Attribute patrimonialization and stakeholder diversity in the participatory management of Sahelo-Saharan biodiversity in the Termit and Tin Toumma mountain complex, Niger

n Sahelian countries in general, and in Niger in particular, the sustainable management of natural resources is the Gordian knot of environmental challenges and sustainable development. For several decades, the management of natural resources in Niger was the exclusive responsibility of the State through legal and regulatory instruments, thus excluding local communities. In Niger, the Termit and Tin Toumma mountain range is a Sahelo-Saharan ecosystem with a natural heritage that can contribute to local development. The aim of this study is to highlight the natural resources that can contribute to the development of the Termit and Tin Toumma complex, to analyze the extent to which the local population has taken ownership of these attributes, and to describe the diversity of stakeholders and their roles in the participatory management of natural potential. The methodology used in this study consisted firstly of a diagnosis of natural resources, followed by the identification of the main players and their roles in the participatory management of biodiversity in the study area. Indeed, the results of the present study reveal that this environment contains a remarkable biodiversity and an attractive, contrasting landscape. With the participatory approach to natural resource management initiated by the State of Niger in the 1980s, local communities have become increasingly involved in the management system, and are taking greater responsibility for the protection, conservation and use of natural resources. The patrimonialization of the latter by local actors, as well as the creation of the Termit and Tin Toumma National Nature Reserve (RNNTT), are favourable factors to the local development of the Termit and Tin-Toumma complex. However, the involvement of external players would make a significant contribution to the sustainable co-management of biodiversity in this Niger’s Sahelo-Saharan environment.