This paper explores the mistakes being made in how resilience has been discussed in the Sahel in recent years, and how it has paradoxically undermined efforts to support resilience. It identifies some practical steps that can be taken to make the word ‘resilience’ useful.
Key findings focus on actors' perception of resilience; the creation of policies and investments required to build and enhance resilience; a common language for policy-makers across different sectors re-connecting the resilience sector with the real world; investments in resilience and relation to future humanitarian needs; and practical applications of resilience frameworks and resilience lenses.