Although historically Djenné had been an
important commercial and trading centre, in the 20th century commerce in the
town declined due to its relatively isolated position. The local economy is now
mainly based on agriculture, fishing and livestockand is very dependent on the annual
rainfall and flooding of the Niger and Bani rivers. As a consequence, the
severe drought that began in the late 1970s caused great hardship in the
already impoverished town.
