There are many reasons for the dramatic increase in drought-related problems. One is that due to declining export earnings and the rising cost of imports the Sahelian countries are in difficult economic times, with less financial resources available to tackle their problems. 26 Human factors that have played a role in worsening the problems are high population growth rates, inadequate use of scarce soil and water resources, and inappropriate political priorities, including the inability of governments in most Sahelian countries to take timely and appropriate precautionary measures to prepare for the possible recurrence of drought. 5.2 Water Water availability is directly related to climatic conditions. Throughout the Sahel sparse and unpredictable rainfall, rapid evaporation, and the low storage capacity of soils limit the amount of water available.
Scarcity increases sharply toward the north.
The situation is somewhat better in the regions traversed by large water courses, in particular the catchment areas of the Senegal River, the Niger River, and, further east, the Nile. Because these rivers all rise in the more humid southern part of the Sahel, they carry water throughout the year. Procuring water is a fundamental problem in the daily lives of the Sahel's inhabitants. In the past, the main source was groundwater, which is replenished by rainwater. But with today's erratic rainfall, motor-driven pumps have often to be used to draw up water from deep wells.