DOCSLIB.ORG

The Niger, a Lifeline

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Niger, a Lifeline Hydrological interventions (i.e. dams and irrigation schemes) aim to increase economic independence and food security in the unstable Sahel environment. Tapping the Niger’s flow, however, is Th e Niger, a lifeline not without consequences. The costs and benefits of expensive hydrological structures have to be carefully balanced. In this study Effective water management in we incorporate downstream interests into our analysis. the Upper Niger Basin Downstream outcomes are inherently difficult to quantify, and are therefore often omitted in similar enquiries. The aim of this study LEO ZWARTS,PIETER VAN BEUKERING,BAKARY KONE,EDDY WYMENGA is to develop a decision-support system for effective river manage- ment in the Upper Niger, in which ecological and socio-economic impacts and benefits of dams and irrigation systems can be analy- sed in relation to different water management scenarios. Multidisciplinary in nature, this study draws on the fields of hydro- logy, ecology and environmental economics. Introduction 3 POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY PAPER 3 BALANCING INTERESTS 3 Hydrology 4 NATURAL VARIATIONS 4 DAMS 5 DEPENDENCIES 6 SCENARIOS 7 FLOODING 7 Ecology 8 HUMAN IMPACT 8 HABITATS 8 BIODIVERSITY 9 Sectors 10 FISHERIES 10 CATTLE 10 RICE 11 TRANSPORT 12 Economics 12 IMPACT PATHWAY APPROACH 13 FINANCIAL COSTS 14 ECONOMIC BENEFITS 15 NET PRESENT VALUE 15 POVERTY AND EQUITY 16 CLIMATE SENSITIVITY 17 Conclusions and policy recommendations 19 Th e Niger, a lifeline Introduction document highlights the need to exploit the country’s hydro-electric potential in the order of 5,000 GWh/annum. So far, high costs of both Water shortage has been identified by energy equipment and distribution networks the United Nations Environment have prevented expansion on such a scale. Programme as one of the most serious Mali’s potential hydro-agricultural capability is problems of the new millennium. For also substantial, estimated at 2 million hecta- many decades, however, it has already res. A review of the PRSP by the International been a dire problem for millions of peo- Development Association (IDA) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) confirms ple living along the southern fringe of this, stating that “further development of Mali’s the Sahara desert. untapped hydrological potential for agriculture and drinking water purposes is a critical need, For the communities living in the semi-arid, as it directly addresses one of Mali’s core vul- western Sahel zone the Senegal and the Niger nerabilities, that of the temporal and spatial rivers are a lifeline. Indeed, Mali is a classic variability in rainfall, as well as the uncertainty case of a ‘river-dependent economy’ that is of climatic conditions” (IDA & IMF 2003). subject to enormous seasonal variation in rain- fall and river flow. A popular solution to this Although Mali’s hydro-electric and hydro-agri- climate dependency in the western Sahel zone cultural potential has yet to be fully realised, it has been the development of hydro-electric is widely questioned whether the costs and and hydro-agricultural irrigation schemes benefits of such mega-investments are proper- (Figure 1). ly estimated. Besides the economic feasibility (i.e. direct costs and benefits) of additional 3 dams, it is still unclear what the indirect effects of hydroelectric and hydro-agricultural sche- mes are on downstream beneficiaries of rivers. These beneficiaries include fishermen, cattle breeders, shipping companies and farmers, as well as the biodiversity of the river and connec- ted floodplains. BALANCING INTERESTS Hydrological interventions (i.e. dams and irri- gation schemes) aim to increase economic Figure 1.The Niger Basin (red outlining). The Niger originates in Guinea and Ivory Coast, passes independence and food security in the unsta- through Mali and Niger, and enters the Atlantic ble Sahel environment. Tapping the Niger’s Ocean from Nigeria. The Niger Basin also extends flow, however, is not without consequences. over Algeria, Burkina Faso, Benin and Cameroon. The existing dams are indicated by red dots. Figure 2 shows how irrigation takes a fixed amount of water throughout the year, while hydro-electric structures store water at peak POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY PAPER flood levels and subsequently release it. The hydrological effects of both are felt most pro- The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) foundly during the dry season and in years of Mali constitutes the sole framework for with low floods. The following explanation Mali’s development policies and poverty reduc- helps to illustrate this: a natural river discharge tion strategies (GoM 2002). This influential of 10 to 20 km3 varies annually by a factor of 2. When extracting 5 km3, the downstream dis- Hydrology charge fluctuates between 5 to 15 km3, in other words, by a factor of 3. Would this increasing With its origins in Guinea, the