Mali Water Resources: Key Issues in the Context of Climate Change

These rivers support the country's major urban centers, which will continue to have adequate access to water resources as long as there is sufficient capital to provide water treatment and distribution infrastructure. However, areas located away from rivers face significant water stress, particularly in rural regions where rainfall is progressively lower. The northern areas of Mali are the most susceptible to predicted climate change due to lower rainfall, higher temperatures, and increased rainfall variability. These factors affect agricultural production and the reliability of both surface and groundwater resources. At the national level, Mali's primary responses to the threat of climate change on water resources have been to assure food security through large-scale irrigation system development near the inland delta and improve rural water supplies by exploiting groundwater. While these approaches have been successful to date, they do not have a significant impact on the vulnerability of rural populations living far from the main rivers. In these rural areas, where access to water resources is limited, there is a need to take an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach. IWRM functions at three levels: household strategies for improved resilience to climate change through behavior change in agriculture and water-related hygiene; village strategies for participatory development of IWRM strategies; and support to service providers at the Commune level. Effective IWRM takes advantage of the limited water available to ensure that it is used as effectively as possible. However, Commune-level cadres have little or no access to effective tools and information necessary to develop more resilient IWRM plans. They need guidelines on how to develop IWRM plans, information about predicted changes for short-term adjustments, and an effective planning approach to enable them to make effective use of limited financial and human resources. Donors and the Malian Government can support greater resilience to impacts of climate change by developing and implementing an IWRM program that operates at these three levels and strengthens local capacity to manage land and water resources more effectively under conditions of increased variability of rainfall and temperature. The hydrogeologic map of Mali highlights the country's water resources and the areas most susceptible to climate change. The map shows the distribution of groundwater resources and the potential for irrigation development. Understanding the hydrogeology of Mali is crucial for developing effective IWRM strategies and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the country's water resources.