Libya's leader, Muammarr Gaddafi, has been building thousands of miles of underground pipes and canals down to it's southern neighbor, Mali, to divert water from the Niger River to Libya.
Ghadafi has made a cash deal to drain the Niger River, and the 250 mile long Niger River delta/marshland in Mali to divert the water back to Libya. The President of Mali has agreed to this, even though it will likely destroy the Niger River and river delta, which even now, often runs low in the dry season.
Millions of Malian farmers, fisherman and herders depend totally on this river delta/marshland for drinking water, fish and grass for their cattle. The destruction of this ancient river may lead to the impoverishment and starvation of hundreds of thousands of people in Mali.
Millions of migratory birds depend on the Niger River and Niger River delta/marshes in Mali for food and shelter when migrating north and south each year.
If this ancient river is drained, chaos may ensue in Mali, and the leader of Mali may be deposed if this oil-cash deal to drain the Niger River continues after Ghadafi is gone.
We the undersigned wish for the United Nations/ the African Union and all concerned international governing bodies to seriously address this diversion of water from Mali and the threat it poses to up to 1 million Malian farmers, fisherman and herders, who are totally dependent on this river in dry/sub-Saharan Africa.
Here is a e-mail contact form for the U.N., write them a short note informing them and let them know how you feel:
http://www.un.org/en/contactus/
Various E-mail contacts for the African Union:
http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/OtherPages/Others/contact.htm#
