Focus on Mali

The report identifies critical stresses on biodiversity, food and fibre provision, water supply, and fuel provision across Mali, linking these ecological declines to threats in human nourishment, water access, energy, and livelihoods. It highlights the southern regions of Sikasso, Mopti, and Segou as high-priority areas due to the convergence of high population density, poverty, and deteriorating ecosystem services.

• The southern regions of Sikasso, Mopti, and Segou are identified as the most highly stressed areas because they combine high population densities and high poverty levels with deteriorating ecosystem services.
• Four critical ecosystem services are deteriorating in Mali: the maintenance of biodiversity, food and fibre provision, water supply (including purification and regulation), and fuel provision.
• Biodiversity loss is driven by a combination of climatic hazards, population growth, and human activities such as slash and burn agriculture, fuel wood consumption, bush fires, and illegal hunting.
• Food and fibre provision is undermined by natural disasters including drought, floods, and locusts, as well as desertification, which threatens one third of the country.
• Water access and quality are severely limited; less than half of the population has access to potable water, and water sources are contaminated by chemical agricultural inputs, poor waste disposal, and irrigation-induced salinity.
• Mali relies heavily on traditional biological fuels, with 93 per cent of households using firewood, leading to extensive deforestation and a shortage of wood resources.
• Human well-being is threatened across all regions, specifically regarding the ability to be adequately nourished, access clean water, and earn a livelihood, with 72.8 per cent of the population living on less than $1 a day.
• There are significant trade-offs in ecosystem use; for example, expanding rice production has reduced child stunting but has negatively impacted water quality and increased the frequency of floods.
• The report argues that mitigating drought and ensuring water availability requires proper water management, including the implementation of appropriate technologies and policy mechanisms.

APA

Wong, C., Roy, M., & Duraiappah, D. A. K. (2005). Focus on Mali. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/economics_poverty_mali.pdf

Chicago

Wong, Carissa, Marlene Roy, and Dr. Anantha Kumar Duraiappah. Focus on Mali. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2005. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/economics_poverty_mali.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wong |first1=Carissa |last2=Roy |first2=Marlene |last3=Duraiappah |first3=Dr. Anantha Kumar |title=Focus on Mali |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2005 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/economics_poverty_mali.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wong2005focus, author = {Wong, Carissa and Roy, Marlene and Duraiappah, Dr. Anantha Kumar}, title = {{Focus on Mali}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2005}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/economics_poverty_mali.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }