Arlal

Arlal lies east of Timbuktu in the Niger bend, where the river crosses the dry lands of the Sahel. Its waters support a narrow belt of cultivation and settlements amid a much more arid landscape. Communities along this stretch of the Niger have relied on farming, fishing and the movement of boats, while pastoralists use the surrounding plains. The river connects the country east of Timbuktu with the towns and markets farther downstream.