Mahé Gil auteur aut IRD Lienou G. auteur aut IRD Descroix Luc auteur aut IRD Bamba F. auteur aut IRD Paturel Jean-Emmanuel auteur aut IRD Laraque Alain auteur aut IRD Meddi M. auteur aut IRD Habaieb H. auteur aut IRD Adeaga O. auteur aut IRD Dieulin Claudine auteur aut IRD Kotti F. C. auteur aut IRD Khomsi K. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access In this paper, we study the impact of climate change on river regimes in several parts of Africa, and we look at the most probable causes of these changes either climatically or anthropogenically driven. We study time series of updated monthly and annual runoff of rivers of North Africa, West Africa (Sahelian and humid tropical regions) and Central Africa, including the largest river basins: Niger and Volta rivers in West Africa, and Congo and Ogooue rivers in Central Africa. The recent years are studied in the perspective of multi-decadal variability. In West Africa and in a part of Central Africa, the climate has changed since 1970, and rainfall has not returned to previous annual amounts, except in Equatorial Africa. The consequences of the long-lasting drought are, depending on the area concerned, the modification of seasonal regimes (Equatorial area), the groundwater table decrease (Tropical humid area) and the land cover degradation (Sahelian area). The increasing number of dams and of agricultural areas also plays a major role on the modification of river regimes. The population increase will continue to impact on the environment: land cover change, deforestation, agriculture and increasing number of dams will be associated with a reduction of water and sediment discharges to the sea, and major impacts on downstream ecosystems and coastal areas. It seems necessary to share with stakeholders a comprehensive approach of the water cycle from the basin to the sea, to prevent long-lasting damages to ecosystems and infrastructures. specialized Africa rivers climate change river regime dams land cover AFRIQUE 062 021 27 15 2105-2114 2013 0885-6087 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010061188 10.1002/hyp.9813 0885-6087 [F B010061188] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010061188 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2013/11/010061188.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2013-12-02 2017-08-23 fdi:010061188 fre