With Malian economy imploding and poverty rising, people - and whole parts of the economy - have slowly reversed to subsistence living. Driftwood trade is prominent all along the Niger river, with people both gathering driftwood floating by and collecting wood from the bush. This wood is then stacked in massive piles and organised by type, quality before being packed into smaller bundles. Poor quality wood is designated for retail and for coal production, better quality wood is mostly shipped downriver to Bamako and other larger cities.