The interaction between freshwater ecosystem services, climate change and poverty in the Sahel

The Sahel like other drylands is in continuous transition as its ecosystems and human systems adapt to many drivers of change, including climate change, demographic and economic change, and changes in natural resource management. While resilience has been observed in both natural ecosystems and human systems, sustainable development (or poverty reduction) will only be achieved through an adaptive co-evolution. Water provision and the regulating functions of water in the ecosystem are embedded in this broader problematic.