Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The West African countries with the most expansive forest cover are Guinea-Bissau (73.7%), Cameroon
(45.6%), Senegal (45%), The Gambia (41.7%) and Sierra Leone (38.5%). Mauritania (0.3%) and Niger
(1%) have almost no forests left.
Community-Based Conservation
Sustainable environmental protection usually works only by involving local communities
and providing them with the material benefits (tourism, sustainability of resources for fu-
ture generations) that derive from preserving pristine environments.
The Gambia is the star performer among West African countries when it comes to eco-
tourism, with a host of community projects, eco-lodges and wildlife parks. In addition to
these, several forestry projects in The Gambia recognise this delicate balance, fusing en-
vironmental protection with traditional sources of livelihood. Natural woodland areas are
not simply fenced off, but rather used in a sustainable way for the benefit of local com-
munities, with the emphasis on sustainable resource management. In The Gambia's Kiang
West National Park, limited cattle grazing and (more controversially) rice cultivation is
permitted. Dead wood can be used for timber, fruits and edible leaves can be collected,
and grasses can be harvested for thatch. These products can be used or sold, but all activit-
ies take place without destroying the growing trees. In this way, local people view the
forest as a source of produce, income or employment, and have a real incentive to protect
it in the long term. Local inhabitants also take a leading role in environmental planning -
at Niumi National Park, also in The Gambia, community groups have been established to
give local people a formal voice in the park's management structure.
In Burkina Faso, small-scale NGO projects encourage farmers to return to traditional
methods of cultivation, in particular the laying of
diguettes
or stone lines along field con-
tours, which slow water run-off, maximise water penetration and reduce erosion. And in
Niger, putting land conservation in the hands of local farmers has proved to be a stunning
success.
Sahara Conservation Fund (
www.saharaconservation.org
)
is one of few sources of information on the
wildlife of the Sahara, and the efforts being undertaken to protect it. Its work was instrumental in convin-
cing Niger's government to create Africa's largest protected area, the Termit & Tin Toumma National
Nature and Cultural Reserve (97,000 sq km).
Wildlife conservation is another area where involving local communities is beginning
to reap rewards. Apart from several locally run sanctuaries in Ghana - such as the
Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary and Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary - some of
