Obtaining the consent of affected groups: the example of Kandadji in Niger

Large scale projects such as dams often involve displacing people. Obtaining the agreement and the collective consent of affected groups to compensation measures, in a written form which has legal authority, is not an easy undertaking. Recent experience with the Kandadji Programme, supported by the Global Water Initiative (GWI), shows how, at relatively low cost: (i) the consent of affected groups can be obtained through a collective process, and how (ii) this agreement can be embodied in a document which, in principle, is legally valid proof of the commitment.

This policy briefing was produced as part of the work by the Global Water Initiative (GWI) in West Africa, which is an initiative funded by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and implemented by IIED with IUCN.