Tradition and Climate: The Battle for Sanké Mon in Mali

For centuries, the town of San in southern Mali has celebrated the Sanké mon fishing rite. Heat waves and climate change threaten this age-old tradition, causing the Sanké pond to dry up and endangering the town's economy and cultural heritage. The unprecedented temperatures have also led to a surge in heat-related deaths.

Thousands of fishermen holding cone-shaped nets stood side by side, cheering and chanting as they awaited the signal. Suddenly, they rushed into a large muddy pond, casting their nets and dropping to their knees in the mud. Soon, one proudly held up a fish the length of his arm.

For several centuries, people have gathered in the southern Malian town of San for Sanké mon, a collective fishing rite held in June that begins with animal sacrifices and offerings to the water spirits of Sanké pond. This rite, featuring masked dancers and traditional costumes, is listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

The marathon session of collective fishing celebrates the town's founding and marks the start of the rainy season. However, climate change and severe heat waves are threatening this tradition.

Sanké pond is beginning to disappear, according to village chief Mamadou Lamine Traoré.

Recent heat waves have caused the pond to dry out, with temperatures in the town reaching 48.5 degrees Celsius (119 degrees Fahrenheit) this year, meteorologist Emmanuel Doumbia told The Associated Press.

The unprecedented heat wave has also led to a surge in deaths in Mali. Beginning in March, the heat wave coincided with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, during which many Muslims fast from dawn till dusk.

The Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center noted that insufficient data makes it difficult to determine the exact number of heat-related deaths in Mali but estimated they could be in the hundreds or thousands this year.

An April analysis by the World Weather Attribution group — an international team studying the impact of human-induced climate change on extreme weather — reported that heat waves in the Sahel, a region south of the Sahara prone to droughts, are more than just record-breaking events.

Researchers found that climate change has increased maximum temperatures in Burkina Faso and Mali by 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).

Experts warn of more scorching weather ahead.

At the latest Sanké mon fishing rite, men worked tirelessly, stripping chickens and cooking them over reeds, while dancers in knee socks or sandals adjusted their cowrie shell-adorned armbands. A national flag waved limply along the trampled shore.

"This tradition was already established before I was born," said participant Amadou Coulibaly, who remains devoted to the practice despite the growing challenges.

When UNESCO listed the rite in 2009, plans were announced to deepen the pond to prevent silt buildup, Traoré said. "But since then, nothing was done, and the pond is starting to create problems." The reasoning behind the inaction remains unclear.

The disappearance of the pond would not only jeopardize the centuries-old rite but also threaten the town's economic survival if the world's attention wanes, he noted.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)