The Sahel Region

CE397 Transboundary Water Resources

February 7
th
, 2008
Virginia !ith
The Region:
The ahe" region is an eco#c"i!ate $one "ocated on the southern edge o% the ahara
desert& The region s'ans across (igeria, udan, enega", )auritania, )a"i, *ur+ina Faso,
(iger, and Chad ,Ethio'ia and o!a"ia are so!eti!es inc"uded in the ahe" region-& The
na!e, ahe", co!es %ro! the .rabic /or+ %or 0border1 or 0!argin1& The region gained
this na!e because it ser2es as the southern border to the ahara& 3t is the transitiona"
$one bet/een the dessert and the !ore tro'ica" south centra" .%rica& Figure one gi2es
sho/s the geogra'hic "ocation o% the region&
Figure 1: The Sahel region of Africa
The countries o% the region are si!i"ar in c"i!ate, "and co2er and econo!y& The ahe" is
co2ered /ith brush, grasses, and stunted trees& The do!inant industries are based in
agricu"ture and herding "i2estoc+, !uch o% /hich de'ends on rain%a""& The ahe" region
e4'eriences strong year#to#year 2ariations in c"i!ate& The rain%a"" 2aries %ro! 200!! to
500!! a year& 62er the 'ast century the annua" 'reci'itation has decreased& )ost o% the
rain occurs during three to %our !onths o% su!!er&
The rain has decreased, but the nu!ber o% 'eo'"e de'ending on it has increased& 3n the
'ast 37 years the ahe" has e4'erienced ra'id gro/th in 'o'u"ation& 3n 8958 the ahe"
/as ho!e to a''ro4i!ate"y nineteen !i""ion 'eo'"e& *y 2000 this had e4'"oded to 70
!i""ion& The 'o'u"ation boo! has resu"ted in an e4'ansion o% agricu"tura" "ands and
gra$ing "ands %or "i2estoc+&
Water Resources:
.s !entioned abo2e, the ahe" is sub9ect to in%re:uent 'reci'itation, ranging %ro!
200!! to 500!! a year& )ost o% this rain %a""s in the su!!er during the !o2e!ent o%
the intertro'ica" con2ergence $one& This !eteoro"ogica" e2ent resu"ts in a !onsoon ty'e
'attern& o!e years this can resu"t in a %air a!ount o% rain; ho/e2er, it !aybe iso"ated to
one area or is so intense in !agnitude that it hurts cro's rather than he"'s the!&
)ost o% the area de'ends on rain as their /ater source& <o/e2er, o2er the 'ast %e/ years
the nu!ber o% /e""s and irrigation syste!s has increased& )any o% these 'ro9ects are the
resu"ts o% %oreign aid& =uring the "ate 8950s the ahe" began to e4'erience a drought that
/ou"d "ast unti" the ear"y 8980s& The i!'acts %ro! the drought resu"ted in o2er a !i""ion
deaths in the region& .s a resu"t, disaster re"ie% aid 'oured in %ro! the internationa"
co!!unity& )uch o% the !oney donated to !itigate the drought /as in2ested in /ater
resource 'ro9ects& The 'ro9ects too+ the %or! o% da!s, irrigation cana"s and /e""s&
>n%ortunate"y, the cha""enges o% the ahe"ian en2iron!ent !ade it di%%icu"t %or !any o%
these 'ro9ects to succeed&
Problems Facing the Sahel:
Water Resources )anage!ent# Whi"e the /ater 'ro9ects o% the 8980?s and 8990?s had the
best intentions in !any cases the resu"ts /ere not bene%icia"& 3rrigation syste!s and
reser2oirs that /ere bui"t /ere sti"" unab"e to endure the ahe"ian droughts, ser2ed as a
breading ground %or disease carrying insects such as the tse tse %"y, and interru'ted natura"
%"o/ 'atterns& *ore ho"es and /e""s dug in unsuitab"e areas %or "i2estoc+ and agricu"ture
