|
|
Information:
 GEPADG,
in Gambia, is a voluntary, community based organisation which
was established in Banjul in 1992 following the challenge
laid down by UN's Agenda 21 encouraging local governments
and communities to implement the concept of sustainable development
by developing their own
tailored
programmes.
It is a non-profit, grassroots organisation located in the
village of Gunjur which is on the Atlantic coast of southern
Gambia.
The goals of the Gunjur Environmental
Protection and Development Group is to deliver long-lasting,
sustainable schemes to tackle poverty
by preventing deforestation and the degradation of coastal
ecosystems and mangroves. It focuses on improving the livelihoods
of rural people, community re-forestation initiatives, eco-tourism
development, micro-financing,
agro-forestry and vegetable
gardening for local women.
To achieve these ends GEPADG understood that it needed the
broader participation of the community with regards to conservation
and natural resources management. As a result the first ever
conference of its kind was held in February, 1998 at the grassroots
level attended by relevant stakeholders.
One of their most prominent programmes is the integrated coastal
and marine biodiversity management (ICAM) project which was
funded by the WWF and the Global Environment Facility (GEF)
/ World Bank Group.
Activities:
• Advocating for an expansion of sustainable modes of development.
• Enhancing community sanitation & health.
• Established the Gambia's pioneering turtle warden.
• Forest management.
• Restoration of the coastal lagoon - Bolonfenyo
Community Wildlife Reserve.
• Yearly village cleaning day.
• Yearly tree planting exercises.
GEPADG has already begun the work of conserving and restoring
the lagoon with assistance from several international donors.
To oversee and carry out the marine restoration and protection
project the Bolonfenyo Community Wildlife Reserve has employed
the following personnel.
Structure:
• Executive Director
• Beekeeping supervisor
• Biodiversity Protected Area Officer
• Cleaner
• Community Forest officer
• Driver
• 2 Community Rangers / turtle monitoring & bird watching
specialists
• Community Warden, water and sanitation
• Ecotourism Officer
• Environmental Health and Hygiene Officer
• Financial Assistant
• Secretary / PA
• Security guard
Environmental Threats:
• Community ignorance about Bolong Fenyo being a protected
nature reserve.
• Gathering of fruits & vegetation relied upon by avi-fauna
• Illegal poaching, palm wine tapping & ad-hoc settlements
• Refuse dumping and pollution
• Surface water shortage affecting waterfowl
• Tree felling for firewood
• Wild bushfires
The staff at the GEPADG headquarters are assisted by the Management
Committee which is made up of the board of trustees, The Gunjur
Project, Village Development Committee (VDC), Council of Elders
and representatives from the nearby villages of Sanyang, Domung,
Gunjur and Kajabang.
Bolonfenyo Community Wildlife Reserve:
The protected coastal marine area and its lagoon was created
in March 2008 as the Gambia's first community wildlife reserve
and covers and area of 320 hectares. The sanctuary has a wide
variety of birds and animals.
It is frequented by at least 75 resident and Afro-Palearctic
migrants, woodland and waterfowl bird species and is an important
bird areas. Birdwatchers
can spot the African Spoonbill, Black-headed Heron, Goliath
Heron, Yellow-Crowned Gonolek, Pied Avocets, Long-tailed Cormorant,
White-crowned robin-chats. There are also Hamerkop, White-faced
Whistling Ducks, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Little Grebe, Northern
Shovelers, Common Moorhen, African Jacana, Black-billed Wood
Dove, Lizard Buzzard, Common Teals, Red-eyed, Vinaceous Dove,
Little Stints, terns, gulls and other avian.
So far 27 reptilian and mammalian species have been listed.
Examples are Bushbuck, spitting cobra, chameleon, Epaulet
fruit bats, Senegal bush baby, laughing / spotted hyena (Crocuta
crocuta), puff adder, western red colobus monkeys, black forest
cobra, African rock python to name but a few.
Just off the Atlantic coastline are humpback dolphins
(Sousa teuszi), mudskippers, several crab species, Mediterranean
monk seal (monadus monadus), green turtles (Chelonia
mydas), upside down jellyfish (Cassiopea) and other
aquatic life.
Typical vegetation in the scrub and wooded areas are the African
locust bean, rhun palm,
Acacia spp. Wattles, figs and other types of flora. The Red
and White mangroves are important breeding and feeding grounds
for various species of shrimps, oysters, molluscs and other
crustaceans.
|
