Pastoral groups are still marginalized in terms of their participation in development and decision-making, in spite of their contributions to the national economy in the Sahel countries and the effectiveness of their traditional pastoral practices. Setting up better framework conditions and empowering pastoral livestock farmers have thus become top priorities for an increasing number of donors and agencies, replacing what used to be purely technical approaches. In this context, the GTZ4 is helping to integrate pastoral groups into local decision-making processes and to strengthen their future role in the sustainable management of natural resources within the fragile ecosystems of arid and semi-arid West Africa. (CAB Abstract)