contributed to deserti%ication& The great increases in /e""s "ead to "arger herds and o2er
gra$ing o% the "and& .s !ore and !ore "and beca!e agricu"tura" %e/ trees /here "e%t on
the ahe"ian hori$on i!'acting both soi" :ua"ity and runo%%& .dditiona""y, the change in
"and co2er has resu"ted in an a"teration o% the "and sur%ace a"bedo& This is be"ie2ed to be
contributing %urther to change in the region?s c"i!ate ,'articu"ar"y, 'reci'itation-&
=eserti%ication# 3n the 'ast 70 years the ahara has ad2anced south into the ahe" at a rate
o% t/o to %i2e +i"o!eters 'er year& =uring the 'ast century the %ragi"e ecosyste! o% the
ahe" region has been unab"e to sustain its 2egetation& 62er gra$ing %ro! "i2estoc+, the
ado'tion o% /estern %ar!ing 'ractices and 'our !anage!ent o% /ater resources ha2e
contributed to deserti%ication o% the area& These %actors ha2e "i!ited the regions abi"ity to
reco2er %ro! e4tre!e drought e2ents&
Resource Management
3n 8973 the nations o% the ahe" region %or!ed an a""iance to co!bat the se2ere drought
i!'acting their nations& The union /as na!ed the Co!ite @er!anent 3nter#Etats de Autte
Contre "a echeresse dans "e ahe" ,C3A-& The 'ur'ose o% C3A is to 0in2est into the
research %or %ood security and in the %ight against the e%%ects o% drought and
deserti%ication in order to achie2e a ne/ eco"ogica" e:ui"ibriu!1 in the region& The
a""iance has rati%icated o% three !a9or internationa" con2entionsB the Con2ention on
*io"ogica" =i2ersity ,C*=-, the >nited (ations Con2ention to Co!bat =eserti%ication
,>(CC=- and the >nited (ations Fra!e/or+ Con2ention on C"i!ate Change
,>(FCCC-& 3n addition to the 'roacti2e a''roach o% these con2entions, the internationa"
co!!unity has aided these countries in reco2ering %ro! the se2ere i!'acts o% drought&
Whi"e /or+ing to united regiona" e%%orts, countries ha2e a"so !ade inde'endent strategic
'"ans to co!bat the /ater re"ated issues& )ore can be read about these '"ans in the
re'ort, C"i!ate Change and Variabi"ity in the ahe" Region&
Required Reading:
@ages 8# 87B Cand9i, erigne T&, Aouis Verchot, and Dens )ac+ensen& C"i!ate Change
and Variabi"ity in the ahe" RegionB 3!'acts and .da'tation trategies in the
.gricu"tura" ector& Wor"d .gro%orestry Centre ,3CR.F- and >nited (ations
En2iron!ent @rogra!!e ,>(E@-& >(E@, 2005& 8#E8&
Can be found at:
http://www.unep.org/Themes/Freshwater/Documents/pdf/ClimateChangeSah
elCombine.pdf
Supplemental Reading:
*atterbury, i!on& FThe ahe" Region; .ssessing @rocess T/enty#Fi2e Gears .%ter the
Hreat =rought&F The Heogra'hica" ,8998-B 5& 38 Dan& 2008
I///&si!onbatterbury&netJ'ubsJgeo!ag&ht!K&
Cotu"a, Aoren$o& Aand and Water Rights in the ahe"B Tenure Cha""enges o% 3!'ro2ing
.ccess to Water %or .gricu"ture& ida and F.6& Aondon, >C& 8#98&
Ai, C G&, ) T& Coe, ( Ra!an+utty, and R =e Dong& F)ode"ing the <ydro"ogica" 3!'act
o% Aand#>se Change in West .%rica&F Dourna" o% <ydro"ogy 337 ,2207-B 278#258&
)u"%ord, ) R& FHo2ern!ent, @o'u"ation and Eco"ogy in the ahe"B a tudy in =isaster&F
,899E-B 8#82& E Feb& 2008 I///&%rontier&netJL!!u"%ordJsahe"&ht!K&
Fahe"&F Wi+i'edia& 03 Feb& 2008& E Feb& 2008 Ihtt'BJJen&/i+i'edia&orgJ/i+iJahe"K