Northern Benin is a region severely affected by climate change, with a single, erratic rainy season. Furthermore, there are no alternative sources of supply. The population is scattered, and within the villages themselves, the inhabitants are also scattered. This makes seasonal streams the only stable source of water supply.

From a health perspective, the lack of drinking water, combined with widespread malnutrition due to poor harvests, endemic malaria in the area, and the almost total absence of health services, makes Benin the eighth worst country in the world in terms of infant mortality, with an average healthy life expectancy of 53 years.