Floods in the Sahel

“Nowadays if you plant crops that take three months to bear fruit, you’ll end up with nothing to harvest.” This is how one farmer sums up what climate change means for agriculture in southern Mali. It has caused a decline in precipitation. But far more devastating is that the precipitation is frequently concentrated in a much shorter period, during which it comes down all the more heavily. Sometimes the downpour is so intense that the soil can’t hold all that water, which then runs off unused, often causing local floods.

Some discouraged farming families move to the city, where they see better chances of survival. Others stay put. In a project called “Nèmasso” – the Bambara word for a humid and therefore pleasantly cool house – Helvetas helps them adapt to climate change: locally, through adjusted methods of working the fields and in the household, and regionally, through adaptation measures for entire catchment areas.

Meteorological information and adapted techniques

Changing conditions require farmers, herders and their families to establish a new balance with the ecosystems on which their livelihoods depend. Traditional methods no longer work; farmers must find new ways and strategies to adapt to changing conditions. One crucial element is for farmers to have access to timely and reliable information.

The project Nyèsigi works with young people in the villages who are trained in collaboration with Mali Meteo to collect meteorological data using smartphones. This data is then sent to the national meteorological service for analysis and elaboration of agricultural advice. In return, Mali Meteo provides weather forecasts complemented with agricultural advice, which is then shared with the farmers by telephone and radio. At the community level, this information is also shared and discussed during village assemblies.

Farmers are learning to apply adapted production techniques in the context of their changing climate. At the same time, they are rediscovering traditional practices to rehabilitate poor land and conserve water.

An important project element is the introduction of adapted seeds. Adapted seeds are currently available at the local market through a network of farmers. The combination of agro-med service, adapted practices and seeds led the harvest of the farmers to significantly increase, and has positively contributed to food security in the region.

Conserving resources and creating jobs in green sectors

The impact of climate change on the availability and quality of natural resources on which the people of Mali depend jeopardizes household livelihoods and risks fuelling conflicts, particularly over access to water and land.

Conserving resources to reduce the vulnerability of communities, while at the same time mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, is challenging in the fight against climate change. But it also represents an interesting opportunity to improve the income of women and youth and can create new jobs in the green economy sector.

The Nyèsigi project promotes the use of alternative technologies such as improved stoves that use less wood for cooking and help to safeguard wooded areas. Thanks to the surplus of production due to better adapted practices and seeds, but also to increased water availability, there was an urgent need to conserve certain products to keep them available for a longer period of time. This complements the need to harvest as much as possible in good years of rainfall so that communities can retain a surplus for years when rainfall is low or even absent.

In addition to adaptation practices, the project trains young people on the promotion of innovative technologies. One example is solar pumps, which are installed in market gardening perimeters to facilitate access to water and increase production. Another innovation allows women to produce higher quality smoked fish that can be preserved longer, up to 12 months instead of a few weeks. With more fishing, facilitated by the presence of water in dams and better technology for fish conservation, women can improve their business and earn more money to support their families. Off-farm activities not directly linked to rainfall are crucial to better cope with the changing climate in semi-arid regions like where the project Nyèsigi is located.

As the effects of climate change increase around the world, Helvetas is supporting the municipalities in adapting the activities in their development plans and in raising community awareness of the needs for behavior changes and investments to combat warmer temperatures and unpredictable weather events.