Rivers are lifelines in many dry regions of Africa. They provide the necessary water for agriculture, household uses, transport, and biodiversity. They fill the wetlands of inland and coastal deltas with fresh water, thereby maintaining the inhabitant’s livelihoods and biodiversity of these dynamic areas
River deltas are found on the lower reaches of rivers, where the flow of water spreads out and slows down, depositing sediments into expanses of wetlands and shallow water. There are tow types of deltas: coastal deltas where the river meets the sea and inland deltas where the river fills extensive floodplains and marshes. One of the most famous African examples of an inland delta is the Inner Niger Delta in Mali.
