A socio-ecological assessment aiming at improved forest resource management and sustainable ecotourism development in the mangroves of Tanbi Wetland National Park, The Gambia, West Africa

Abstract

Although mangroves dominated by Avicennia germinans and Rhizophora mangle are extending over 6000 ha in the Tanbi Wetland National Park (TWNP) (The Gambia), their importance for local populations (both peri-urban and urban) is not well documented. For the first time, this study evaluates the different mangrove resources in and around Banjul (i.e., timber, non-timber, edible, and ethnomedicinal products) and their utilization patterns, including the possibility of ecotourism development. The questionnaire-based results have indicated that more than 80% of peri-urban population rely on mangroves for timber and non-timber products and consider them as very important for their livelihoods. However, at the same time, urban households demonstrate limited knowledge on mangrove species and their ecological/economic benefits. Among others, fishing (including the oyster-Crassostrea cf. gasar collection) and tourism are the major income-generating activities found in the TWNP. The age-old practices of agriculture in some parts of the TWNP are due to scarcity of land available for agriculture, increased family size, and alternative sources of income. The recent focus on ecotourism (i.e., boardwalk construction inside the mangroves near Banjul city) received a positive response from the local stakeholders (i.e., users, government, and non-government organizations), with their appropriate roles in sharing the revenue, rights, and responsibilities of this project. Though the guidelines for conservation and management of the TWNP seem to be compatible, the harmony between local people and sustainable resource utilization should be ascertained.

Fig. 1

The mangroves in TWNP of The Gambia, West Africa (2005 QuickBird satellite image). Numbers in each white circle represents the mangrove-adjacent peri-urban and urban areas or people in the vicinity being consulted for questionnaire (i.e., Online Appendix 1A) survey (1, 2 Banjul, 3 Wafi Njago, 4 women engaged in oyster collection, 5 agricultural area, 6 Old Jeshwang, 7 Faji Kunda, 8 Lamin, and 9 Mandinari). The white bands (with A, B and C letters) are the areas proposed for boardwalk construction inside the mangroves by local stakeholders

Fig. 2

Local households in peri-urban and urban settings, and their percentage dependence on various mangrove resources in the TWNP (based on questionnaire survey)

Fig. 3

a, b The mounds of oyster (Crassostrea cf. gasar) shells collected by local fishermen to burn and prepare lime that in turn is used as cement or whitewash locally; c the bundles of mangrove fuelwood in R. mangle forest; d the mangrove wood used as racks for drying fish (i.e., Tilapia spp. in close-up, and e house fence. The photographs were taken by Preetika Bhanderi and Danae Maniatis

Fig. 4

The stakeholders and their relationship (based on “Four Rs method”) for managing ecotourism as well as biodiversity in the TWNP