Near East Foundation

Syracuse, NY (February 15, 2012) – Farm families suffering from drought in Mali are developing new water resources to supply their agricultural needs as a part of a recently launched Near East Foundation (NEF) project.

Since the project began in late 2011, over 200 households and nearly 2,500 people have benefited from the construction of four new water catchment basins for rice production. By the end of the project, 500 families will benefit from the new water facilities and NEF trainings.

The threat of famine looms over much of Africa’s Sahel due to persistent drought. Rainfall during the last season was low and did not fall when crops needed it most.

NEF is helping farm families in northern Mali cope with drought by harnessing non-conventional water resources for agriculture, such as constructing catchments to retain rainwater runoff. Along with the basins, NEF is providing drought resistant rice seeds that are able to thrive in a dry environment and training farmers on improved rice cultivation techniques.

As a result of the steady supply of stored water and the drought resistant seeds, farmers can now produce rice in areas where rice agriculture was considered nearly impossible due to lack of water. Rice production in reclaimed lands using non-conventional water sources will contribute to food security and poverty reduction in the face of climate change.

Despite a significant deficit in rainfall this past year – 40 percent less than the ten-year annual average – farmers using these new techniques were able to harvest an estimated 90 tons of rice. Without the new rainwater harvesting basins, none of this rice production would have been possible.

To ensure that these families have adequate water for agriculture now and into the future, NEF is training community leaders to independently manage and maintain their new water harvesting systems.

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The Near East Foundation is a U.S.-based international development NGO leading innovative social and economic change in the Middle East and Africa. Founded in 1915, NEF has worked to empower citizens in disadvantaged, vulnerable communities for almost 100 years. NEF field staff - all of them from the countries in which they work - partner with local organizations to find grassroots solutions to their development challenges. Our "knowledge, voice, and enterprise" approach is helping build more prosperous, inclusive communities throughout the region. To learn more visit www.neareast.org