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.