Niger downstream instability also lead to a decrease in food security? flows through Mali, and finally spills into the Atlantic Ocean 4200 km from its The costs and benefits of expensive hydrologi- source. The water discharge of the Niger cal structures have to be carefully balanced. In River fluctuates significantly over time. this study we incorporate downstream inte- These fluctuations are both natural and rests into our analysis. Downstream outcomes man-made. This study’s hydrological are inherently difficult to quantify, and are the- refore often omitted in similar enquiries. The assessment increased our understanding aim of this study is to develop a decision-sup- of the Upper Niger River’s hydrology, port system for effective water management in highlighting natural variations as well as the Upper Niger Basin, in which ecological and the impact of human-made structures. socio-economic impacts and benefits of dams and irrigation systems can be analysed in rela- tion to different water management scenarios. NATURAL VARIATIONS Multidisciplinary in nature, this study draws on the fields of hydrology, ecology and environ- The annual rainfall in the catchment area of mental economics. The tentative outcomes of the Upper Niger amounts to an average of the study are described in this executive sum- 1,500 mm and varies between 1,100 and 1,900 mary. mm. Although the river discharge of the Niger 4 is determined by rainfall, its annual variation between 600 and 2,300 m3/s is much more pro- HIGH FLOOD LOW FLOOD nounced than that of rainfall. This can be witheld to fill explained by the fact that peak river flow is not reservoir only dependent on the rainfall of preceding months, but also on groundwater aquifers. extra flow effect of dams Because groundwater levels are determined by remaining flow rainfall during previous years, the river flow declines during a series of dry years. 2500 annual discharge annual precipitation effect of irrigation water intake remaining flow 2000 1500 Figure 2 Schematic hydrological effects of dams and water intake for irrigation during the flood 1000 cycle in years with a high and low flood. The flood annual precipitation or discharge cycle in the Western Sahel zone runs from June to December. Lowest flood levels occur from March to 500 May. 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Figure 3 Annual rainfall in the Upper Niger region and discharge of the river at Koulikoro. This is what occurred during the period of dry The Sélingué dam, which was constructed in years in the mid-eighties known in western 1982, is presently the only hydropower reser- Africa as ‘La Grande Sécheresse’ (the Great voir in the Upper Niger. Theoretically, the capa- Drought), when the flow of the Niger River city of the Sélingué hydropower plant is 47.6 declined to unprecedented low levels. Years MW. Yet, with its size of 2.2 km3 (equivalent to with peak discharges in September below 6.8% of the average river discharge) the volume 4,000 m3/s occurred only twice between 1900 of the Sélingué reservoir is limited. Due to eva- and 1980; in the last 20 years, they have rarely poration from the reservoir’s surface (34.2 been above this level (Figure 3). km2), approximately 0.5 km3 of water flow is lost annually. The role of Sélingué in the hydro- logy of the Inner Delta varies considerably bet- DAMS ween the wet and dry seasons. On average, 1.8 km3 of river flow is stored in the reservoir The recent decrease in flow of the Niger River during the wet period (August to September). cannot be solely attributed to reduced rainfall In years of high river discharge, this is equiva- and depleted groundwater aquifers. Dams and lent to only 10-20% of the peak flow of the irrigation schemes in the Upper Niger region Niger. However, in years of low discharge, this (Figure 4) are also expected to have had a mea- fraction increases to as much as 20-30%. The surable hydrological impact. This study analy- water stored in the Sélingué reservoir during ses the impact of two existing man-made the rainy season is gradually released throug- structures in the Niger River: the Markala bar- hout the rest of the year. Without these ‘relea- rage (Office du Niger, ON) and the Sélingué ses’ from Sélingué, river discharge in the dry dam. The potential impact of a planned dam in period would be around 0.2-0.4 km3 per the Upper Niger region in Guinea (the Fomi month; they add 0.2 km3 per month to the 5 dam) is also assessed. natural discharge. This is particularly critical during years with a low flood, when river flow in the Inner Niger Delta from March to May is largely dependent on the management of Lac Sélingué. The construction of the Fomi dam in a tributa- ry of the Niger in Guinea, is still under conside- ration. The Fomi project involves a hydro- power plant of a maximum installed capacity of 90 MW, as well as hydro-agricultural activi- ties over an irrigated area of 30,000 ha.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Niger Basin Snapshot
