The uneven geographies of transnational advocacy: The case of the Talo Dam

The Talo Dam was built in 2006 on the Bani River, a tributary of the Niger River in Mali. The path towards the completion of the project has been complex and controversial. This paper offers a case-study of the advocacy efforts initially opposed to, and later in support of the building of the Talo Dam. Several international institutions have been key decision-makers regarding the building of the Talo Dam, but the geographical and culture distance of the decision-making institutions to on-the-ground reality presents a serious obstacle to goals of participatory development and illustrates some inherent challenges of transnational environmental advocacy and management. Several typologies of transnational campaigns are analyzed to demonstrate the range of participation and accountability that a transnational campaign can pursue. Finally, I encourage the use of qualitative research methods by advocacy organizations as a useful methodological approach to counter otherwise inherent challenges to local inclusion and participation.