The Lake Faguibine region in Northern Mali was once a thriving water system. Communities were built around the source, with agricultural and pastoral lifestyles dependent on the natural resource. However in the past hundred years the lake has experienced fluctuations of drought, completely drying up in 1914, 1924 and 1944, and remaining at drastically low levels since the 1970s.

In the past 40 years droughts have led to hundreds of thousands of human deaths and the loss of millions of livestock. Climate change has already had a visibly disastrous impact on this area and without local and global mitigation efforts the situation can only worsen.

"Before the complete drying up of the Lakes, this area was the hearth of economic development for Mali and surrounding neighboring countries (Burkina Faso and Mauritania)," Dr. Birguy M. Lamizana-Diallo, told MediaGlobal. "Thus, if effort is put into the restoration of this ecosystem, its services and functions, it will again play a leading role for food security (agriculture, fisheries, and livestock) and economic growth for Mali." Lamizana-Diallo is technical advisor for a UNEP/Mali ecosystem management project for Lake Faguibine.

The lake has long played a central role in local livelihoods. But with the changing climate and the advance of the Sahara, people in the region have abandoned their original economic activities. According to Lamizana-Diallo, "Nomadic groups lost most of their livestock and became sedentary in order to benefit from emergency relief programs or migrated into cities."

Now surviving communities are fighting back and working to restore the ecosystem so they can return to their normal, fruitful lives. Since 2002, villages have mobilized to clear channels and enable the lake to fill again. In 2006 the Malian government created l'Office pour la Mise en Valeur du Faguibine (OMVF) to support the local response in addressing desertification in the region.

The World Food Programme instituted a food-for-work program to support local actors as they labored to restore the ecosystem. Now the United Nations Environment Program, with funding from the government of Norway, is supporting the government initiative. The engagement of the national and international community is built on the commitment of the local community to protect and revitalize their ecosystem.

The UNEP program started in 2008 and will continue through 2015. It focuses on strengthening civil society groups and engaging people from all sectors of society in the restoration of the Lake Faguibine ecosystem. Lack of resources has pushed groups into violent competition for resources. The UNEP program aims to bridge those gaps by including all the local communities in conservation education and mitigation. As the ecosystem is restored, it is hoped, conflicts will diminish as there will be greater cooperation among competing groups, and the environment will be strong enough to support everyone.

The concrete mitigation efforts focus on clearing waterways to allow the rivers and streams to flow and fill the lake basin. Siltation has played a large role in the destruction, so a crucial component of restoration is digging out riverbeds and streams.

Additionally, dunes and riverbanks are being stabilized and reforestation is promoted to ensure a sustainable and lasting impact. Plant life strengthens the riverbanks and dunes to prevent collapse and blockages. Man made obstacles and dead animals also dam the river flow and so are being removed.

Entire communities are involved in the project's labor. While men rebuild riverbanks, women plant trees.

As the water level rises in the lake, it is anticipated that HIV and malaria rates will increase, due to mosquitoes and population growth. Since women tend to influence the choices their families make, they are thought to play central roles in mitigating public health crises. Thus their engagement in the project is key.

While there remains a significant amount of work to do, there have already been tangible results. Water is flowing through previously dried riverbeds and people are able to begin agricultural and pastoral activities again to feed themselves and support their families.

As the environment stabilizes people will be able to diminish their reliance on humanitarian aid and resume social and economic development. The Lake Faguibine region is an important example of the possibility for mitigation of climate change through effective partnerships from a local to a global level.