Abstract
To produce salt, women in Lower Casamance (southern Senegal) traditionally practice artisanal fire salt-farming (AFS) by heating a brine with a biofuel (mangrove wood). The thermal energy produced favors the evaporation of water, the saline concentration and the precipitation of crystallized salts. In recent years, artisanal solar salt-farming (ASS) has been introduced in the region using the thermal energy provided by the sun. The purpose of this paper is (i) to compare the two salt-farming techniques; (ii) to present the advantages and disadvantages of ASS in terms of impacts on the environment and the socio-economic activity of local populations. Six AFS villages (Marakissa, Diafar Duma, Diaghour, Souda, Boucotte and Cabrousse) were selected and female salt-farmers were trained at the ASS in Guinea-Bissau. In 2015 and 2016, salt production by ASS was sufficiently abundant for domestic needs to be met and salt excess trade to be possible in the local market. In conclusion, the ASS can advantageously replace the AFS for domestic use. The sale of solar salt locally or even regionally remains to be proven. A critical analysis of the ASS in terms of sustainability and a serious market study of the "salt" sector will be necessary to consider such a perspective. Key words: Solar salt-farming, benefits, disadvantages, Lower Casamance, Senegal.
Highlights
Common salt (Halite-NaCl) is an important economic mineral that is widely distributed on all continents and occurs in large reserves
The samples were analyzed in the laboratory of the Chemistry Department of Assane Seck University of Ziguinchor (ASUZ). (v) The environmental and socio-economic impacts were thereafter assessed through data analysis and qualitative household surveys in the targeted villages
Women practicing artisanal fire salt-farming (AFS) came from neighboring villages (Bemet Bidjini, Fanda, Kamoya, Silinkine and Koumbamo) to learn more about the artisanal solar salt-farming (ASS) technique
Summary
Common salt (Halite-NaCl) is an important economic mineral that is widely distributed on all continents and occurs in large reserves. It is among the five major chemicals which forms the backbone of the chemical industry including petroleum (Feldman, 2005; Affam and Asamoah, 2011). There is almost no salt production in the entire Central and West African region except in Ghana and Senegal. These two countries meet the requirements of most of the region (Mannar and Yusufali, 2013). Its share of world production is small (less than 1%), it does contribute quite significantly to the generation of extra income for both rural and urban inhabitants through production, collection, transport and export operations (Kanouté et al, 2018)
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