Market gardens near Timbuktu, Mali (16°48' N – 3°04' W).
Air temperatures in Timbuktu, located on the edge of the Saharan zone and the Sahelian zone, can reach
122°F (50°C) in the shade. Rainfall does not exceed 6 inches (150 millimeters) a year and the ground is clay
soil. In such conditions, farming is a challenge. These gardens, made up of juxtaposed plots of about 3 feet
by 3 feet (1x1 meter) in which water is sparingly used can thus withstand these extreme conditions. They
produce vegetables (peas, broad beans, lentils, beans, cabbages, salads…) for the population suffering from
vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This market gardening in the dunes is also a way of fighting the advancing
sand that is gaining ground every day, pushed by the harmattan wind blowing over the Sahara. It is
threatening to completely bury Timbuktu and its historical heritage which has been listed as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site since 1988. © Yann Arthus-Bertrand / Altitude-Paris
www.unccd.int
United Nations Convention
to Combat Desertification