    Adaptation to Climate Change in the Upper and Middle Niger River Basin River Basin Snapshot Draft for Discussion May 2010 Adaptation to Climate Change in the Upper and Middle Niger River Basin Content Executive Summary............................................................................................................... 3 Part one: Water resources and Climate ................................................................................. 6 The Niger River Basin........................................................................................................ 6 Geography ..................................................................................................................... 6 Water storage ................................................................................................................ 8 Agriculture...................................................................................................................... 9 Navigation...................................................................................................................... 9 Livestock and Fishing................................................................................................... 10 Water quality................................................................................................................ 10 Vulnerability and Relevance of Climate Change and Variability ....................................... 10 Climate Change and Variability.......................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Office Du Niger Et Usage Agricole Eaux Souterraines
    3ème conférence Africaine de la CIID 29 Novembre 5 Décembre Bamako Sous thème 3 : Productivité de l'eau à usage agricole face aux défis du changement climatique: Titre : L’Office du Niger au Mali : d'une surconsommation des ressources en eau de surface en période d'étiage vers une utilisation agricole des eaux souterraines Bréhima TANGARA 1, Bruno LIDON 2, Amadou Zanga TRAORE 3, Kabirou N’DIAYE 4 1IER Niono Mali, 2 CIRAD UMR G-eau F-34398 Montpellier Cedex France, 3 ENI Bamako Mali, 4Africa Rice St Louis Sénégal. Résumé Depuis sa création l’Office du Niger a progressivement accru ses prélèvements de la ressource en eau du fleuve Niger sous l’effet conjugué d’une faible efficience et d’une demande croissante due au développement des superficies aménagées et de la double culture en particulier de riz. Cette tendance est renforcée par un accroissement de la demande en eau d’irrigation des cultures du fait d’une baisse notoire des pluies (460 mm/an au cours des vingt dernières années contre 600 mm/an au cours des 20 précédentes , des fortes températures, et d’une forte évapotranspiration (2430 mm/an). Face à des débits du Niger qui ont été très variables au cours des 50 dernières années, les prévisions quant aux disponibilités futures en eau pour l’irrigation restent contradictoires. Il est de ce fait difficile d’évaluer l’impact à attendre de l’effet conjugué du changement climatique et de l’intrinsèque variabilité du climat et des effets anthropiques (futurs barrages entre autres). Dans ce contexte, l’augmentation de la demande en eau, particulièrement en contre saison, pourrait, comme dans tous les grands périmètres irrigués du monde, être en partie satisfaite par l’exploitation de la nappe, faisant de sa remontée un atout.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dynamics of Irrigated Rice Farming in Mali
    Managing Africa’s Soils No. 12 The dynamics of irrigated rice farming in Mali Loes Kater, Ibrahim Dembélé and Idrissa Dicko February 2000 Managing Africa’s Soils No. 12 The dynamics of irrigated rice farming in Mali Loes Kater, Ibrahim Dembélé and Idrissa Dicko February 2000 About the authors Loes Kater has an MSc in Tropical Crop Science from Wageningen Agricultural University. From 1995 to 1999 she worked as an associate expert for the Farming Systems Research Programme (ESPGRN) of the Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER) in Mali. She can be contacted at Weezenhof 65-40, 6536 BA Nijmegen, The Netherlands. E-mail: [email protected] Ibrahim Dembélé is an agronomist who is currently studying for his MSc at the University of Abidjan in Ivory Coast. He works for the Farming Systems Research Programme (ESPGRN) of the Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER) in Mali, and can be reached at CRRA Niono, BP 12, Niono, Mali, and by E-mail: [email protected] Idrissa Dicko is a research assistant at the IER regional research centre in Niono. His address is CRRA Niono, BP 12, Niono, Mali. E-mail: [email protected] About NUTNET NUTNET stands for Networking on soil fertility management: improving soil fertility in Africa – Nutrient networks & stakeholder perceptions. It is a partnership of fifteen organisations that come from six African and two European countries: INERA, Burkina Faso; SOS Sahel, Ethiopia; KARI, KIOF & ETC East Africa, from Kenya; IER, Mali; Environment Alert & Makerere University, from Uganda; IES, Zimbabwe; IIED & IDS from the United Kingdom; and AB/DLO, LEI/DLO, SC/DLO, ETC & KIT, from The Netherlands.
