The 6th edition of the Open Sahel Festival which began over the weekend in Mboumba, Northern region of Senegal which borders Mauritania, came to a close with colourful cultural, art and drama displays by the host communities.
The festival is a partnership of the initiative " Voix du Fleuve, (Voice of the river) Voie de la Paix of Peace", (Path of peace), which sets the tone for discussions ahead of the World Water Forum to be held in Dakar in March 2022.
As WADR's Imoh Edet reports, the 3 days event began with musical concerts and talent hunts, had several panel sessions deliberating on one objective, to launch a dialogue between the institutions involved in the development of the Senegal River basin.
The growing rate of desertification as a result of climate change has necessitated deliberation among community members and stakeholders. In a region such as the Sahel, which is plagued by drought, poverty, and underdevelopment, access to a water resource such as the Senegal River is critical to local populations who rely on it for energy production, land irrigation, and potable water.
As precipitation projections in the Sahel increasingly forecast drier years, countries in the region look towards this water resource as a means to provide for its people in the years to come.
For example, 60% of the potable water in Dakar comes from Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS) implemented infrastructure.
This percentage increases to 100% in the cities of Nouakchott (Mauritania) and Saint Louis (Senegal). In addition, infrastructure that has been built and is managed by the OMVS generates 800 GWh per year of clean affordable energy, and provides 375,000 hectares of potential irrigable lands.
The festival is a launchpad for discussions on these issues.
While it featured top artists like Senegalese Baba Maal, The Gambia’s Sona Jobateh, Mauritania’s Daby Toure, Daara J Family, among other stars, there were also different cultural displays, including photo exhibition.
