Publication: Non-Agricultural Income in the Sahel: Insights into Diversifying Livelihoods and Buildig Resilience
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2025-07-28
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2025-07-28
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The Sahel region is highly vulnerable to climate-related shocks and the effects of seasonality due to the population's dependence on rainfed agricultural activities. Diversifying income sources at household level can help reduce risks, particularly those related to seasonality in agriculture. Over the past five years, several countries in the Sahel have developed productive inclusion programs aimed at supporting poor households in developing and diversifying economic activities. The objective of this technical paper is to better understand the nature of non-agricultural income across the Sahel. It aims to provide insights into the different types of non-agricultural incomes and their significance in enhancing household resilience and economic stability. This technical paper uses data from the 'Enquête Harmonisée sur les Conditions de Vie des Ménages' (EHCVM), which collected harmonized data from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Chad during two distinct 'waves' throughout 2018 and 2019. The waves correspond approximately to the lean and non-lean seasons in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal. The paper examines three types of non-agricultural incomes: incomes from non-agricultural household enterprises, wage income, and remittances.
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“Brunelin, Stephanie; Zombre, Ulrich; Benzidia, Majda. 2025. Non-Agricultural Income in the Sahel: Insights into Diversifying Livelihoods and Buildig Resilience. SASPP Technical Series. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/43511 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
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