Local migration due to lack of water in Ethiouar (Bandafassi, Senegal), March 2021

We are in Iden Karfa, in the Ethiouar district, in Bandafassi. This water point used to be used as a drinking water source for the people of this neighbourhood, in this case the Bédik people. Ten years ago, the water remained here until November-December. Today, we see that at the end of October, beginning of November, the water runs dry. We used to have water until January, and now it’s not the case anymore. The water point is called Karfa (a Bedik name), so it is a water point dedicated to Karfa. Its drying up has an important impact on the social life of the people. Without water, there is no life. This is why many people from this neighbourhood have migrated.

We are in the village of Ethiouar, where almost the entire population has moved downstairs because of the lack of water. In April, the well runs dry, there is not enough water, people have to go downstairs to get water to live. That’s why people have gone downstairs, there is only one family left in Ethiouar.