Sociolingo’s Mali

The Encyclopedia of Earth has additions to the profile of Mali. There are really good and detailed profiles of the Bandiagara, World Heritage site and Eco-Regions of Mali, although other headings are obviously work in progress and are in outline only.

Cliffs_of_Bandiagara,Land_of_the_Dogons, Mali

Inner Niger Delta flooded savanna

Sahara desert

South Saharan steppe and woodlands

West Saharan montane xeric woodlands

West Sudanian savanna

More African country profiles

Africa Collection

Citation:

Surface, Maggie (Lead Author); Lakhdar Boukerrou (Topic Editor). 2008. “Mali country profile.” In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [Published in the Encyclopedia of Earth June 4, 2008; Retrieved June 8, 2008]. <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mali_country_profile>

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I’ve just spotted a positive news story about Mali on BBC NEWS

Timbuktu’s climate change fight

By Celeste Hicks BBC News, Timbuktu

As the Bali climate negotiations draw to a conclusion, farmers on the frontline of climate change, around Timbuktu in northern Mali have been turning the desert green.

Unpredictable rainfall and deforestation have seen the Sahara Desert encroach on the historic town over the last few years, but now irrigation projects are helping farmers to fight back.

The men always used to take decisions for the family, now the women are also making a contribution Zeinabi Maiga

Timbuktu is fortunate to be just a few kilometres from the massive inland delta of the River Niger, and draws water from vast underground aquifers - bodies of permeable rock which transmit water.

A women’s co-operative in the village of Kabara, south of Timbuktu, is using these water sources to plant eucalyptus trees.

They nurture them for two years after which the trees can then survive almost without rain.

More 

I know I’ve been out of Mali for a while and missed out on recent news but the report that has just come in from IRIN NEWS about severe flooding throughout the country is quite shocking. Here is the bulletin, and I’ve posted below it the links to the earlier news bulletins if you wish to follow the story.

Seen on IRIN NEWS 

MALI: Thousands of flood victims could be stranded when schools reopen

DAKAR, 20 August 2007 (IRIN) - Malian authorities are scrambling to find alternative shelter for thousands of people who lost their homes in recent floods across the country, more than half of whom are currently living in school buildings.  “It’s an aspect [of the crisis] that does not attract people’s attention but it’s a problem all the same,” said Idrissa Traoré, chief of operations for the Malian Red Cross.  Since the beginning of July, flooding has swept right across Mali - from the western region of Kayes along the border with Senegal to the central regions of Ségou and Mopti, destroying hundreds of homes and killing up to 15 people according to the Malian government.  More than 32,000 people have been made homeless, according to the head of Mali’s civil protection service, Col. Mamadou Traoré.  “The problem now is where to put the 15-18,000 people who are in schools,” Traoré told IRIN on 17 August from the hardest hit region, Ségou, where he met United Nations officials who distributed food, water purification tablets, blankets and clothes in the town of Bla. Schools in Mali are supposed to reopen on 15 September.  Traoré said the government wants to move the people out of the schools into tents. “The need is real,” he said, adding that the tents will be especially important if the rains continue.  Traoré said the government will also identify areas safe for living, and begin building new homes in those regions by the beginning of October.

A report just out indicates that Mali is having some success in provoking rainfall by seeding clouds. This new innovation, which has cost 2.8 billion FCFA has been paid for out of the national budget and was recently allowed by law (January 2006). So far the results seem good and production has increased due to increased rain. The process is somewhat complicated and depends on the right atmospheric conditions. Malians are being trained by American specialists.

Translated from http://www.malikounda.com/nouvelle_voir.php?idNouvelle=8883

The rains have been late this year and many parts of the country have been suffering and worrying about the harvest.

The good news is that the heavy rain of the last couple of weeks has brought hope to farmers. All areas of the country have been affected by the late rains, particularly the north in the regions of Gao and Kidal. The cotton and corn (maise) crops have shown a decline in production and seedlings are late in growing. However, in part of Sikasso Region the crop of corn and millet show increases.

Cereals are in reasonable supply throughout the country and are available in markets, stores and government stores, and the price remains steady apart from in Kayes and Segou where the price has fallen and Koulikoro where the price has risen. Prices are generally lower than in 2005, but the price of rice has risen over the last 5 years whilst other cereals have fallen. Seeds are also in good supply and recent attempts to improve the availablility of seeds to local farmers have been succesful.

The water situation is generally good and improvements have been made over the last 10 years.

Summarised from http://www.essor.gov.ml/