In Niger, access to drinking water is among the lowest in the world: 2 out of 5 Nigeriens have no access to safe drinking water. In the Agadez region (north of the country), Les Puits du Désert and NGO Tidène have built 345 wells and boreholes that now provide water access to around 100,000 people.
Details
- 2 out of 5 Nigeriens have no access to safe drinking water
- Niger ranks 189th out of 193 (UN HDI 2023); life expectancy 62 years
- 63% of Nigeriens live below the poverty line (less than one dollar a day)
- 1 child in 5 does not reach age 5; 80% of deaths of children under 5 are linked to lack of safe water, hygiene and sanitation
- Groundwater exists (Saharan aquifers, Tim Mersoï basin) but requires hydrogeological studies and suitable boreholes
- LPDD + NGO Tidène response: 345 wells (village, pastoral, market-garden) + 7 solar boreholes, ~100,000 people served in the Agadez region
Frequently asked questions
Is there water in Niger?
Yes. Despite a desert climate, vast groundwater reserves exist beneath the Nigerien Sahara (fossil water and active aquifers, notably the Tim Mersoï basin). The problem is not the absence of water but access to it: hydrogeological studies and suitable wells and boreholes are needed to reach it safely and sustainably.
How many people lack access to drinking water in Niger?
About 2 out of 5 Nigeriens have no access to safe drinking water. Lack of safe water, hygiene and sanitation is linked to 80% of deaths of children under 5 in the country.
How can water access in Niger be improved?
By building infrastructure suited to each use — village wells for drinking water, pastoral wells for livestock, market-garden wells for farming, solar boreholes — and training local management committees (COGES) to maintain them over ~30 years. This is the approach of Les Puits du Désert with NGO Tidène in the Agadez region.
Related terms
- Agadez Region — The Agadez region is the largest in Niger: 667,799 km² (equivalent to the area of metropolitan France), 714,509 inhabitants (INS 2024).
- Tim Mersoï basin — The Tim Mersoï basin is a vast aquifer reservoir of about 115,000 km² in northern Niger, between the Aïr massif and the Algerian border.
- Fossil water — Fossil water is groundwater that infiltrated thousands, even tens of thousands of years ago, during the humid periods of the "green Sahara", and has been trapped since in deep aquifers.
- Water chore — The water chore is the daily time spent fetching water, often several hours' walk from home.
- Women's cooperative — A women's cooperative is a group of women formed around a well to develop income-generating activities (crafts, sewing, leatherwork, market gardening, food processing).
- Solar borehole — A solar borehole is a deep borehole (typically > 80 m) equipped with a submerged pump powered by photovoltaic panels.