The Senegal and Pangani Rivers: Examples of Over-Used River Systems Within Water-Stressed Environments in Africa

Abstract Africa’s river basin systems are in peril. Under pressure of an every-increasing population and related demand for water and land for cultivation and other uses of river basins, Africa’s water resources are under high stress. Climate change-related impacts further aggravate this situation, manifesting in reduced rainfall, and more frequent occurrence of extreme events, including frequent droughts. As often, under such precarious conditions, overexploitation of resources has been the response of both authorities and communities to such changing environments. The two case studies presented in this chapter, the Senegal River in Senegal and the Pangani River in Tanzania, are examples of the many river systems in Africa that have been heavily affected by both human interventions, such as dams and large-scale irrigation schemes, as well as climate change. The negative implications of such interventions, in particular on the vulnerable estuarine environments and their dependent population, are often not well conceived from the onset. Based on the two case studies, this chapter reflects in particular on the interventions taken by Government, as well as the adaptive responses by communities confronted with changes in the river system. The chapter will argue in this regard, that it is only through an integrated system-wide approach that appropriate strategies can be developed to secure the long-term ecological future of Africa’s river systems.