Lessons learned from a retrospective analysis of agricultural and natural resource management programs in Senegal: Volume 1 report

KEYWORD: Community-based Natural Forest Management, Africa. Africa, Senegal, fuelwood, livestock, market pressures, deforestation, degraded lands, fire, decentralization, institutional collaboration, training, community based natural resource management, conflict, migration, case study, lessons learned, literature review. SUMMARY: This document provides a retrospective analysis of the major factors and activities over the past 40 years that have contributed to the current state of natural resources and the environment in Senegal. Increased road access to forested areas, failure to regulate forest resource, the use of charcoal as primary source of domestic energy, and the economic power of charcoal lobby are deemed responsible for forest decline in Casamance and Kedougou. Agricultural colonization of the forest of Pata has created unregulated forest clearance and conflicts between new arrivals and traditional herdsmen. The two principal dams on the River Senegal have dramatically altered the agricultural and environmental regime of the Senegal River Basin. The shifts in transitional zone boundaries (Sudan-Sahel Savanna) are attributed to the following factors: Uncontrolled deforestation for charcoal and timber exploitation; Indiscriminate bushfires; Overgrazing; Declining rainfall. The current state of Senegal’s natural resources bears testimony to the absence of a formal, strong, and effective government led-coordination body. Government-donor coordination and complementary actions within priority areas would enable a more successful approach to development of the Ag/NRM sector. Natural resources management approaches have witnesses a great evolution over time and methods have varied over time and from place to place. The most important stages of development agent/stakeholders relations are: (1) forced or paid labor, (2) participatory approaches and, (3) community approaches and community management. Several large-scale interventions have been undertaken to encourage community forestry as a means of ensuring sustainable management of remaining forests. Community or individual management of local resources appears to offer a good way for the effective and sustainable exploitation of natural resources. Senegal is not yet ready for widespread co-management activities. Forestry department must improve its local reputation and prevent illicit exploitation before communities will be prepared to sign up to any co-management agreement. Government technical agencies have far more success influencing the actions of local populations when they act in an advisory and technical role rather than in a police role. Ag/NRM interventions must adopt the scale of actions suitable to the prevailing conditions and the problems to be resolved. The authors suggest that the following criteria must taken into account for selection of project activities: relevance to the targeted zone and its inhabitants, perceived positive and negative impacts, replicability, sustainability, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness.