Des fleuves entre conflits et compromis - Essais d'hydropolitique africaine

03/06/2009 - Article

A geopolitical study of five major basins in the Sudanian and Sahelian zone, by three generations of geographers and historians.

Through its range of uses, which respond to basic needs, water is a sovereign good and a source of conflict in the event of shortages, when the number of uses and consumers increases. River geopolitics is a type of regional geography that is suited to large population centres, albeit not ideally.
Africa is not a major site of hydropolitical tension; in the driest part of the continent, contrary to expectations, tension is limited. This is largely a result of economic and political crises and the limited and local nature of installations.
The five major basins studied here all belong to the Sudanian and Sahelian zones, characterized by a scarcity of water, low rainfall levels and dense populations. Moreover, with the exception of Niger, the paths of the various rivers lead from better watered to increasingly dry areas.
This book was written by three generations of geographers and historians.

Des fleuves entre conflits et compromis - Essais d'hydropolitique africaine
Jean-Pierre Raison and Géraud Magrin (eds.)
Editions Karthala
2009