Workshop for consultation and strengthening of biodiversity management techniques
Establishing the foundations for collaboration between stakeholders in order to facilitate the coordination and implementation of data collection activities and thus monitor and evaluate the impacts of mangrove restoration activities was the theme of the meeting of the various conservation stakeholders in Toubacouta.
From May 15 to 17, 2024, under the leadership of Wetlands International Africa (WIACO), conservationists in the Saloum Delta area, community-based organizations, and local NGOs worked to establish a seamless framework for coordinating these monitoring activities and to build capacity in biodiversity data collection techniques. The workshop, which alternated between fieldwork and classroom sessions, led to the introduction of harmonized monitoring protocols for all stakeholders in the Saloum Delta.
The workshop was part of the joint initiatives of the Community Resilience Project (CRP) and the Community Resilience Support Project (ARC), implemented by Wetlands International Africa in the Saloum Delta. The objective of these projects is, among other things, to restore mangrove ecosystems and help promote the livelihoods of local communities through the sustainable use of mangrove resources.
Mangrove ecosystems play a vital role in regulating natural processes and maintaining coastal biodiversity. Therefore, as part of its restoration efforts, WIACO conducts biodiversity monitoring to assess the impact of these activities on the biodiversity of mangrove flora and fauna. Furthermore, current threats from climate change and unsustainable mangrove exploitation practices further justify the deployment of this innovative approach based on sound scientific, economic, social, and indigenous knowledge.