Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Mali

Mali is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its dependence on agriculture, low development levels, and political fragility. While the government has established a comprehensive policy framework—including the National Climate Change Policy and the Mali Climate Fund—integration of climate risks into sectoral and sub-national policies remains weak. Adaptation efforts are heavily concentrated in the agricultural and livestock sectors, with significant gaps in support for the fishing sector and pastoralists in the northern regions. Most adaptation projects are funded by international donors and focus on institutional capacity building and food security.

• Mali's vulnerability to climate change is driven by its high dependence on climate-sensitive sectors, low development levels, and a history of resource-based conflicts, resulting in a very high vulnerability ranking on the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index (ND-GAIN).
• Projected temperature increases for West Africa under a high warming scenario are 0.9°C by 2035, 2.1°C by 2065, and 4.0°C by 2100, with the most significant warming expected in Mali's north and northwest regions.
• The government has developed a suite of climate governance documents, including the National Adaptation Programme of Action (2007), the National Climate Change Policy (2011), the National Climate Change Strategy (2011), and the National Climate Action Plan (2011), though some have not been formally approved by Parliament.
• Despite the existence of national strategies, the formal integration of climate risks into key sectoral policies—such as health, water, and energy—remains weak.
• Adaptation projects are disproportionately focused on the agricultural sector, which accounts for 64% of identified projects, while the fishing sector has received no specific project attention despite being identified as vulnerable.
• The Mali Climate Fund, established in 2012, is a pioneering regional financial instrument that received US$46 million in 2014, though it is currently limited to accepting projects proposed in partnership with UN agencies.
• Sub-national adaptation is hindered by a gap between the formal decentralization process and the actual institutional, technical, and financial capacities of local authorities to implement climate strategies.
• Climate risks are identified as a potential amplifier of Mali's fragility, potentially exacerbating conflicts between pastoralists and farmers and driving migration from the north to the south.

APA

Zamudio, A. N. (2016). Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Mali. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/idl-55867-mali.pdf

Chicago

Zamudio, Alicia Natalia. Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Mali. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2016. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/idl-55867-mali.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zamudio |first1=Alicia Natalia |title=Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Mali |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2016 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/idl-55867-mali.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zamudio2016review, author = {Zamudio, Alicia Natalia}, title = {{Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Mali}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/idl-55867-mali.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }