West and Central Africa Local ecological knowledge as key to managing the trade-off between biodiversity and livelihoods in Fouta Djallon –Guinea World

West and Central Africa

Local ecological knowledge as key to managing the trade-off between

biodiversity and livelihoods in Fouta Djallon –Guinea

World Congress of Agroforestry 2009, Nairobi, Kenya, 23-28 August

Agroforestry-The Future of Global Land Use

By Serge Ngendakumana, Tree system socio-agronomist

([email protected] )Scientist /Consultant, The World Agroforestry Centre

(ICRAF).

Harold R.Macauley, Kalinganire Antoine,Michael Balinga, Amara Keita & Abou Keita


Presentation outlines

• Fouta Djallon Highlands: a global

biodiversity Hotspot and a water tower

for West Africa

• Research problem and objectives,

• Research Methodology

• High lights of key findings

• Conclusion3


Landscape Management for Improved Livelihoods (LAMIL)

Other CG Centres GoG


East Africa where we are now

Were here and this is where Fouta Djallon is located

West Africa where we work


Fouta Djallon biodiversity importance

• Fouta Djallon Highlands - a variety of mountain ecosystems landscape mosaics extending out to several West African countries - Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone ext. to Niger, Mauritania

• Source area of several of West Africa’s most important waterways – mainly Rivers Gambia, Senegal and the Niger

• FD is considered by Botanists to be a centre of high plant endemism


• One of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and most severely threatened forest systems in the world

• Present a good potential for carbon sequestration - a monetary value can be given to environmental benefits coming from activities aimed at reducing carbon emissions

• The Nialama for instance is designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA GN002), with ten of the 33 threatened species occurring in the Sudan-Guinea Biome (Robertson, 2001).


Views of some ecosystms in West Africa


Over centuries, communities in the Fouta Djallon Highlands of Guinea

have demonstrated a high capacity of maintaining biodiversity-friendly

indigenous practices in their native landscapes

Through traditional land-use and local knowledge such as beliefs,

customary rules tree planting, live fencing and conservation of

agroforests, forest galleries and community forests in this part of

Guinea have been maintained over generations(Ngendakumana et al,

2008)

On the other hand, biodiversity versus livelihoods has been a widely

entertained debate among conservationists, development actors and

forest dependent communities (Edmunds and Wollenberg, 2003;

Colfer, 2005; Fisher et al, 2005, Minang 2007)

Research back ground


What is the problem then?(key challenges)

• more than 40% of the rural population in Guinea lives in extreme poverty, with less than 1 USD per day, with one out of three people going hungry

• Increased deforestation and loss of forest habitat – increased population pressure ,logging, uncontrolled bush fires, shifting cultivation, increased collection of fuel wood

• Increased land degradation - unsustainable forms of agriculture (shifting cultivation, overgrazing )and vulnerability to climate change

• Watershed degradation and disruption of hydrological balance – due to loss of forest cover in up streams of rivers and reservoirs

• Decreased animal biodiversity - bush meat hunting• Loss of globally significant unique plant and animal

biodiversity and livelihood resources


Drivers: Deforestation is mostly due to farmers' survival efforts, Bush fires and logging


Research objective and methodology

We documented and analyzed the local ecological knowledge of communities of Foula ethnic background in Guinea in relation to biodiversity conservation and agroforestry development in four sites(Fig1) through:


Target landscapes for the studyTarget landscapes for the study


METHODOLOGY

METHODOLOGY

Semi structured Interview

Content analysis

SPSS 14.0 & Excel.

Action research approach (FIVA)

Rapid Biodiversity Assessment(Transect)

•Secondary data review •Focus group discussions

Village group discussions


High lights of key findings1)Cultural beliefs and customary institutions

Four customary norms and practices secularly used to protect the forest and wildlife:

a.Djin concept,

b.wild fauna eating tabous,

c. traditional hunting rules

d.social regulation on bush meat trading and consumption.

However, the study revealed that since the past two decades, habits and trends are changing due external influences and suggested the promotion of agroforestry technologies to enhance biodiversity conservation (See Table) as people believed in direct positive influence on long run.


Local ecological knowledge of Foula communities in relation to biodiversity conservation and agroforestry development

• Local people have in-depth knowledge of their environment, opposing the common assumption that local people’s knowledge about forests and biodiversity is irrelevant for conservation planners

• Fouta Djallon communities was found to have considerable understanding on many forms of biodiversity friendly behaviors and are able to explain the role and some functions performed by the forest.

• Most of the respondents acknowledged the fact that forests maintain soil fertility, and that land around or in the forests are the most appropriate for agriculture while forest vegetation provides fodder for livestock


• They also relate river water flow over seasons to forest cover as well as heat regulation and variation over time

This explains why Fouta communities like the forest, and therefore, have been protecting various landscapes in the massif, even though expanding agriculture and other ethnic groups’ perceptions towards forest and biodiversity seem to be a contrast for long term management.


Traditional gender role in Forest mangement

• In an attempt to deepened the traditional links between agriculture and community forests in these highlands, this research brings out the importance of a less known practice called “Tapade” especially in terms of its role to involve women in forest conservation and reduce pressure on natural resources in Fouta Djallon.

