Is the unusual rain a consequence of global climate change?
That is hard to say. All summed up, the amount of rain we had this year was not exceptional. We had much heavier rains back in the 1960s and early 1970s. Indeed, in the past few decades, we have struggled more to cope with droughts than floods. However, rainfall has been quite strong in the past two or three years, and that may well be due to climate change. What is really new is the intensity of the rain: for example, 150 to 200 ml in 24 or 36 hours. That is not to be taken lightly. The entire Sahel region has been exposed to severe rains. Is international cooperation needed to overcome the crisis? Yes, of course, and we are already working together. We have organisations such as the CILSS, the “Comité Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel” (Interstate Committee to Fight Drought in the Sahel) and others devoted to regional lakes and rivers, such as the Niger Basin Authority, the Lake Chad Basin Commission, and a number of others. Recent events have shown that individ
