SIPRI is pleased to launch a new film exploring the interconnected challenges affecting communities in Mauritania and the importance of strengthening social cohesion and resilience in the face of growing pressures in the Sahel region.
Watch the film below or click here to watch it on SIPRI’s YouTube channel.
The film is part of SIPRI’s work within the Sahel Resilience Programme, an initiative implemented in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). The programme aims to strengthen understanding of how humanitarian and development responses can support social cohesion and resilience in fragile contexts across the Sahel.
Mauritania faces a combination of overlapping pressures that affect livelihoods and human security. Communities in southern parts of the country, including Mauritania’s Guidimaka region, experience increasing challenges linked to climate variability, food insecurity, economic vulnerability and limited access to essential services. These pressures can strain relations between communities and increase the risk of local tensions, particularly in areas where resources are limited.
The film presents insights from fieldwork conducted in the Guidimaka region, highlighting how communities experience these interconnected challenges in their daily lives. Drawing on interviews with local residents and stakeholders, the film illustrates how environmental stress, livelihood challenges and social vulnerability shape relationships within and between communities.
By bringing together local perspectives and analytical insights, the film highlights the importance of integrated approaches that consider both immediate humanitarian needs and longer-term development challenges. It also illustrates how strengthened social cohesion can help communities better manage shocks and reduce the risk of tensions escalating into conflict.
Click here to watch the film on SIPRI’s YouTube channel
About the Sahel Resilience Programme
The Sahel Resilience Programme is a multi-partner initiative involving WFP, UNICEF, GIZ and SIPRI. The programme seeks to strengthen understanding of the relationships between humanitarian action, development, social cohesion and resilience across the Sahel region. SIPRI’s contribution focuses on generating research and analysis to support evidence-based programming and policy development.
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has funded this project.
The film has been produced by SIPRI Communications Director Stephanie Blenckner. All participants have granted their permission for inclusion in the film.
About SIPRI films
SIPRI has developed various film types for different audiences and purposes. This SIPRI Reflection film is part of SIPRI's film series which aims to deliver thoughtful and insightful analysis, driven by SIPRI experts, to guide viewers in key themes of peace and security. Through the overview film in combination with the subsequent series of individual interviews—filmed in Mauritania—SIPRI strives to bring regional perceptions, voices and views to the global debate. Watch more films on SIPRI’s YouTube channel.