• Tapade in the Fouta Djallon is a typical agroforestry system, which is similar to home garden . In the context of landscape management, this land use pattern is a family production unit covering about 1/4-1/2ha. It is solely managed by the woman, who plant food crops and valuable trees for fruits and medecine .

• Tapades are highly intensifed, as this is a traditional indicator of the woman’s commitment to her home . It is a viable family bank and source of revenue for other kitchen items such as spices, fruits, vegetables and main foodstuff. During this study, it was found that, this system combined with agroforests has led to increased trees cover and a substantial pressure reduction on forests resources (table below)


Tableau 2: Analysis of the influence of agroforestry practices on biodiversity

Biodiversity AspectsAgroforestry Practices Vegetation Rivers Soil Climat Animal Tendencies

Rotative cultivation -3 -2 -3 -2 -3 -13

Trees in farms +3 +2 +3 +2 +3 +13

Home garden (Tapade) +2 +1 +2 +1 +2 +8

Life fencing +3 +2 +3 +2 +3 +13

Fodder plots +3 +1 +3 +2 +3 +12

Improved nurseries +4 +1 +4 +2 +1 +12

Pasture under agroforest -3 -1 -4 +1 +2 -5

Improved manure pits +3 +1 +3 +1 +2 +10

Key : + = Positive influence - = Negative influence 4- Great influence 3- Average influence 2- Little influence 1- Very little influence


Effects of Agroforestry innovations on Biodiversity and livelihoods

Agroforests dynamics and effects on livelihoods and agro biodiversity were analysed through local knowledge lenses.

Hence, 5 local practices were identified with potential for reducing the livelihood-biodiversity trade-off:

wood fencing, traditional mixed tree gardens (agroforests), shifting cultivation, crop-fallow rotation, community-led watershed protection.

Agroforestry options were tested with the Farmer’s Initiative and Vision –based Approach (FIVA) combined with collective action. In the pilot area of 60.000 ha, a start was made with 279 ha of improved agroforests through natural and assisted regenerations, 30 ha of enriched community forests, improved live fencing and crop-fallow rotation with improved manure pits


Habitat and wildlife recovery

• Local informants reported that key wildlife populations are showing signs of recovery. Cited species included important mammals species such as the West African Chimpanzee Pan troglodytesverus, baboons, panther, multiple types of Duikers like Jentink’s Duiker Cephalophus jentinki , Black Duiker C. niger back in landscapes to the sight of farmers after several years of disappearance. The impact of agroforestry practices on livelihood and environment carried out in 4 landscapes are presented in the influential matrix in tables 2 above and 3 below


• The deep analysis of this table suggests that local ecological knowledge could play a fundamental role in most proposed conservation strategies derived from scientific knowledge system

Increased Income as a Livelihoods key Asset• On the other hand, In interviews realised in 3 sites out of 4 with a

total of 335 participants among which were 116 women, 76% declared that they have experienced an increase in their income. Random surveys realised showed that 50.5% of target household had increased their revenues by 28%.

• Introduced innovations generated increased revenues: 1200 USD for nursery farmers, combined onion cultivation: 3 777 dollars of UE; groundnut cultivation associate to trees in farms: 11 170 USD.

This is in line with the results highlighted above (Garrity et al, 2006) on the importance of agroforestry in livelihoods improvement and showcases the potential to reduce pressure on forests resources in Fouta Djallon highlands


Tableau 3: Analysis of the influence of agroforestry practices on environment and social welfare

Activities

Environment Social

Passive Total classificationFertility Tree coverage Fauna Flora Health Education Feeding Habitat Savings

Protection of critical habitat

3 4 5 5 1 3 2 1 1 25 7 th

Distribution of agroforestry plots

2 2 3 4 3 5 4 2 5 30 5 th

Forest exploitation regulation

4 5 4 4 1 4 4 1 4 31 4 th

Reforestation 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 4 4 39 1st

Bush fire management

4 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 2 37 2 nde

Introduction of improved seeds

3 3 4 4 4 4 5 1 4 32 3 rd

Nursery installation

4 4 3 5 3 4 3 1 5 32 3 rd

Hunting regulation

1 1 5 1 2 4 3 1 3 21 8 th

Watershed protection

3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 1 32 3 rd

Creation of wild fauna corridors

4 4 5 4 1 3 1 1 3 26 6 th

Total active 33 37 43 41 27 39 33 20 32

Classification 5èth 4 th 1st 2 nde 7 th 3 rd 5 th 8 th 6 th

Keys: 5=very big influence; 4=big influence;3= average influence ; 2= little influence ; 1=very little influence


This study revealed that local knowledge based on customary norms and practices has been effective in protecting the Fouta Djallon ecosystems until recently.

Communities combine collective planting of trees with tree based traditional farming systems in their attempt to conserve tree diversity.

People believe also that there is a strong positive influence of agroforestry on fauna, tree over and soil fertility.

Conclusions and recommendations


Conclusion (End)

• On the other hand, FIVA which is an approach explicitly built on LEK was proven effective in connecting agroforestry technologies to indigenous practices to enhance populations’ livelihood improvement and biodiversity conservation in and around local forests.

• However, research on alternative compensation options to manage livelihoods and environmental tradeoffs would be important in providing information on how to sustain such local initiatives


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West and Central Africa Local ecological knowledge as key to managing the trade-off between biodiversity and livelihoods in Fouta Djallon –Guinea World