Policy paper

UK–Mauritania development partnership summary, March 2024

Published 27 March 2024

Introduction 

The international development white paper sets out a re-energised agenda for the UK working with partners to accelerate progress on eliminating extreme poverty, tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, and accelerating progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

In a contested world, where ODA alone will not be enough, achieving the vision as set out in the SDGs requires a radical rethink in our approach to international development. The white paper sets out how our partnerships are central to this approach. These are founded on mutual respect, with an emphasis on country ownership, accountability, transparency and common values. This country development partnership summary details how the approach detailed in the white paper will be put into practice with Mauritania. 

Country context 

Mauritania sits at the crossroads between North and West Africa, and is the western-most country in the Sahel region. It is 4 times larger than the United Kingdom with a population of about 4 million, half of which live in the capital Nouakchott and in Nouadhibou. The country is predominantly two-thirds desert, with some agricultural capacity along the River Senegal in the south. Long-term climate change impact has seen the nomadic population in the interior migrate gradually to the coastal cities. 

Compared with the rest of the Sahel. Mauritania is relatively stable, and democratic principles are better entrenched than in other countries in the region. There has been no terrorist activity since 2010, though radicalisation remains a risk, as does instability from neighbouring Mali. NATO has a Defence Capacity Building Programme with Mauritania to further professionalise its armed forces. The largely frozen conflict in the disputed Western Sahara (WS) territory along the northern border occasionally spills over into Mauritanian territory but with negligible impact.

Mauritania occupies a small slither of WS near the city of Nouadhibou and is engaged with UN mechanisms to find a long-term resolution to the territory’s status. Mauritania plays a role in regional leadership, and in 2024, took on the rotating chair of the African Union, further amplifying its voice in the region, 

Mauritania is a lower-middle income country. However, most of its population continues to depend on agriculture and livestock for their livelihood and social indicators continue to be among the lowest in the world. The main economic activities are centred around the mining, fishing and agriculture sectors with newer potentials in the oil and gas sector, and renewable energy, green hydrogen, steel and ammonia production in the north of the country.  

Why and how: the UK’s development offer with Mauritania 

The UK’s strategy for Mauritania is to support sustainable growth by:

i) engaging with international financial institutions to support an improved enabling environment

ii) facilitating private sector investment in key sectors, for example renewable energy and agri-business (through British International Investment and Private Sector Development Group).

Centrally managed, multi-country programmes are reducing the impacts of shocks and climate change on vulnerable populations, offering access to sexual and reproductive health services, supporting renewable energy projects, addressing food insecurity, and the causes of extremism amongst young (mainly male) Mauritanians. A small Official Development Assistance (ODA) fund held by the Embassy provides micro-spend with high impacts on the most vulnerable in Mauritania, particularly women and girls and people with disabilities.  

Through our diplomatic presence and aid programme, the UK is responding to urgent needs, building resilience to recurrent crises, and addressing some of the root causes of conflict and poverty in the Sahel. As a relative newcomer and small/medium-sized donor to the region, our focus is not just on delivering results but also on building evidence of what works. We use our funding and diplomatic presence to promote UK priorities such as freedom and democracy, the empowerment of women and girls, environmental protection, and respect for international humanitarian law. 

Programmes 

The Shock Response Programme (SRP)

This programme strengthens the ability of the government of Mauritania to respond to the impacts of climate and weather shocks (such as droughts and floods) through social protection systems that build the resilience of people to help them better cope with shocks. The expected outcome is strengthened adaptive social protection government systems and national governments better able to manage risks (including those driven by climate change) and enable timely support. SRP is implemented by the World Bank, in partnership with World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF. FCDO also funds an additional component on Disaster Risk Financing implemented by the Centre for Disaster Protection. 

Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER)

This programme aims to improve the uptake of weather and climate information services to strengthen resilience through working with regional climate centres and national meteorological and hydrological agencies to strengthen co-production with users. WISER Sahel will start in the second half of 2023, implemented by Practical Action, Red Cross Red Crescent and the World Meteorological Organisation with technical support from the UK Met Office.

In Mauritania WISER will help promote climate resilience through improved use of and coordination on weather and climate information services among social protection and climate actors and enhance strategic plans, quality management and national frameworks for climate services  

African Risk Capacity (ARC)

This programme provides parametric insurance against droughts, floods, and tropical cyclones, meaning that pay-outs are triggered automatically after an event reaches a pre-agreed magnitude (for example the scale of a harvest failure after drought). This ensures a more rapid response (within 2 to 4 weeks) than would be possible if on-the-ground damage assessments were needed. By responding quickly, countries can pre-empt damage and help families cope and recover before livelihoods and health starts to suffer.

With support from the UK, Germany and USA, ARC has expanded to provide ‘replica’ insurance policies to humanitarian actors (WFP and START Network), allowing them to take out matching insurance to the sovereign policies. FCDO provides over £4 million towards Mauritania’s insurance policy through ARC premiums, Africa Disaster Risk Financing (ADRiFi) Programme contributions and Replica policy on crops and rangeland. 

Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH)

This programme addresses harmful gender norms by working with community leaders, religious figures and influential personalities, raising awareness of sexual reproductive health rights. It offers access to quality integrated and inclusive family planning and sexual and reproductive health services to marginalised and hard to reach populations, including people with disabilities, refugees, young people and the most vulnerable.  

Who we work with  

The UK presence in Mauritania is small and focussed primarily on political engagement to support peacebuilding between Mauritania and its neighbours, as well as across the Sahel. We work with the Mauritanian Government, to support sustainable development and economic growth, including through public and private sector investment. The small British Embassy, which opened in 2018, also works with UK investors in Mauritania, notably in renewable energy production and carbon offset potential.

On development, we work closely with the major international development partners: EU, US/USAID, France, Germany/GIZ, the World Bank, as well as the UN family, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the international NGOs present in-country, including Mines Advisory Group, World Vision and Save the Children Fund. The G5 Sahel Executive Secretariat is based in Nouakchott.  

Related links

• Sahel development partnership summary 
• Pan-Africa Department development partnership summary