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Adapting to the Inevitable: The Case of Tanbi Wetland National Park, The Gambia

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Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience and Hazards

Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

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.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. WASCAL GRP on Climate Change and Biodiversity, Université Felix Houphouët Boigny, Cocody, BP V 34, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

    Adam Ceesay

  2. Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, University of Bremen, Fahrenheitstr. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Mathias Wolff

  3. Department of Natural Sciences, University of The Gambia, Brikama Campus, 3530, Serrekunda, The Gambia

    Ebrima Njie & Matty Kah

  4. UFR Environnement, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, BP 150, Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire

    Tidiani Koné

Authors
  1. Adam Ceesay
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  2. Mathias Wolff
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  3. Ebrima Njie
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  4. Matty Kah
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  5. Tidiani Koné
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adam Ceesay .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Science, Research and Transfer Center, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Food and Tourism Management, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom

    Haruna Musa

  3. Manchester, United Kingdom

    Gina Cavan

  4. Geography & Environmental Management, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom

    Paul O'Hare

  5. Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal

    Julia Seixas

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Ceesay, A., Wolff, M., Njie, E., Kah, M., Koné, T. (2016). Adapting to the Inevitable: The Case of Tanbi Wetland National Park, The Gambia. In: Leal Filho, W., Musa, H., Cavan, G., O'Hare, P., Seixas, J. (eds) Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience and Hazards. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39880-8_16

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