Effective utilization of knowledge on adaptation to climate change: “Fisheries and

Marine Protected Areas”

By: Anna Mbenga Cham Principal Fisheries Officer Department of Fisheries

The Gambia

Presentation Outline• Introduction• Fisheries and climate change• Knowledge sharing on fisheries and marine protected Areas

Management• Examples of some Scenarios:• Mangrove regeneration• Protected Areas as Adaptive Measures• Aquaculture practices e.g Oyster Culture• Village gardening• Village banking And Erosion control• Conclusion• Recommendation

Introduction• Climate Change• Has become the forefront of environmental agenda • A critical and complex environmental threat facing humanity • The (IPCC) concluded that the green house gases have reached

their highest recorded levels in the 1990s and they have projected that temperature rise will be from 1.8- 4.0 by 2100

• The West African coastline• covered with masses of mangrove swamps • Habitats (estuary)• Spawning and nursery ground for fish and fisheries species as

importance to the sub-region

Introduction Cont.The River Gambia:• Nutrient discharger nurturing our continental shelves

with nutrients confluence of canary and gulf of guinea currents zone.

• The coastal area subject to natural and anthropogenic changes, resulting to:

• Coastal erosion• Mangrove die back• Stalinization of soil and loss of rice fields• Loss of marine habitats• Drastic decline of fish stocks, etc.

Fisheries and marine protected areas

• Fish reproduction, growth and migration patterns are all affected by temperature rainfall and hydrology.

Fisheries and Marine protected Areas Cont.

• Marine Protected Areas are to provide refuge to significant biodiversity

Use as research ground

• For regular monitoring of species and habitat • Recognized as a tool to take relevant measures to changing

feature for example ecological surveys on (dolphin, marine turtle surveys, etc.)

• Promote sustainable utilization of resources for now and

future generation

Implementation Successes:• Co-management and seasonal closure of

fisheries.• Artisanal Fisheries Associations have taken

the initiative to set aside 1 nautical mile no fish zone starting from the beach

• Regular monitoring of species• Habitats recognized as a tool to take relevant

measures to changing features such as ecological surveys, dolphin, marine turtle surveys, PA rapid assessment, etc.)

Knowledge Sharing and Adaptation to Climate Change

Scenarios at Sub-regional level: Mangrove Regeneration, Oyster culture, etc.

• Networking visits discussed and implemented at forums of Regional Coastal and Marine Conservation Programs in West Africa (PRCM)

• Support from WWF, USAID (University of Rode Island/ Ba – Nafaa project)

Mangrove degradation by communities

Settlements near the intertidal zone

Mangrove dieback

Mangrove dieback / use for fuel wood

Implementation Processes in Mangrove Regeneration

• Proceedings of the implementation with community Base Organizations,

• Village Development Committees (VD Cs), involved in environmental oriented activities

• Basically as entry points to penetrate the communities and to acquire local confidence and commitment.

• Followed with signing of Memorandum of Understanding with Community Youth Development Association.

Knowledge Sharing on Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Management Cont.

Team in pirogues collecting matured propagules

Project Support

• The project supported the association with funds to conduct:

• Sensitization on mangrove planting• Collection of propagules• Simple tools or materials required for the

planting exercise• Food for the communities during planting and• T-shirts to publicize the initiative.

Aquaculture practices

• As an alternative to capture fisheries and by way of alleviating poverty and facilitating improvement of the nutritional standard of the population:

• Fish farming, and oyster culture established for communities around the coast.

• To exchange ideas in harvesting and processing methods of oysters and cockles

• To learn new and improved methods of harvesting and processing of oysters and cockles.

• To learn method of culturing oysters in the mangroves

• To share information on market channeling and marketing of fish and fisheries products.

Exchange Visit to Senegal

Improved Methods Adopted

• Improve harvesting methods of cockles and oyster learned

• The essence is to conservation and improved livelihood of the MPA’s surrounding communities.

Village Gardening as an Alternative to livelihood

The processes: • A consultant was hired for implementation the biological

gardening • Together they establish gardening committees and identify

location for the garden and needed materials• Define management rules for project, funded materials for

their sustainable use established• Fencing, well digging, seed management, and biological

pesticide production done. • During rainy season they cultivated rice at the same place

during rainy season.

Vegetable Gardening Cont.

Social cohesion were strengthened. • For each village bank, the ICAM II project initially invested €1, 300.00 as loan to fifty women• Each receiving €26.00. At the end of each month a woman

saves in the bank a minimum of €1.00.• At the end six-months period (or cycle) each of the fifty

women in a bank saves a minimum of €6.00.• At the end of a cycle, the fifty women saves a minimum of

€300.00. • The end of year the total savings for ten banks amounted to

€ 11, 325.00 representing 31% of total investment of €36,

147.00.

Village Banking

Meeting for the formation of Village Banking

Village Banking Community savings

Number in the bracket indicate number of cycles

Dal

asi

Erosion Control

• The coast of the Gambia is characterized by low-gradient sandy beaches vulnerable to sea-level rise because of the low lying coast and heavy development in many areas .

• Actions have been taken by government to protect our coast and the biodiversity such as rhun palm groynes, beach nourishment, construction of sea wall, etc.

The Gambia Coast

Gabions, done with the communities

Conclusion

• Preservation of biodiversity and its habitat along with improving community livelihood have been achieved in some areas. Particularly in marine protected areas.

• The village bank system has financially improved the livelihood of the benefited communities.

• Involvement of the villagers have made them feel ownership as a result to enhance adaptive capacity by improving livelihood and food security in this changing climate.

Recommendation• Strengthen resilience promises to reduce poverty

and enhances food productivity now and posterity• Local capacity building and sensitizationto• Continued research necessary to quantify the change

and to assess the vulnerability• Improve the Enforcement of regulations• Identification of pilot protection and adaptation

actions in hotspots areas vulnerable to climate change

• Adaptation funds in financing mechanisms

• THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION