Rainfall ranges between 1,200 mm in the north to 1,600 mm in the south.
Soils are generally moderate to poor quality.
Artisanal gold and diamond mining outside the project area contributes in a small proportion to household incomes and is an incentive for seasonal migration. Cattle are kept by half of all households and husbandry practices are extensive, based on free-ranging. Main crops include maize, paddy, groundnuts, cassava, millet, sorghum, fonio and vegetables, often grown under mixed cropping practices. The project aims to improve the incomes and living conditions of poor rural households and to achieve sustainable development on a participatory basis. Support to local initiatives and agricultural development .