Rapport sur les techniques de captage de leau des pluies au Niger

The report details rainwater harvesting techniques in Niger, categorizing them into individual (Zaï, demi-lunes, manual trenches) and collective (mechanical trenches, banquettes, spreading sills, mini-dams) methods. It assesses the effectiveness of these technologies in increasing crop yields, such as millet and sorghum, and identifies significant barriers to adoption, including extreme poverty and lack of equipment. The document also examines the role of various stakeholders, from state services to NGOs, and briefly discusses ex situ rooftop harvesting, which is less common in Niger than in neighboring Burkina Faso.

• Rainwater harvesting techniques in Niger are divided into individual methods, which a single farmer can implement, and collective methods requiring multiple people or external expertise. Individual techniques include demi-lunes, Zaï (Tassa), and manual trenches, while collective ones include mechanical trenches, banquettes, spreading sills (seuils d'épandage), and mini-dams.
• The Zaï (Tassa) technique, which involves creating deep holes to store runoff and organic manure, is highly adopted in the Tahoua region, with adoption rates of 97% in Batodi, 91% in Kolloma, and 77% in Adouna. It can significantly increase yields; for example, in the 1998/1999 campaign, millet yields reached 1200 kg/ha in Sansani Tabla and sorghum reached 800 kg/ha in Tadeni Béri.
• Demi-lunes (half-moons) are used to facilitate water infiltration and reduce water erosion. When combined with stone bunds and manure, they achieved a millet yield of 1,670 kg/ha in Sabara during the 1998/1999 season, which was 1,270 kg/ha higher than the control group's yield of 400 kg/ha.
• Large-scale water mobilization structures like mini-dams (mini-barrages) are costly, often estimated at 70,000,000 FCFA, making them unaffordable for rural populations. While the state built over 20 such dams between 2002 and 2007, many are underutilized due to a lack of farmer training and equipment, and they pose a health risk by potentially increasing malaria-carrying mosquito populations.
• Farmers' mastery of technical standards is generally low, particularly for manual trenches (30% compliance), though it is higher for Zaï (69%) and demi-lunes (65%). This is attributed to low education levels in rural areas and a lack of appropriate tools.
• The primary constraints hindering the implementation of these technologies are material and socio-economic. The most significant barrier is the lack of tools and equipment (37%), followed by a lack of transport (19%) and a lack of incentives such as 'cash or food for work' (14%).
• Ex situ rainwater harvesting (rooftop collection) is not widespread in Niger, though women occasionally collect rain for household use. In contrast, it is common in neighboring Burkina Faso, specifically in the plateau region, where households use storage drums with capacities between 2 and 4 m3.
• Various development projects have achieved significant land restoration: the PDRT rehabilitated approximately 125,000 hectares, the LUCOP-Tillabéri project recovered about 77,000 hectares and planted 3.8 million trees, and the Integrated Keita Project (PIK) rehabilitated about 35,000 hectares of degraded land.

APA

Moustapha, A. M. (2010). Rapport sur les techniques de captage de leau des pluies au Niger. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/TripleGreenNiger/SEI-TripleGreenNiger-RevueSurLesTechniquesDeCaptageDeLEauDesPluiesAuNiger.pdf

Chicago

Moustapha, Adamou Mahaman. Rapport sur les techniques de captage de leau des pluies au Niger. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2010. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/TripleGreenNiger/SEI-TripleGreenNiger-RevueSurLesTechniquesDeCaptageDeLEauDesPluiesAuNiger.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Moustapha |first1=Adamou Mahaman |title=Rapport sur les techniques de captage de leau des pluies au Niger |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=October 2010 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/TripleGreenNiger/SEI-TripleGreenNiger-RevueSurLesTechniquesDeCaptageDeLEauDesPluiesAuNiger.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{moustapha2010rapport, author = {Moustapha, Adamou Mahaman}, title = {{Rapport sur les techniques de captage de leau des pluies au Niger}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2010}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/TripleGreenNiger/SEI-TripleGreenNiger-RevueSurLesTechniquesDeCaptageDeLEauDesPluiesAuNiger.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }