The Inner Niger Delta Landscape

The Inner Niger Delta in Mali is West Africa’s largest floodplain, where seasonal floods turn the Sahel into a green oasis. It feeds millions of people with rice, fish, and pasture, while sheltering hippos, manatees, and countless migratory birds. But dams, climate change, and growing pressure on land and water are shrinking this “blue lifeline,” putting both nature and local communities at risk.

The Inner Niger Delta, stretching across central Mali, is the largest floodplain in West Africa and the second largest wetland in Africa. Fed by the Niger and Bani rivers, this vast inland delta covers up to 30,000 km² during peak floods, transforming the Sahel’s arid heart into a green oasis of lakes, flooded forests, grasslands, and savannah. It is recognized as a Ramsar site of international importance, providing refuge for millions of migratory birds, fish, and iconic species such as hippos and manatees.

Nearly two million people directly depend on the flood pulse of the delta. Its productivity is extraordinary: the Inner Niger Delta supplies 15% of Mali’s cereals, 50% of its cattle grazing, and over 80% of its fish production. Agriculture, fishing, and herding form an intricate seasonal economy: rice farmers cultivate flood-recession fields, pastoralists move livestock to graze on nutritious bourgou grass, and fishing communities spread across floodplains to harvest diverse species. When floods are abundant, these systems thrive. When they recede, hunger and hardship follow.

The delta is under mounting pressure. Upstream dams and irrigation schemes have already reduced peak floods by up to 16% in dry years, cutting fish catches and pasture by significant margins. The planned Fomi Dam in Guinea, if constructed, could shrink flood extent by over 2,000 km² in half the years, potentially cutting fish trade by 30% and millet yields by a quarter. These projects provide hydropower and rice upstream but pose existential risks for downstream communities.

Climate change compounds these threats. More variable rainfall, increasing temperatures, and higher evaporation reduce water availability. The delta, once a reliable buffer against drought, is shrinking. Combined with rapid population growth, this fuels competition over scarce land and water, intensifying local tensions.

The Inner Niger Delta sits at the epicentre of Mali’s wider security crisis. Farmers, fishers, and herders have long coexisted through customary agreements. But weakening of traditional institutions, poorly implemented laws, and overlapping state and local governance structures have eroded trust.

As pastures dwindle and fishing grounds contract, disputes over water access have escalated. Clashes between herders and farmers, between fishers and herders, and even within professional groups are now frequent. Armed groups exploit these grievances, filling governance vacuums with violence and recruitment opportunities for disenfranchised youth. Thus, the degradation of wetlands is not only an environmental issue, it is directly linked to fragility, migration, and insecurity across the Sahel.

The future of the Inner Niger Delta depends on balancing upstream development with downstream survival. Sustainable dam management, ecosystem restoration, and inclusive governance are essential. If managed wisely, the Inner Niger Delta can continue to serve as a blue lifeline , sustaining biodiversity, culture, and millions of livelihoods in the heart of the Sahel. If neglected, its decline risks fuelling a downward spiral of poverty, conflict, and migration across West Africa.