Original Story Published by: Joseph Ibeh for Space in Africa
Photo Source: ©Earthsky.org
(Above) Africa’s Sahara Desert is expanding, encroaching on savanna ecosystems. Image Credit via Luca Galuzzi.
Nomadic herders in the Region of Gao in northeastern Mali are using satellites to search for water spots in the Sahel in such a way that improves productivity and security.
Usually, cattle nomads in the desert regions wander thousands of kilometres in search of greener pastures and water alongside their cattle herds. Over time, nomads in the Region of Gao delegated the search duty to camel riders and motorcyclists who locate and report oasis and vegetable areas.
Recent climate change has caused more frequent, longer drought spells that make the process of using emissary motorcyclists and camel riders more difficult and risky.
The ecoclimatic and biogeographic conditions of the Sahel region, Sahara to the north and the Sudanian Savanna to the south, are rapidly changing faster than the global average. As the Sahara fast encroaches, the Sahel region witnesses rising temperatures and frequent, prolonged droughts. Freshwater wells and vegetation become scarcer and several miles away in between oases, causing misery for nomadic herders and Sahel dwellers.
It became almost impossible to rely on emissary camel riders and motorcyclists to locate freshwater points and vegetations. Sometimes water wells and creeks dry up rapidly before the camel riders return.
In an article recently published on MIT Technology Review, Tim McDonnell explored how nomadic herders in Mali are using satellites to beat the challenges in the Sahel and effectively improve productivity.
To read the full article, visit Space in Africa.
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