Fish in the Desert: Scaling up Aquaculture to Feed and Employ the Sahel Hawa Cissé WaguéEllysar BaroudyRuth Garcia Gomez April 22, 2026 This page in: English Français © 2026 The World Bank Group,

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/africacan/fish-in-the-desert-scaling-up-aquaculture-to-feed-and-employ-the-sahel After spending several years studying aquaculture in China and Japan, Moussa Samake came back to Mali only to discover the lack of opportunities waiting for him. The Sahel — defined by its arid landscapes, long dry seasons, and cycles of uncertainty — seemed an unlikely place to farm fish. Jobs were scarce. Young men spent their days at the grin, the traditional social gathering spots that have become, for many, a symbol of idle waiting in a region short on prospects. For a trained aquaculture specialist, the gap between ambition and reality could not have been wider. © 2026 The World Bank Group,