Harnessing the Potential of Groundwater to Enhance Pastoral Productivity in the Sahel
Pastoralism is a major economic and livelihood pillar in the Sahel region, where more than 20 million people rear livestock to support their families. The livestock sector contributes 15 percent of the region’s gross domestic product (GDP), but pastoralists are extremely vulnerable to climate uncertainty and water scarcity because of their itinerant lifestyle and the […]
Catalyzing Farmer-Led Irrigation Development in the Sahel from Shallow Groundwater
Groundwater is usually considered shallow when the water table is found less than 8 m deep. This allows its abstraction with an inexpensive surface pump operating by suction. Regional studies conducted in the six Sahelian countries—Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal— conclude that there is huge potential to develop shallow groundwater for farmers […]
A joint master’s degree in groundwater for Sahelian Universities
The Sahel Groundwater Initiative will strengthen foundations for enhanced groundwater knowledge and management capacity in the Western Sahel countries of Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire. The analytical and technical assistance project is focusing on three outcomes: providing solutions to remove constraints and limitations on the use of groundwater for small-scale irrigation, reviewing […]
A Conversation with Mme Kone Saramatou, Director of Hydrology, Côte d’Ivoire
Kone Saramatou, Director of Hydrology at the Ministry of Hydraulic Works in Côte d’Ivoire, walks us through the Western African country’s experience in being a part of regional cooperative efforts involving transboundary waters management.