Adapting to the Inevitable: The Case of Tanbi Wetland National Park, The Gambia

Abstract

The role of human activities in degradation of estuarine resources has been well documented. Besides the effects of climate change, activities such as clearing of mangroves for tourism, use of inappropriate fishing gear and excessive use of pesticides for agricultural productivity are the most powerful ecological stressors. In the Sahelian climate zone, hydrological regimes are changing due to reduced river flow and increase in atmospheric temperatures leading to the formation of inverse estuaries. The evaluation and documentation of local adaptation practices is one way to prevent “conservation bottlenecks” and encourage sustainable use of estuarine resources. This study used a questionnaire-based approach to evaluate local adaptation strategies to climate-induced ecological changes in the Tanbi Wetland National Park (TWNP) over the past three decades, targeting the communities that are engaged in the four major socio-economic sectors in the wetland i.e. Fishing, Agriculture, Oyster collection and Tourism. The agricultural zone presented the best local adaptation techniques employed as a response to ecosystem changes in the TWNP (23.53 %), followed by tourism zones (7.35 %) and fishing (5.88 %). With the disappearance of many fish species within the same timeframe, this leaves much to be desired. Bearing in mind that fisheries and tourism are the second and third largest contributors to the Gambia’s GDP, this paper provides useful recommendations for management of this important wetland.