Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Djay said that dealing with the consequences of lower rainfall and the shortage of pasture requires an accurate assessment of the pastoral situation, broad consultation with the various stakeholders and use of their field experience, so as to identify the most effective interventions to protect livestock and support herders.
He was speaking on Friday as he chaired a meeting of the ministerial committee in charge of monitoring the pastoral situation, attended by regional governors (walis) and representatives of the herders' federation and pastoral associations. The meeting was held, according to the Prime Minister's Office, in line with directives from President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani on monitoring the pastoral situation and taking measures to limit the impact of the rainfall shortfall this season.
The Prime Minister said the meeting was an opportunity to assess the state of pastures across the country and to hear the views of the governors and the main actors in the sector, as those closest to the ground and most familiar with the challenges. He stressed that involving them in diagnosing the situation and making proposals would help choose the right solutions and limit the effects of the pasture shortage on herders and on citizens in general.
Ould Djay insisted that government interventions must be based on accurate data and genuine consultation with all those concerned, drawing on field experience and expertise, to ensure that the measures taken are effective.
During the meeting, the committee heard a presentation on the current state of pastures in the different regions of the country and on interventions carried out in similar conditions in previous years, as well as on proposals and ideas put forward to address the challenges arising from the decline in pasture cover.
At the end of the meeting, the Prime Minister instructed that the necessary measures be taken to protect and preserve pastures, that coordination among the various actors be strengthened and that vigilance be maintained to ensure the effectiveness of government interventions, whatever their nature, and an effective response to the needs of the period.
