DIRECTIONS IN DEVELOPMENT 34518 The Niger Public Disclosure Authorized River Basin AVision for Sustainable Management INGER ANDERSEN, OUSMANE DIONE, MARTHA JAROSEWICH-HOLDER, JEAN-CLAUDE OLIVRY EDITED BY KATHERIN GEORGE GOLITZEN Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized BENIN Public Disclosure Authorized The Niger River Basin: A Vision for Sustainable Management The Niger River Basin: A Vision for Sustainable Management Inger Andersen Ousmane Dione Martha Jarosewich-Holder Jean-Claude Olivry Edited by Katherin George Golitzen THE WORLD BANK Washington, DC © 2005 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org E-mail: [email protected] All rights reserved. 123408070605 The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. 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All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522-2422; e-mail: [email protected]. ISBN-10: 0-8213-6203-8 ISBN-13: 978-0-8213-6203-7 e-ISBN: 0-8213-6204-6 DOI: 10.1596/978-0-8213-6203-7 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for. Contents Foreword vii Acknowledgments ix Executive Summary x Acronyms and Abbreviations xv 1 Overview of Niger River Basin Countries and Basin History 1 The Countries of the Niger River Basin 4 History of the Basin 7 2 The Physical Geography of the Niger River Basin 11 Physical Environment and Hydrography 11 Navigable River Segments 19 Geology and Hydrogeology 20 Soils 22 Natural Environment 24 Climatic Conditions 25 Climate and Water Resources Variability 27 3 The Niger River Basin’s Water Resources 30 Hydrology 30 Transport of Suspended and Dissolved Solids 48 Water Quality 56 Closing Comments on the Technical Chapters 57 4 Cooperative Development of the Niger River Basin: Criteria for Success 58 Promoting Development and Poverty Reduction 58 From Unilateral to Cooperative Development 59 Laying the Institutional Foundation for Cooperation 60 v vi CONTENTS A Political Mandate: The Shared Vision and Sustainable Development Action Program 63 Making Cooperation Happen in the Niger River Basin 63 People and the Environment: A Focus of Cooperation 65 Criteria for Success and Ways Forward 68 Appendixes 70 Appendix 1: Main Maps of the Niger River Basin 70 Appendix 2: Technical Supporting Information 86 Appendix 3: Overview of Data Management 127 Appendix 4: Glossary 129 Endnotes 131 Bibliography 132 Index 141 Foreword The Niger River Basin, home to approximately 100 million people, is a vital, complex asset for West and Central Africa. It is the continent’s third longest river (4,200 kilometers), traversing nine countries—Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. The Niger River embodies the livelihoods and geopolitics of the nations it crosses. This river is not simply water, but is also an origin of identity, a route for migration and commerce, a source of potential conflict, and a catalyst for cooperation. As the regional population and economies grow, this life-giving resource will require integrated water resources management to address sustainably the increasing aspirations and needs of the people of the Basin. Regional cooperation among the nations sharing the Basin is crucial to optimizing sustainable economic development while ensuring environ- mentally sound management. Over previous decades, the Niger River Basin countries have focused more on unilateral water resources develop- ment than on the potential benefits of cooperation. Recently, however, the Basin countries have renewed their commitment to address sustainable management and development of the Basin’s resources through an improved framework and a Shared Vision process. In doing so, they are setting an important path for cooperative water resources planning, management, and development that could serve as a model for water resources management for Africa’s many shared rivers. From the Guinea highlands, through the Office du Niger in the Inland Delta, to the Niger Delta, the greatest opportunities will come from managing efficiently the water resources on which millions of people depend for their livelihoods, taking into consideration the range of demands, associated infrastructures, and ecological complexity. As in all river basins, different groups of users have conflicting priorities and preferences. Thus, it is important to understand how the river and its resources are used in order to avoid conflict and promote cooperation. This overview of the potential of the Niger River’s water resources discusses the hydrographic system—the river and its tributaries, hydrology, vii viii FOREWORD climate, and water quality and use. It attempts to capture the full spectrum of the Niger ecosystem’s values and benefits and to support the integra- tion of science and decision making, and, as such, can serve as a tool for transboundary cooperative management of shared water resources. The final chapter discusses the criteria for success that will be required to broker agreement for the cooperative development and management of the river. The book is presented as a contribution to support and foster the Shared Vision process for integrated management and development of this majestic river, for the benefit of the people of the Niger River Basin. Michel Wormser Sector Director Private Sector and Infrastructure Africa Region Acknowledgments This book intends to contribute to the Niger River Basin Shared Vision process. Having devoted much of his academic career to the study of the Niger River, Jean-Claude Olivry has produced an extensive study, based on his own research and a compilation of existing information. The study by Jean-Claude Olivry forms the background for this book. Drawing from his work, a team comprising Ousmane Dione, Martha Jarosewich-Holder, and Katherin Golitzen prepared chapters 1–3. The concluding chapter has been written by Inger Andersen (Director, Water, Environment, Social and Rural Development Unit, Middle East and North Africa Region), with input from the World Bank team, and provides a discussion of the criteria for suc- cess in water resources development in the Basin. The team would like to thank the Niger Basin Authority for its cooper- ation and support, namely Mohammed Bello Tuga (Executive Secretary), Ousmane Diallo (Environmental Specialist), Oumar Ould Ali (Chief Hydrologist), Robert Dessoussi (Hydrologist), and the Niger Basin Authority Focal Points within the nine member countries. The team also extends its thanks for reviews, input, suggestions, and comments received from Johan Grijsen, Amal Talbi, Esther Monier-Illouz, and cartographer Jeff Lecksell. The team is grateful for the technical input and peer review of Alessandro Palmieri, Lead Dam Specialist, Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Network, World Bank. In addition, the team has benefited greatly from advice and guidance provided by David Grey, Senior Water Adviser, Africa Region, World Bank. Finally, the team expresses its appre- ciation to the government of the Netherlands for funding the translation and publication through a grant from the Bank-Netherlands Water Partnership Program. ix Executive Summary This book comprises two distinct elements. The first, and major, part of the book (chapters 1–3) is a unique and essential compilation of technical infor- mation and data on the entire Niger River system. It presents a compre- hensive overview of the physical environment and hydrological functions of the watershed, thus providing the necessary background for examina- tion of the challenges of resource management and development potential. The second part of the book (chapter 4) presents the fundamental challenges that the nine countries1 of the Basin face and are now addressing. Introduction The river is described in the first three chapters as a single hydrologic system, yet it has largely been developed unilaterally, in spite of the existence of a convention and a river basin organization. Chapter 4 presents a descrip- tion of the path that the political leaders of the Basin have chosen to take and a discussion of what is needed to achieve their goals. It is the combi- nation of these elements—the hydrology and geography of the river system with the economic opportunities,