MAURITANIA: the Rosso irrigation network extended to serve farmers
In Nouakchott in Mauritania, the drinking water crisis that has been raging since August has not yet been resolved and more is already needed. The additional resource will be used to supply the irrigation network recently put back into service after extension works, at kilometer 17 of the Rosso road, near the Nouakchott drinking water supply project (AEP) from Senegal River (Aftout Essahili).
The water network intended for the irrigation of agricultural farms at kilometer 17 of the Rosso road, approximately 205 km from Nouakchott in Mauritania, was put into service on September 12, 2023. This was in the presence of the regional president of Nouakchott , Fatimetou Abdelmaleck.
The irrigation network is located near the Nouakchott Drinking Water Supply Project (AEP) from the Senegal River (Aftout Essahili), which relies on the exploitation of this watercourse to meet the water needs of inhabitants of the Mauritanian capital until 2030. It is this raw water, which the Aftout Essahili drinking water system is currently struggling to treat, which will be pumped to supply the new modern irrigation canals.
According to Fatimetou Abdelmaleck, more than ten kilometers of pipes have been laid at different levels, covering all farms which produce tuberous vegetables (potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, sweet potatoes), legumes (beans, beans, peas) , perennial vegetables (artichoke, asparagus, strawberry) and fruit vegetables (eggplant, cucumber and gherkin, pepper, tomato, squash, melon). “ Each farmer has the possibility of making a direct and free connection to this new water network intended for irrigation ,” underlined Fatimetou Abdelmaleck, the regional president of Nouakchott during the recommissioning of the irrigation system.
In addition to improving water supply, the irrigation project aims to improve resource management through these modern irrigation systems (drip, etc.), in a context marked by water stress, a consequence of drought.
