Project description
The Fouta Djallon massif constitutes one of the main water towers of West Africa. As the source of the major rivers Niger, Senegal, and Gambia, it supplies a large portion of the water resources of the Sahelian zone and plays a crucial role for the populations, agriculture, and ecosystems of the region.
In the face of the combined effects of population pressure, changes in land use, and climate change, the preservation of these high watersheds has become a major challenge.
The project aims to strengthen the resilience of water resources and agroecosystems by supporting more sustainable land management: accelerating the ongoing disappearance of slash-and-burn shifting agriculture, limiting or prohibiting woodcutting and “greening” the territories, reducing overgrazing that exposes soils to drying and erosion, as well as supporting the current intensification when it promotes the infiltration of rainwater.
Services provided:
- Selection of three pilot sites for the protection of the headwaters of the Senegal, Niger, and Gambia rivers within the Fouta Djallon massif in Guinea.
- Conducting hydrological, socio-economic, and environmental assessments through bibliographic analyses, field surveys, and inquiries with rural communities, management organizations, and local and national authorities.
- Co-development of an action plan for the preservation of the headwaters, incorporating operations for hydromorphological restoration of watercourses, reforestation, nursery establishment, and capacity-building for local stakeholders.
- Definition and oversight of the implementation of actions, ensuring the selection of service providers and monitoring of project deliverables.
- Ensured scientific monitoring of the program and communication with project stakeholders.
