Retaining water with micro-dams

Micro-dams are structures ranging from 40 to 300 meters in length, built with stone and mortar or concrete, and designed to retain runoff water during the rainy season. Their underground foundations also help retain groundwater

Background

• Micro-dam construction projects were initiated by development agencies in the 1990s, initially to protect the Koris and later in wider valleys.

Location: Primarily Niger and Mali

Effects of the technique

• Increases the availability of surface water during the rainy season and groundwater during the dry season
• Regulates water flow during heavy rainfall
• Enables up to three crop cycles
• Increases arable land area and yields Allows for animal watering

Authors: Félix Bonnin, Christophe Brossé, and reviewed by Eric Roose (Researcher, IRD)

Publisher: Desertification Working Group

Date: 2019

Organization: CARI, an international solidarity organization founded in 1998, works with rural communities in the Sahel region. Our mission is to support small-scale agriculture to address food crises and promote the development of local communities, as well as to combat desertification and land degradation in arid areas.

https://www.cariassociation.org/fr/