Objective: To build wells and plant trees to protect the local communities and the environment in the Dogon, Mali.
Each year in Mali, 4,000 square km of tree cover disappears, resulting in a dramatic loss of savannas woodland. Droughts and deforestation are accelerating the encroachment of the Sahara desert sands. In this parched country where scarcity of water is a serious issue, local people lack the concrete to build wells that can last. As a consequence, women have to travel long distances to find water and wood.
The Alstom Foundation is working in partnership with VIA SAHEL to help protect the environment of the Dogon people, best known for their mythology, their mask dances, wooden sculpture and their architecture, by:
- creating 15 wells, each capable of catering the water needs of 300 people
- planting 7000 trees
This project has been re-selected for 2011 and will extend the on-going action plan with an additional 5 wells and 2,500 trees.