Nature in Mali

About two thirds of Mali is arid, semi-arid or desert. Rainfall rises from less than 200 millimetres a year in the north to more than 1,000 millimetres in parts of the south. The Niger and Bani floodplains, Senegal tributaries, riverine forests, shrub and tree savannas, pastures, lakes, temporary ponds, dunes and plateaux create distinct habitats. The annual flood pulse, meaning the seasonal rise and fall of river and wetland water, controls many ecological and economic activities. The Inner Niger Delta is a particularly important seasonal wetland, while the south contains more wooded savanna and Sudan-Guinean habitats. Protected Planet recorded 140 terrestrial and inland protected areas in Mali in 2026, with 13 management-effectiveness evaluations and no reported other effective area-based conservation measures. National parks include Baoulé, Kouroufing and Wongo. Wildlife reserves include Badinko, Bafing Makana, Banifing Baoulé, Fina, Kéniébaoulé, Kongossambougou, NienendouGou, Siankadougou and Talikourou. Partial wildlife reserves include Ansongo Ménaka and Gourma. The Boucle du Baoulé was nominated to the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere programme in 1982 and includes Sahelian and Sudano-Guinean zones with Baoulé riverine forest. Published area figures differ substantially between the reserve and wider zone, so one total area should not be presented without stating its source. Mali has four Ramsar wetlands covering 4,204,640 hectares: the Inner Niger Delta, Lac Magui, Lac Wegnia and the Plaine Inondable du Sourou. Ramsar status recognises wetland importance but does not automatically create a strict exclusion zone. The Inner Niger Delta supports hippopotamuses, West African manatees, tigerfish, Nile perch, crowned cranes and migratory waterbirds. The Gourma area is associated with the Sahel elephant population. A 2015 United Nations Development Programme record counted 350 elephants after a reported decline of 26 percent; this is a historical figure, not a current census. Conservation initiatives around the Boucle du Baoulé have also been associated with stabilising or increasing elephant, lion and hyena populations. Wildlife and forest products, including species such as Uromastyx dispar, Uromastyx geyri and Pterocarpus erinaceus, can fall under international trade controls administered through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Nature supports pastoralism and transhumance, dry-season grazing, rainfed, irrigated and floating rice, capture fisheries, fuelwood, non-timber forest products, medicinal plants and wildlife products. Bourgou wetlands and seasonal water access are especially relevant to livestock, fisheries and local food and nutrition. Access is fragmented: formal pathways may involve protected-area management, the Ramsar or biosphere-reserve framework, the Directorate General or National Directorate of Water and Forests, local services or community projects. Customary tenure, seasonal grazing and fishing arrangements can change the practical rules from one site to another. There is no verified nationwide public fee table or unified booking and permit schedule. Hunting and the movement of wildlife products require the applicable permit or CITES certificate. No uniform public right of entry to all natural areas has been evidenced. The Ministry of Environment, Sanitation and Sustainable Development leads national environmental policy. The Directorate General or National Directorate of Water and Forests manages fauna, habitats, forests, wetlands, biodiversity, conservation and controls. The National Directorate for Sanitation and Pollution Control addresses pollution and nuisances. The Ministry of Energy and Water handles water policy and river management. Territorial authorities, customary institutions and local user groups also shape access and resource management. The Directorate of Water and Forests is the CITES management authority, while the Institut d'Economie Rurale serves as the scientific authority. Nature-based visits may focus on landscapes, wetlands, wildlife or biosphere-reserve areas, but the potential for ecotourism is greater than the established mass offer. Security conditions materially limit access, especially in central and northern Mali. Drought, irregular rainfall, extreme heat, flooding, river overflow, locusts, bushfires, erosion, desertification, habitat fragmentation, overgrazing, agricultural clearing and pollution affect habitats and livelihoods. At least 40 major climate shocks were reported between 1970 and 2020, and drought was reported to affect about 400,000 people each year. Wetlands also face poor water management, pollution, changed river flows, invasive pressures and competing resource use. Artisanal gold mining in Gourma has been linked to habitat damage and cyanide risk. Environmental learning takes place through formal and non-formal education, PAGEEM, local radio and training for forest workers, hunters, traditional healers and agro-pastoralists. The annual Quinzaine de l'environnement runs from 5 June to 17 June. A 2025 UNESCO and ICESCO École Engagée initiative addressed biodiversity, tree planting, sustainable practices and green micro-enterprises. Waterbird monitoring and identification projects also provide practical learning. Conflicts commonly concern farmland and pastoral mobility, water and pasture, fishing access, irrigation and flood control, grazing near waterbird nesting areas, wildlife trade, poaching, elephant damage to crops and competition for water and forage. Responses may combine community governance, local authority action, Water and Forests enforcement, anti-poaching, restoration and negotiated seasonal access. Armed insecurity limits surveillance and conservation work in some areas. There is no natural UNESCO World Heritage inscription in Mali; Bandiagara is a mixed cultural and natural site, while Bafing Makana, the Gourma elephant biodiversity reserve and the Niger basin remain on the Tentative List.