environment

Charcoal for sale
Charcoal for sale by the roadside

Togo is hot and humid in the south and dry in the north. The arid savannah in the north is divided from the low coastal plain of the south by central hills and a southern plateau. The low coastal plain has many lagoons and marshes.

The climate is tropical, affected by the south-east monsoon which brings rain, and the harmattan, a wind from the Sahara, which heralds the dry season. From time to time, Togo is affected by droughts and by flooding.

Some of the drier areas of Togo are prone to desertification. Desertification happens when too many trees are cut down. For many people, wood is an important fuel. It is freely available, and can be sold, either as wood or charcoal. But without tree cover, the topsoil is damaged and the land becomes drier and less fertile.

Photos by Mike Rimmer

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