The Niger River, source of life for much of the Sahel region, flows through the arid areas of Mali and Niger. Every year, it floods the Inner Niger Delta in Mali, enabling fishing and providing water for agricultural and domestic use, on which some 1.5 million people and millions of migratory waterbirds depend. Hydroelectric dams, extensive irrigation systems and climate change affect water flow in this important river. We work with local communities, governments and regional basin management organizations to secure the water supply in the delta.
| Release date | 08/04/2015 |
|---|---|
| Contributor | SIDI DIALLO |
| Geographical coverage | mali |
| Keywords | niger, delta, river, watercourse, |
With a total length of around 4,100 km, the Niger River is the third longest river in Africa, flowing from the highlands of Guinea through the arid areas of the Sahel and emptying into the Niger Delta in Nigeria. The differences in rainfall are huge: the arid far north of the basin receives less than 50 mm of rain per year, all in a single rainy season, while the humid parts in the south of the basin in Guinea and Nigeria , receive more than 2,000 mm (ABN, 2005).
Water from the Niger and Bani rivers causes the much-needed annual flooding of Mali's Inner Niger Delta, filling its floodplains, numerous swamps, marshes and Lake Debo. About 1.5 million people depend on the delta for its fish, agriculture, transportation and sanitation. In addition, millions of waterbirds make their annual migration as far away from Europe and the Arctic to feed and breed in the Inner Niger Delta. Read our publications
The problem
The flow of this vital water is more than ever subject to pressure from hydraulic dams and vast irrigation systems. The Dams in the Upper Niger in Guinea and in Southern Mali abstract large quantities of water destined for the Inner Niger Delta. These human impacts, in combination with less predictable and less significant precipitation due to climate change , lead to decreases in water levels or even shortages. Less water means less fish, less fodder, fewer cattle and other domestic uses. Less food also means increased pressure from hunting migratory waterbirds.
What we do
We work with local communities to adapt to these changing conditions, for example, by restoring flooded forests in the delta, setting up water management plans and developing flood forecasting tools to so that farmers can adjust their agricultural production.
With the Malian government, we are working to make the development plan for the Inner Niger Delta a truly sustainable plan, taking into account flooding trends, wetlands and biodiversity.
At the regional level, we are working with the Niger Basin Authority to reduce the impact of existing and future infrastructure projects. For example, our in-depth studies of the Fomi dam project up the river in Guinea led to a second revision of the dam plans; which will greatly reduce its downstream impact.
At the end of the Niger River, we are setting up operations to mitigate the impact of oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta in Nigeria. In the years to come, we will work with communities in the delta to develop sustainable livelihoods in this region affected by pollution, poverty and conflict.