Stretching over more than 4 000km, the Niger is West Africa’s longest river, and greatly threatened in the country of the same name by environmental degradation that is causing the water course to silt up. ”The lack of vegetation along the river prevents water retention during rainfall,” says Mahaman Laminou Attaou, national director for the environment in Niger’s Ministry of Water Affairs.

The competition between energy and environmental needs in Niger has taken centre stage of late, with authorities seeking to promote the use of coal in a bid to halt deforestation in the North African country. ”If we don’t take steps now, we will be short three million tons (three billion kilograms) of firewood in 2010, or 2,5 times the present sustainable supply, and our forests will disappear.”