KANAK

Considering the scorching heat above the sandy earth, the prominent writing on the wall seems rather odd: ‘Je suis une mer’ – ‘I am an ocean’ in English. Was the sandy desert in Niger once an ocean?

The speed with which living conditions in African Niger have changed in recent decades is made clear by the stories of an elderly Tuareg woman. She explains, “Many things were different when I was a young girl. I saw things that I no longer see: giraffes, ostriches, different kinds of turtles, antelopes and various deer species. Back then we had lots of water, and a river between the dunes. Sometimes it rained for an entire week, and afterwards lots of plants and trees would grow. Lots of plants! Not like now.”

In the 35°C heat of the stony desert, you can not only feel what it’s like to be in a desert, but also discover the landscape, replicated on 1:1 scale. The 13 x 13-m surface was carefully mapped and photographed in order to construct a replica in the Klimahaus.

Water is one of the most important issues for the people of the Sahel. A well highlights the lengths that the Tuareg go to in order to obtain water. They dig about 70 m deep into the desert ground before they come across valuable water. But for how much longer will they be able to find water?

Mariam, a Tuareg girl, whom you will get to know at the ‘Niger’ travel station, can still retrieve water for her family from the well. However, the hidden warning in the scenery should not be ignored.