A view of Bartaga village on the bank on the inner delta of the Niger River, Source: National Geographic
Poised on the edge of the Sahara Desert in Mali lies a wetland bigger than Belgium: the Inner Niger River Delta. You might expect to find nothing but sand dunes and dry lake beds. Instead nearly two million people as well as a diverse array of birds, plants, and other creatures rely on the Inner Niger River Delta’s rich landscape to survive. “Everything here depends on the water.” This declaration comes from Daouda Sanakoua, the mayor of Deboye, a district along the Niger River. Here, on the brink of a vast desert, supporting a thriving ecosystem is no small feat.
But in recent years the once lush landscape has become a site of political tension. Climate change and capitalism-fueled power struggles over water management began to threaten the delta in 2012. As the wetland’s water levels dipped, uncertainty and violence rose to the surface. These water disputes in Mali may be indicative of a larger global trend. So, what happened in Mali, and what does it mean for the rest of the world?
Map of the Niger River where the Inner Niger Delta is circled in purple, Source: Geology Page
What happened in 2012?
In 2012 the Inner Niger wetland began to dry up. But the story begins much earlier, with the French colonization of Mali in the 1890s. For much of the twentieth century France’s colonization horrifically impacted Malians as well as the country’s ecosystems. History seemed set to repeat itself when in 2012, the Mali government announced its intention to divert water destined for the Inner Niger Delta to create agricultural opportunities for foreign companies from China, Germany, the United States, and, of course, France.
This is the ugly intersection of capitalism and neo-colonialism. Neo-colonialism, or the use of power and foreign pressures to control and influence other countries, encouraged Mali’s government to place the interests of outside powers over those of their own people. As Lamine Coulibaly, a citizen of Mali, warns “[the government] cannot see when that investment will do more harm than good to its people.”
This harm has a name: “water grabbing.” Water grabbing happens when a powerful group uses water to their own, usually monetary or political, gain, leaving communities downstream with an inequitable share of remaining water.
This game of power did not end in 2012. Today, tensions continue to rise. Continual wetland mismanagement has created food and water insecurity, forcing residents of the delta to defend their resources using every means possible, including violence. This violence is the direct result of global power structures such as colonialism and capitalism which value profit over people and planet.
The Role of Environmental Degradation and Climate Change
The tensions in the Inner Niger Delta are inflamed by climate change and environmental degradation. Wetlands are always affected by seasonal cycles, but now, as climate change intensifies the extremes of both rainfall and droughts in various areas, the wetland ecosystem is under high stress.
The negative effects of climate change compound with unsustainable land practices to threaten the region’s diverse inhabitants. Deforestation, largely for agriculture, has led to erosion, muddying the once relatively clear waters of the Inner Niger Delta. Plumes of silt imperil fish, plants, and other species that depend on the historically clear water-quality for survival.
Especially at risk is the Delta’s diverse bird population. An essential site for both breeding and wintering, the wetland supports millions of birds each year. Endangered black crowned cranes, European kingfishers, and native Mali fire-finches are all dependent on this region. The Inner Niger Delta is vital to the survival of these bird species and many others since it has historically remained wet throughout the dry season as other locations run dry.
Between the climate crisis and governmental mismanagement of the wetland, there is much at stake. This lethal combination means the river could run completely dry as often as every fourth year.
Black Crowned Crane, European Kingfisher, and Mali Fire-finch (left to right)
Global Effects of Water Grabbing
The conflict in the heart of Mali foreshadows our world’s future. As freshwater sources become more scarce, a disturbing global pattern is taking effect. All over the globe, communities dependent on wetlands and other natural water sources are left to the mercy of those in power as water grabbing becomes a norm. In Ethiopia and Kenya, water is being drained from lake Turkana, which supports roughly half a million people. Along the Nile, 11 different foreign investors have staked claim to large swaths of land in an attempt to access water for agriculture, detracting from local water usage. In Tibet, a new form of water grabbing is emerging as companies harvest glacier water to bottle and sell, disrupting delicate ecosystems in the process.
These problems won’t go away without the global community re-prioritizing shared values. One place to start might be to pay closer attention to protecting global wetlands and their traditional use. Wetlands provide significant ecosystem services, from carbon-storage to freshwater purification. Cases where poor management and climate change have intersected to cause wetland destruction are detrimental not just to those living nearby, but to the whole global community. We cannot let water grabbing become a norm. If we give in to these power structures now, their swift and dangerous course may leave irreparable damage to our planet.
To learn more, check out these links:
https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at0903
https://waterpeacesecurity.org/info/mali
https://blogs.worldbank.org/dev4peace/water-peace-preventing-conflict-related-water-and-wetlands