Abstract. Local peoples from Niakhar in the Senegalese peanut basin highlight a
dramatic increase of water access problems due to marked rainfall deficits
and salinization of surface and ground water resources. The chemical quality
of groundwaters is often critical because of the salinization process,
whereas water surfaces, which should be used in such situations, are up
early. More and more, lowlands and rivers beds are pervaded by salt crusts.
Then the salinization of wells is increasing, leading to the extension of
tans (salty of acidified soils). To study the impacts of climatic pejoration
on the agroecosystems and on the living conditions of the populations, we
carried out the analysis of the time series of the precipitations with daily
and annual time steps from 1950 to 2015 on 6 meteorological stations, in
situ measurements on 78 wells for an area of 311 km2, as well as local
population interviews and field observation. The results confirm an
important climatic break in the region in 1970. The long dry period, from
1970 to 2009, has increased the annual rain variability, decreased the
number of rainy days per year. We confirm a real and large extension of well
salinization, and salt crusting in the lowlands and the riverbeds. From the
local people, it seems the process of degradation of the aquifers continues
to progress from a large tidal event in 1984. The rainfall increase noted in
the last decade does not seem to be enough to reverse the trend and to
ensure both the rise of the piezometric level of the aquifers and the
desalinization of surface and ground waters.