Delta intérieur Du fleuve niger

234 Summary
waterbirds were present during the receding flood, molluscs
and fish aprovide crucial food resources. The possibilities
for food exploitation are dictated by water levels; data
which were gathered in Debo during the last decade, and
more intensively during the project period 1998-2002,
show how waterbirds respond to varying water levels.
Dropping water levels lead to concentration of fish stock
and exploitable molluscs. In particular below a water level
of 200 cm (water level gauge at Akka, Lac Debo) the Debocomplex
attracts large concentrations of waterbirds
amongst which are ibises and several waders, feeding on
molluscs present on emerging mudflats and low-lying
pastures. Though seemingly present in large quantities time
is short and food is limited, as is shown in a first reconnaissance
of the possible carrying capacity. The Debo-complex
plays a crucial role as fuelling station during the receding
flood when afrotropical birds concentrate on the region’s
remaining wet places and palearctic birds prepare for
migration to the breeding grounds in the north. However,
birds are bound within narrow margins.
Monitoring of waterbirds in the Debo-complex should
focus on the periods with a water level below 200 (at
Akka), notably the period January-march, and on June
when lowest water levels are reached. Furthermore, monitoring
should pay attention to the northern lakes and other
vital places in the Niger River Basin, such as the Delta mort
(Niono). Monitoring these key areas gives the opportunity
to detect interrelations and use birds as bio-indicators for
the general state of the ecosystem as a whole.
The Delta is of paramount importance for colonial breeding
waterbirds in West-Africa, especially the Long-tailed
cormorant and several heron species. Of the 23 existing
colonies in the Delta in the 1950s, only 7 remained in
1984-1985. This number dwindled to only two stable
colonies in 1998-2002. These two - situated in the flood
forests of Akkagoun and Dentaka - represent by far the
largest known breeding colonies of herons and cormorants
in West-Africa. For some species they constitute the stronghold
in the region. Even these two colonies are under
constant threat of human pressure and disturbance. Thanks
to the effort of local populations - stimulated by the IUCN-
Mali - these sites are guarded and disturbance is limited.
Starting forest regeneration
In the wide range of wetland habitats in the Inner Niger
Delta, the flooded forests occupy a special position.
Originally, most of the Delta may have been covered in
forests of various types, each adapted to its own favourite
flooding regime. Today, only very few flooded forests with
Acacia kirkii remain, in the lower parts of the area. Acacia
kirkii often forms virtually pure stands, with very few other
species mixing in. During the flood, the half-inundated
canopy forms an impenetrable thorny tangle, offering a
safe haven for colonial waterbirds, which may breed in
impressive mixed colonies of many tens of thousands,
representing up to 16 species. Colonies of this size and
importance are not known anywhere else in West-Africa.
During the drought periods in the seventies and eighties of
the 20 th century, many forests were cleared, in an often
failing attempt to grow rice. There is a general desire
among local people to have their flooded forests restored.
In most cases, however, people fail to succeed in letting the
forests regenerate, owing partly to a lack of co-ordination
and co-operation between the various villages concerned.
Only little outside support is needed to improve this situation.
Two remaining, but strongly degraded flood forests -
Pora and Koumbé Niasso - were selected to start working
on regeneration, a process principally led by the villages
themselves and supported by Wetlands International. These
forests were selected because of the readiness of the local
populations to work on regeneration, a promising perspective
and - from an ecological point of view - their strategic
position in the southern Delta as equivalent of the still
existing breeding colonies in the central Delta, Akkagoun
and Dentaka. Ecologically, the chances for success are as
good as certain, since both locations are already used by
waterbirds as a roosting place and small-scale nesting
occurred in the project-period.
The final realisation of stable flood forests at Pora and
Koumbé Niasso will, however, be a long-winded process,
for which a strong base within the local community is
essential. As the fruitful story of the IUCN-project in the
case of Akkagoun and Dentaka shows, this approach can
only be successful in the long run and with continuous
attention and support from outside these communities. In
such a situation, a relatively small input can generate very
useful and important results.
