Dynamique d’occupation et d’utilisation des sols et la hausse de la nappe dans la basse vallée du Dallol Maouri

L’état de surface de la zone sahélienne a subi plusieurs mutations ces dernières années suite au changement climatique et aux activités anthropiques, ce qui amplifie les évènements extrêmes. L’analyse de la dynamique d’occupation  et d’utilisation des sols s’avère un outil excellent pour renforcer la résilience de la population. L’état de surface de la basse vallée du Dallol Maouri, qui constitue un affluent fossile du fleuve Niger, a subi plusieurs modifications depuis les années 70. L’objectif de cet article est d’évaluer l’impact de la dynamique d’occupation des sols sur la hausse du niveau piézométrique de la nappe libre de la basse vallée du Dallol Maouri. L’analyse de la dynamique d’occupation et d’utilisation des sols montre une nette régression de la classe de savanes arborées et arbustives, et nette progression de mosaïque cultures-jachères.  La classe des savanes arborées et arbustives, qui était largement représentée dans cette région, a perdu 61 % de sa superficie en 42 ans, soit 38 000 ha de 62 000 ha qu’elle représente en 1973. La progression importante des mosaïques cultures jachères et de sols nus et habitats, montre l’emprise des activités anthropiques telles que l’agriculture extensive et urbanisation. Le suivi de l’évolution de la nappe libre de la zone durant la période étudiée a montré une certaine remontée du niveau piézométrique de 3,4 m sur le plateau, et 1,6 m dans la vallée du Dallol Maouri. The Sahelian environment zone has undergone several changes in recent years due to climate change and human activities, which amplifies extreme events. The analysis of the dynamics of land occupation and use is an excellent tool for strengthening the resilience of the population. The surface condition of the lower Dallol Maouri valley, which constitutes a fossil tributary of the Niger River, has undergone several modifications since the 1970s. The objective of this article is to assess the impact of the occupation dynamics soils on the rise in the piezometric level of the unconfined aquifer of the lower Dallol Maouri valley. The analysis of the dynamics of land occupation and use shows a clear regression of the class of tree and shrub savannahs, and a clear progression of crop-fallow mosaic. The class of wooded and shrubby savannahs, which was widely represented in this region, has lost 61% of its surface area in 42 years, i.e. 38,000 ha from the 62,000 ha it represented in 1973. The significant progression of mosaic fallow crops and of bare soils and habitats, shows the influence of human activities such as extensive agriculture and urbanization. The monitoring of the evolution of the unconfined aquifer in the area during the period studied showed a certain rise in the piezometric level of 3.4 m on the plateau, and 1.6 m in the Dallol Maouri valley

Observed controls on resilience of groundwater to climate variability in sub-Saharan Africa

Groundwater in sub-Saharan Africa supports livelihoods and poverty alleviation1,2, maintains vital ecosystems, and strongly influences terrestrial water and energy budgets. Yet the hydrological processes that govern groundwater recharge and sustainability—and their sensitivity to climatic variability—are poorly constrained4. Given the absence of firm observational constraints, it remains to be seen whether model-based projections of decreased water resources in dry parts of the region4 are justified. Here we show, through analysis of multidecadal groundwater hydrographs across sub-Saharan Africa, that levels of aridity dictate the predominant recharge processes, whereas local hydrogeology influences the type and sensitivity of precipitation–recharge relationships. Recharge in some humid locations varies by as little as five per cent (by coefficient of variation) across a wide range of annual precipitation values. Other regions, by contrast, show roughly linear precipitation–recharge relationships, with precipitation thresholds (of roughly ten millimetres or less per day) governing the initiation of recharge. These thresholds tend to rise as aridity increases, and recharge in drylands is more episodic and increasingly dominated by focused recharge through losses from ephemeral overland flows. Extreme annual recharge is commonly associated with intense rainfall and flooding events, themselves often driven by large-scale climate controls. Intense precipitation, even during years of lower overall precipitation, produces some of the largest years of recharge in some dry subtropical locations. Our results therefore challenge the ‘high certainty’ consensus regarding decreasing water resources in such regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The potential resilience of groundwater to climate variability in many areas that is revealed by these precipitation–recharge relationships is essential for informing reliable predictions of climate-change impacts and adaptation strategies

Groundwater quality and its implications for domestic and agricultural water supplies in a semi-arid river basin of Niger

In the River Goulbi Maradi Basin (RGMB), groundwater is a vital source of drinking water and plays a central role in the region’s socio-economic development. The quality and suitability of groundwater for irrigation and drinking-water remain inadequately understood. We examine hydrochemical analyses of 35 groundwater samples from the shallow alluvial (17) and underlying Continental Hamadien (CH) sandstone (18) aquifers and evaluate these against standard measures of their suitability for drinking water (World Health Organization (WHO) guideline values) and irrigation (i.e., sodium adsorption ratio, sodium percentage, and the residual sodium carbonate). Hydrochemical facies are principally of Na–HCO3 and Na–Cl types. Bivariate plots combined with saturation indices and electrical conductivity monitoring suggest that the main hydrogeochemical processes influencing groundwater quality are cation exchange in the CH aquifer and solute leaching from soils during focused recharge in the alluvial aquifer. 76% (13/17) of groundwater samples from the alluvial aquifer were suitable for irrigation compared to 38% (6/16) of the samples from the CH. The identification of high fluoride concentrations exceeding the WHO drinking-water guideline value (> 1.5 mg/L) in 33% (6/18) of samples from the CH aquifer and 18% (3/17) in the alluvial aquifer, and their respective attribution to the release of fluoride of geogenic origin through cation exchange and local use of fluorapatite fertilisers, provide valuable insight into efforts to address the on-going challenge of fluorosis in the Maradi region of Niger and more widely across African drylands. The health consequences of the widespread observation of Mn in concentrations exceeding the new WHO guideline value (0.08 mg/L) in the alluvial aquifer (6/9 samples), often alongside elevated Fe concentrations, are unclear