    [Show full text]
  • Travelling Hierarchies: Roads in and out of Slave Status in a Central Malian Fulbe Network Pelckmans, L
    Travelling hierarchies: roads in and out of slave status in a Central Malian Fulbe network Pelckmans, L. Citation Pelckmans, L. (2011). Travelling hierarchies: roads in and out of slave status in a Central Malian Fulbe network. Leiden: African Studies Centre. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/17911 Version: Not Applicable (or Unknown) License: Leiden University Non-exclusive license Downloaded from: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/17911 Note: To cite this publication please use the final published version (if applicable). Travelling hierarchies African Studies Centre African Studies Collection, Vol. 34 Travelling hierarchies Roads in and out of slave status in a Central Malian Fulɓe network Lotte Pelckmans African Studies Centre P.O. Box 9555 2300 RB Leiden The Netherlands [email protected] http://www.ascleiden.nl Cover design: Heike Slingerland Cover photo: Humoristic painting about the difficulties on the road, handpainted by Bamako- based artist L. Kante Photographs: Lotte Pelckmans Maps drawn by Nel de Vink Printed by Ipskamp Drukkers, Enschede ISSN: 1876-018X ISBN: 978-90-5448-105-8 © Lotte Pelckmans, 2011 Contents List of maps, photos, images, tables and figures viii Acknowledgments: Some words of thanks and belonging x Notes on transliteration and orthography xv INTRODUCTION 1 Setting the scene 1 Questions and eyebrows raised 3 Emic notions guiding the research problematic 7 The Road: Trajectories in and out of the cultural field of hierarchy 14 Methodological considerations 16 The Rope, the Head and the Road in anthropological debates 18 Zooming in: An overview of the chapters 30 1. PRESENT(-ED) PASTS 33 A disturbing past 33 The formation of hierarchies in the Haayre region 35 Contested histories 49 Conclusions: Presenting the past over time 63 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Child Labor and Agricultural Production in Northern Mali
    CHILD LABOR AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN NORTHERN MALI A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Andrew Scott Dillon August 2008 ©2008 Andrew Scott Dillon CHILD LABOR AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN NORTHERN MALI Andrew Scott Dillon, Ph.D. Cornell University 2008 This dissertation examines how agricultural households allocate children’s time between work and schooling activities and utilize access to production technology, namely irrigation, to assure minimum subsistence requirements in an arid and famine-prone region of northern Mali. These questions are examined using a data set that the author collected which tracked 245 households in 2006 from a previous survey conducted in 1997-98 and a larger cross-sectional survey of 2,658 households that was collected in 151 villages across two regions of Mali (Tombouctou and Gao). The second chapter of the dissertation provides descriptive statistics from the sample and an explanation of the survey methodology. The third and fourth chapters investigate children’s time allocation to schooling, home production, and market production using participation and hours data. Two types of shocks to the household’s agricultural income and total labor availability provide plausibly exogenous variation to identify substitution effects across children’s activities including withdrawal from school and adult labor supply. These results are robust to varying assumptions about the structure of unobserved heterogeneity at the household and village level. The role of different asset types on child labor substitution between activities when households experience shocks is also investigated.
    [Show full text]
  • Côte D'ivoire Mali
    COUNTRY PROFILE 2000 Côte d’Ivoire Mali This Country Profile is a reference tool, which provides analysis of historical political, infrastructural and economic trends. It is revised and updated annually. The EIU’s quarterly Country Reports analyse current trends and provide a two-year forecast. The full publishing schedule for Country Profiles is now available on our website at http://www.eiu.com/schedule The Economist Intelligence Unit 15 Regent St, London SW1Y 4LR United Kingdom The Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit is a specialist publisher serving companies establishing and managing operations across national borders. For over 50 years it has been a source of information on business developments, economic and political trends, government regulations and corporate practice worldwide. The EIU delivers its information in four ways: through subscription products ranging from newsletters to annual reference works; through specific research reports, whether for general release or for particular clients; through electronic publishing; and by organising conferences and roundtables. The firm is a member of The Economist Group. London New York Hong Kong The Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit 15 Regent St The Economist Building 25/F, Dah Sing Financial Centre London 111 West 57th Street 108 Gloucester Road SW1Y 4LR New York Wanchai United Kingdom NY 10019, US Hong Kong Tel: (44.20) 7830 1000 Tel: (1.212) 554 0600 Tel: (852) 2802 7288 Fax: (44.20) 7499 9767 Fax: (1.212) 586 1181/2 Fax: (852) 2802 7638 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.eiu.com Electronic delivery This publication can now be viewed by subscribing online at http://store.eiu.com/brdes.html Reports are also available in various other electronic formats, such as CD-ROM, Lotus Notes, on-line databases and as direct feeds to corporate intranets.
