Niayes
Niayes is a geographical area in northwestern
The area is important both economically and for conservation, but is threatened by desertification.
Geography
Niayes occupies a narrow strip of land along the Atlantic coast of Senegal, varying in length from 100 to 280 km (62 to 174 mi) and in width from 25 to 30 km (16 to 19 mi). It extends from the peninsula of Cap-Vert to the Mauritanian border and from the coast roughly to the road leading from Dakar to Saint-Louis. The Niayes Arrondissement is divided into four administrative subdivisions: the Dakar Region, the Thiès Region, the Louga Region and the Saint-Louis Region.[1]
The area has a ridge of coastal sand dunes, behind which is a series of permanent, fresh water lakes, lying a few metres above sea level and running parallel to the coast. The largest is Lake Retba, some 5 km (3.1 mi) long. The lakes receive water from precipitation and from the underlying water table, and their surface area increases dramatically in the wet season.[2] Since the middle of the twentieth century, Niayes has been experiencing a significant reduction in precipitation, with rainfall averages in the 1990s being about half what they were in the 1950s, putting the area at risk of desertification.[3]
Land use
Niayes is very important to the economy of Senegal, being used for fishing, cattle-grazing and market gardening, with large quantities of vegetables, fruit and rice being grown, made possible by the high water table and the moisture-laden winds blowing in from the ocean.[2] Belts of salt-tolerant Casuarina equisetifolia have been planted to prevent wind erosion of the soil.[4]
Biodiversity
The dominant tree species are the
References
- ISBN 0-540-05831-9.
- ^ a b c d "Niayes (from Dakar to St Louis)". BirdLife International. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ "La sécheresse et la baisse du paludisme dans les Niayes du Sénégal]" (PDF). Cahiers d'études et de recherches francophones. 5 (5): 299–305. 1995.
- ^ "Species profile: Casuarina equisetifolia". Global Invasive Species Database. IUCN. Retrieved 8 May 2019.