Mali-Niger: Climate change and conflict make an explosive mix in the Sahel

Temperatures in the Sahel are rising 1.5 times faster than the global average. Rainfall is erratic and wet seasons are shrinking. The UN estimates that roughly 80% of the Sahel’s farmland is degraded even as roughly 50 million people in the Sahel who depend on livestock compete for land.

As of late 2018, an estimated 33 million people in the Sahel are classified as food insecure. Impoverished communities struggle to safely access healthcare, find schools for their children, or secure a basic income. Seeking ways to provide for their families, people can be confronted with difficult choices, including migrating along dangerous routes or joining armed groups.