Matam Region
Matam's Senegal River irrigation and Haalpulaar diaspora remittances sustain the northern border region awaiting power from the 255MW Saint-Louis gas plant.
Matam lines the Senegal River where the border with Mauritania creates cross-boundary dynamics that shape regional economy. The river provides irrigation potential that the semi-arid interior lacks, the rice and vegetable cultivation that water access enables distinguishing Matam from the groundnut economy southward.
Remittances from Matam emigrants—particularly from the Haalpulaar communities with strong diaspora networks—constitute significant household income that agricultural production alone cannot match. This transnational economy creates development patterns where overseas earnings finance local consumption and investment.
The 255 MW Saint-Louis power plant (expandable to 500 MW) supplied by gas from the GTA field represents energy infrastructure that northern regions including Matam will access. Whether electrification enables economic diversification—or whether the region remains remittance-dependent—shapes Matam's development trajectory.