National Adaptation Programme of Action to Climate Change NAPA-RIM.

The National Adaptation Programme of Action to Climate Change NAPA-RIM is a sectoral national programme applicable to the period of 2005-2009. The main objective of the NAPA is to provide immediate and urgent support to start devising strategies adapted to current and projected needs in the area of climate change.
Namely, the Programme notes that the adaptation measures for the livestock farming sector revolve around three main axes: (1) improvement of quality and quantity of livestock fodder; (2) genetic improvement and diversification of animal production; and (3) the promotion of livestock mobility (popularisation of the pastoral code and support measures) constitutes the third axis.
Additionally, the Programme also provides objectives for agricultural sector noting that the adaptation measures of the agriculture sector concern capacity building by means of offering training and information to the producers. However, agriculture in Mauritania remains dependent on water; thus, adaptation is focused on forms of optimizing water, notably: (1) the improvements of farming techniques in pluvial zones and introduction of new varieties of high-yield drought-resistant cereal, and (2) the promotion of economical irrigation techniques in oasis zones (pilot scheme using the drip technique).
Similar to livestock farming sector, the adaptation measures of the forestry sector also revolve around three main areas, including: (1) improvement of knowledge of the ligneous resource, a necessary condition for its sustainable management; (2) substitution of ligneous fuel as domestic energy to alleviate the pressure on the forests of the southern part of the country which are more and more threatened; and (3) the last area of interest concerns institutional strengthening of the body responsible for nature conservation.
In addition to this, the Programme also provides for similar objectives for the water sector. Regarding surface water, it provides for the following measures: using hydro-electric energy of Manantali Dam; contribution to a better knowledge of the surface water regime; and supporting for the dissemination of new irrigation technologies. With respect to underground water, it aims at improvement of monitoring the piezometric networks of water tables; improvement of management of the resource; monitoring of quality of the water; and experimental use and extension of the new adapted technologies.
In the area of marine and coastal ecosystems, it provides measures for fishing among others, noting that the adaptation measures may concern modifying and reinforcing the fishing operations and fish monitoring programmes to prevent over-fishing and ensure a sustainable exploitation, improvement in fish farming, in such a way as to preserve the genetic diversity of the fish populations, re-population of certain sectors using hardy species and consideration of the requirements of the fish habitat in planning coastal development.