Growing Diversity – West Africa
TITLE OF EXPERIENCE: Management of the Ker Cupaam communal area
AUTHOR: Women from Popenguine for the Protection of Nature Group
COUNTRY AND REGION: Popenguine, Sahel
ECOLOGICAL ZONE:
ABSTRACT
The Popenguine nature reserve, created in 1986, is designed to rehabilitate a heavily degraded environment resulting from excessive cutting of trees for firewood, over use of grazing land and successive droughts. It is made up of two distinct natural ecosystems: an inland area , made up of jagged hills, an ancient protected forest created since 1936, and a maritime fringe, a mostly rocky habitat which constitutes a spawning area for fish.
In 1987, a women's group, the RFPPN (Popenguine women group for the protection of nature) was formed with the view to contribute voluntarily to the objectives of the conservation and restoration of the biodiversity of the environment. Following on from this, the women were able to inform the other women in seven villages around the nature reserve who very quickly understood the importance of the programme and joined the group. One of the mechanisms used to restore the biodiversity is the production of tree nurseries in each of the eight villages for firewood, the use of fruit trees and ornamental plants. In order to fight against erosion, another mechanism is the use of lines of stones and fences to slow down the flow of rainwater to reduce erosion.
The results obtained for the first few years of this experiment in community participation by neighbouring populations to restore the biodiversity and manage a protected area, have convinced the Senegalese Government and their development partners in Senegal. In order to formalise the future relationship between the state and local populations, a protocol agreement has been signed by the Environment Minister and Popenguine nature preservation group. As a result, for the first time in the history of Senegal, tourism in a protected area benefits the resident population.
CONTACT:
Regroupement des Femmes de Popenguine pour la Protection de la Nature, BP 10 Popenguine – SENEGAL, Tél./Fax : 221 956 49 51 – Email : kcupaam@sentoo.sn