Exploitation of waterbirds
Waterbirds in the Delta have been exploited since time
immemorial and for the local populations they constitute a
source of protein (food security) and also provide an alternative
economic resource when sold on the market. The
trading system for waterbirds is complex, involving a lot of
actors, and this makes it difficult to make a precise estimate
of the totals of birds concerned. Especially during low
water levels, the significance of waterbird exploitation
seems higher than during the wet years, partly because the
birds act as alternative food source and partly because they
are more easily caught when they congregate in the remaining
water stands. People have found all kinds of ways to
trap waterbirds, either with fishing nets which are set
slightly above the water, by shooting birds or by trapping
them with fish hooks which are set in long lines above the
water. The exploitation of waterbirds concerns very numerous
species, like Ruff Philomachus pugnax and Garganey Anas
querquedula but also vulnerable species like Black crowned
crane and various other fauna (reptiles, Manatee, etc).
A first reconnaissance made during the project showed that
tens of thousands of waterbirds are exploited during the
period when the water level is dropping, when the birds
get concentrated in the last remaining floodplains. A comparison
between the years shows that more birds were
captured in years with a low flood, presumably because the
birds were more concentrated and thus easier to catch. The
study delivered useful information, which can be used to
set up a monitoring system for the Delta as a whole for the
years to come.
Training and awareness
The involvement and participation of the local population
in the improvement of the wise use of natural resources in
the Delta is essential for a successful approach. This means
that knowledge and information on wetlands and management
has to be shared between stakeholders and the ideas
and wishes of local populations have to be taken seriously.
From the start of the project, Wetlands International therefore
paid a lot of attention to training and awareness. The
program focused on local people, schools and the WI-staff.
Recommendations
With the execution of the project proposed in this report,
serious contribution has been made to the understanding
of the ecosystem of the Delta, the constraints met by the
local communities living in the Delta and the bottlenecks
and opportunities for the sustainable use of the natural
resources. It is hoped that this will provide a solid base to
generate concrete actions in the Delta for sustainable management
in the near future. In general, a lot of effort and
energy has been put into the development and support of
the rural communities in Mali. Given the harsh conditions
of living in the Sahel and coping with a growing population,
such a support seems to be constantly needed. The
sustainable use of natural resources is one of the few
options to guarantee conservation of biodiversity in the
long term and to avoid complete depletion of available
resources below a level of non-recovery. The Inner Niger
Delta, with an enormous potential for fish production and
grazing, seems an outstanding example of where such an
approach might bear fruit.
This reports ends with some concrete recommendations
for the near future; these are:
Summary 235
• Proceed with the current project initiatives, since these
form the start of a process which will bear results in the
long term but will need time to gain the trust of and
form a social basis within the local communities;
• On all levels, start with a powerful co-operation of the
few NGOs active in the Delta and which are involved in
the issues of biodiversity and the management of natural
resources. This concerted action can be developed
through clear agreements concerning focal points for
each NGO, either geographically, thematically or both. It
is strongly recommended that this co-operation be
strengthened - which has already proved very useful
during this project - on a local as well as an institutional
level;
• Make haste with the regeneration of the flood forest in
the Delta, since only two stable forests remain and these
hold the last large colonies of Long-tailed cormorants
and a number of herons in West-Africa. A new long
period of severe drought might put these under heavy
pressure. Besides the promising initiatives started in Pora
and Koumbé Niasso, it is strongly recommended that
these kinds of activities be extended to other potential
locations, without forgetting the strong support required
for the already existing forests of Akkagoun and Dentaka.
• It is strongly recommended that the implementation of
a few guarded reserves for breeding afro tropical water
birds be considered, in particular the existing forests and
parts of the breeding areas of the Black-crowned crane.
Results in Parc National du Djoudj in the Senegal Delta
show how safeguarding breeding colonies can lead to a
flourishing population of otherwise vulnerable species.
• It should be seriously investigated whether eco-tourism
- on a small scale and aiming at tourists who already
come to Mopti and travel to and from Tombouctou - can
serve as an alternative source of income in relation to
safeguarding biodiversity.
• In terms of research, it is recommended to extend the
knowledge of the Niger River Basin as a whole, especially
with regard to the socio-economical and ecological
impact of the existing barrages in the river and the
availability of natural resources in the river system.
Recently, the first steps were taken to gather information
on these issues within the framework of the programme
of Partners for Water and the Niger Basin Initiative.
• Within available means and resources, the current project
focussed mainly on the Debo-complex, especially
concerning the ecological monitoring. It is recommended
that more information be gathered on the role
and status of the peripheral lakes. Moreover, to get
insight in the values and potentials of the Delta as a
whole it is strongly recommended that a habitat map of
the Delta be developed, based on remote sensing data.