Mauritania
This chapter examines efforts to establish sustainable financing for marine protected areas in the biodiversity-rich West African countries of Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau. The case study focusses on how both countries secured financial resources from Fisheries Partnership Agreements with the European Union to capitalise conservation trust funds that are intended to provide long-term and sustainable financing for marine protected areas. This case study draws lessons from the political economy aspects of establishing and capitalising these trust funds. It emphasises the importance of building a shared understanding of the benefits of marine ecosystems to an economically important industry. It also highlights the role of environmental NGOs to secure agreement among key actors and how advances to secure sustainable financing for marine conservation can be threatened by changing political priorities.
Mauritania has had a high growth rate since 2010, estimated at 6.0% in 2012. The main drivers of growth were agriculture, following good rainfall, and particularly construction and public works. Both sectors have recorded increases in volume in 2012 of 39.6% and 23.3% respectively. Fishing is also doing well, with growth of 14.8%. The difficult international situation has, however, affected the mining industry, particularly iron, which is the country’s main export.
Depuis 2010, la Mauritanie affiche un taux de croissance élevé, estimé à 6 % en 2012. Les principaux moteurs de la croissance ont été l’agriculture, suite à une bonne pluviométrie et surtout les bâtiments et travaux publics (BTP). Ces deux secteurs ont enregistré des croissances respectives en volume de 39.6 % et 23.3 % en 2012. Par ailleurs, la pêche se porte bien, avec une croissance de 14.8 %. La conjoncture internationale difficile a cependant affecté les industries minières, notamment celle du fer, qui constitue le premier produit d’exportation du pays.
The economy (not counting oil) grew 4.3% in 2011 and was predicted to expand faster (4.7%) in 2012, to record a significant advance for the third running. This was driven by major investment in mining especially gold, sizeable government investment and the robust performance of manufacturing.
Avec un taux de croissance du PIB, hors pétrole, estimé à 4.3 % en 2011 et une prévision de croissance de 4.7 % en 2012, l’économie mauritanienne aligne pour la troisième année consécutive une croissance positive significative. Cette dynamique est tirée essentiellement par le volume important des investissements dans le secteur minier, notamment l’or, le programme d’investissement public et la bonne performance des industries manufacturières.
The structure of the Mauritanian economy, characterised by the predominance of the secondary and tertiary sectors (with 34.7% of gross domestic product [GDP] and 44.8% of GDP respectively) remained almost entirely unchanged between 2009 and 2010. After a fall in GDP of 1.2% in 2009, the economy should rebound in 2010, with GDP expanding by an estimated 5%. This is expected to become stronger in the coming years with a slight decline in the tertiary sector to the advantage of the primary and secondary sectors. This performance is the outcome of the combined effects of the implementation of the public finances reform programme agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the substantial rise in international minerals prices.