Weather: Floods, flooding and disaster victims, worrying forecasts from authorities for the Kédougou region

As the 2026-2027 rainy season approaches, regional authorities in Kédougou are sounding the alarm about increasing climate risks. Meeting in the Regional Development Committee (CRD), local and technical stakeholders examined hydrometeorological forecasts and drew up a worrying assessment of the impacts already recorded, particularly in the agriculture and housing sectors.

According to the Regional Directorate of Rural Development (DRDR), a generally wet rainy season is expected, with average to above-average runoff in the Gambia River basin. This situation raises concerns about significant flooding and overflows in several riverside communities.

The alert issued by the Directorate of Water Resources Management and Planning (DGPRE) in September 2025 already illustrated this trend. At that time, the river level had exceeded the alert level set at 7.00 meters, reaching 7.08 meters, a sign of unusual and potentially dangerous hydrological pressure.

Hundreds of hectares of crops devastated

The agricultural sector appears to be one of the hardest hit. Technical services report 613 people affected, with a total area of 548.75 hectares of crops damaged.

Specifically, the Kédougou department accounts for the majority of the losses with 449.75 hectares, compared to 99 hectares for the Saraya department. The most affected crops are maize—the main crop in the area—as well as peanuts, rice, and cowpeas, often grown alongside market garden crops.

In addition to these losses, there has been damage to permanent crops. One farmer saw his entire orchard destroyed by the floods, losing 80 mango trees; a major blow to local fruit production.

Homes and businesses affected in Saraya

Beyond agriculture, the floods also impacted homes and economic activities. The report indicates 20 people affected, all located in the Saraya department. The damage mainly concerns houses, shops, stores, and hair salons, highlighting the vulnerability of infrastructure to heavy rainfall.

Urgency, anticipation and resilience

In light of these findings, the authorities are calling for urgent action to strengthen preventative measures. Dredging canals, removing silt, maintaining hydraulic structures, and raising public awareness are all priority actions to limit future damage.

In a region where wintering increasingly rhymes with major risks, this CRD sounds like a warning: without strengthened anticipation, the human, economic and environmental impacts could worsen in the coming seasons.