    [Show full text]
  • World Bank Document
    The World Bank Commercial Irrigated Agriculture Development Project (P159765) Public Disclosure Authorized Project Information Document/ Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet (PID/ISDS) Public Disclosure Authorized Concept Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 20-Apr-2017 | Report No: PIDISDSC17562 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Sep 27, 2017 Page 1 of 15 The World Bank Commercial Irrigated Agriculture Development Project (P159765) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Project Name Mali P159765 Commercial Irrigated Agriculture Development Project (P159765) Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Practice Area (Lead) AFRICA Mar 19, 2018 May 29, 2018 Water Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Investment Project Financing Minister for Spatial Planning Ministry of Agriculture and Population Financing (in USD Million) Financing Source Amount International Development Association (IDA) 150.00 Total Project Cost 150.00 Environmental Assessment Category Concept Review Decision A-Full Assessment Track II-The review did authorize the preparation to continue Other Decision (as needed) Type here to enter text B. Introduction and Context Country Context 1. Mali is one of the world’s poorest countries, with a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of US$704.50 in 2014. Life expectancy is low (57 years of age); malnutrition levels are high (28 percent of under five children are stunted); and most of the 17.1 million population is illiterate (69 percent of adults). The economy of this landlocked country is predominantly rural and informal: 64 percent of the population resides in rural areas, and 80 percent of the jobs are in the informal sector. 2. The incidence of poverty is high and predominantly rural.
    [Show full text]
  • Agricultural Investments and Land Acquisitions in Mali: Context, Trends and Case Studies
    Agricultural investments and land acquisitions in Mali: Context, trends and case studies Moussa Djiré with Amadou Keita and Alfousseyni Diawara Agricultural investments and land acquisitions in Mali: Context, trends and case studies Moussa Djiré with Amadou Keita and Alfousseyni Diawara Agricultural investments and land acquisitions in Mali: Context, trends and case studies is the translation of Investissements agricoles et acquisitions foncières au Mali : Tendances et études de cas, first published in English by the International Institute for Environment and Development (UK) in 2012. Copyright © International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) All rights reserved ISBN: 978-1-84369-888-3 ISSN: 2225-739X (print) ISSN: 2227-9954 (online) For copies of this publication, please contact IIED: International Institute for Environment and Development 80-86 Gray’s Inn Road London WC1X 8NH United Kingdom Email: [email protected] www.iied.org/pubs IIED order no.: 10037IIED A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Citation: Djiré, M. with Keita, A. and Diawara, A. (2012) Agricultural investments and land acquisitions in Mali: Context, trends and case studies. IIED/GERSDA, London/ Bamako. Translation from French: Jean Lubbock MITI MIL Cover photo: A young woman walks past a roadside map of the Office du Niger area, Mali © Sven Torfinn | Panos Cartography: C. D’Alton Design: Smith+Bell (www.smithplusbell.com) Printing: Park Communications (www.parkcom.co.uk). Printed with vegetable oil based inks on Chorus
    [Show full text]
  • Adaptation to Climate Change in the Upper and Middle Niger River Basin
    Adaptation to Climate Change in the Upper and Middle Niger River Basin River Basin Snapshot Draft for Discussion May 2010 Adaptation to Climate Change in the Upper and Middle Niger River Basin Acknowledgements KfW Entwicklungsbank would like to thank the author Martin Kerres for writing the report as well as Dr. Manuel Schiffler for initiating and supervising the basin snapshots. This report would not have been possible without the financial support of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Numerous persons enriched the quality of the document through their precious support. I would like to particularly thank Martin Bostroem, Dr. Jörg Dux, Dr. Dieter Gomer, Stefan Lechner, Karen Möhring and Jozias Pieterse of KfW Entwicklungsbank for their valuable contributions. The document was further improved through excellent comments and support by Patrick Fallis and Dr. Peter Pieck and of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). I especially thank Amal Talbi of the World Bank and Ibraheem Ali of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) as well as Franca Schwarz and Dr. Sara Ines Vassolo of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) for contributing with their thorough and priceless experience and knowledge. Stefan Zeeb Head of Division Competence Center Water and Waste Management 2 Adaptation to Climate Change in the Upper and Middle Niger River Basin Content Part one: Water resources and Climate ................................................................................. 7 The
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Change, Water and Conflict in the Niger River Basin
    CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER AND CONFLICT IN THE NIGER RIVER BASIN MARISA GOULDEN AND ROGER FEW DECEMBER 2011 This report is written by Marisa Goulden and Roger Few, with contributions from the people listed below as part of a project led by International Alert in partnership with the School of International Development at the University of East Anglia (UEA), the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and research partners in Mali, Nigeria and Niger. This project and report have been made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The report has been reviewed.1 The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government, or researchers within the wider Tyndall Centre or School of International Development, UEA. Contributors: Lulsegged Abebe, Nick Brooks, Mona Daoud, Mamadou Kani Konaté, Elizabeth Sarney, Dan Smith, Boniface Umoh, Phil Vernon, Julia Weiner and Boubacar Yamba. 1 The reviewers included one external reviewer, two reviewers from International Alert not directly involved in the research and a representative of the funding agency. © International Alert and University of East Anglia 2011 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without full attribution. Cover2 image CLIMATE © International CHANGE, Alert/Aurélien WATER Tobie AND CONFLICT IN THE NIGER RIVER BASIN CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER AND CONFLICT IN THE NIGER RIVER BASIN MARISA GOULDEN AND ROGER FEW ABOUT THE LEAD AUTHORS Marisa Goulden is a Lecturer in Climate Change at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and the School of International Development, UEA.
    [Show full text]
  • Water and Agricultures in the Niger Basin Through the Twentieth Century
    10 Water and Agricultures in the Niger Basin through the Twentieth Century Andrew Ogilvie, Jean Charles Clanet, Georges Serpantie and Jacques Lemoalle INTRODUCTION The Niger River basin gathers 100 million people over 2.1 million km", ten countries and six agroclimatic zones, ranging from Saharan in the north to Equatorial coastal around the GulfofGuinea. Its scale and diversity provide a remarkable cross section of the efforts placed by African smallholders to produce the required 2,500 kcal/day/capita despite limited means and unreliable water resources, through traditional low input rainfed agriculture, livestock and localized fishing. Significantly, the trajectory of livelihood strategies over the twentieth century provides valuable insights into the ways the societies have adapted as a result of changes in water availability, rapid demographic growth (doubling ofthe African population over the past 30 years) and rising competition for land and natural resources. Historical accounts can help understand these complex hydro­ socio-ecosysterns and pave the way towards strategies on how to prepare for future climatic changes, rising pressure on land, water and resources, as a result of demographic pressure and external investments ('land grabs'), increased development of dams for energy and irrigation and complex transboundary water management. This chapter seeks to describe in the first instance the change in climate over the past century, highlighting the severe drought which characterized the later part of the twentieth century. Its detrimental (though sometimes paradoxical) effects on surface and ground water resources throughout the region are described and the growing influence of anthropic changes such as surface water impoundments upstream and land use changes are discussed.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact of Dams on the People of Mali
    Impact of dams on the people of Mali Impact of dams on the people of Mali 1 This study shows that individual water management decisions in the Upper Niger have a profound effect on distributional environmental, economic and social benefits to people in different parts of the basin. There has already been significant redistribution between different sectors and communities in different regions and countries. When one or more planned dam developments are considered it is predicted that the effects become more marked and exaggerated. In the Inner Niger Delta area very significant changes in the way of life and in nature values would be experienced. Policy investment and management decisions on water infrastructure should take these facts fully into account, to ensure the best results for the people of Mali, their livelihoods and the environment. 2 Impact of dams on the people of Mali Impact of dams on the people of Mali This brochure provides a basis for decisions regarding the This brochure is based on research addressing water management use of water of the Upper Niger. This brochure does not options in the Upper Niger1. It focuses in particular on the Sélingué prescribe what should or should not be done; it simply and Markala dams in Mali and the proposed Fomi dam in eastern presents facts on the costs and benefits, winners and losers. Guinea. With this brochure, we show the costs and benefits of the three dams and which sectors, regions in both countries In the near future, several decisions have to be taken regarding the and communities lose or win.
    [Show full text]