultural expansion, larger herd sizes, poor natural resource management and inadequate rural infrastructure. Climate change further amplifies these pressures through recurrent droughts, floods and environmental degradation, weakening traditional governance and dispute‑resolution mechanisms. As resources diminish, intercommunity tensions have grown, exacerbated by deforestation, deteriorating transhumance corridors, animal diseases and grievances. 

Since the early 2010s, the spread of weapons and the rise of non-state armed groups have deeply disrupted rural livelihoods, displacing millions and restricting access to grazing areas, thereby increasing pressure on already limited resources. Combined with extreme climatic shocks, these dynamics have resulted in significant losses of crops and livestock and heightened food insecurity in a region marked by high poverty and a predominantly young rural population. In response, FAO and IOM implemented a joint Peacebuilding Fund-supported initiative (2020–2024) to promote peaceful transhumance and mitigate farmer–herder conflicts in the Liptako‑Gourma region. The project engaged farmer organizations and national authorities across the three countries to strengthen natural resource governance, social cohesion, and resilience to climate and security challenges. 

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