INTEGRATION OF FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY INTO AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT PROCESS MOBILIZATION OF INFORMATION AND DEMONSTRATION SITES Demonstration project in the Gambia River basin Training of Trainers Module Monitoring of freshwater fish Anis DIALLO & Dr. NDiaga THIAM September 2010 INTEGRATION OF FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY INTO AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT PROCESS MOBILIZATION OF INFORMATION AND DEMONSTRATION SITES Demonstration project in the Gambia River basin Training of Trainers Module Monitoring of freshwater fish Wetlands International Afrique Rue 111, Zone B, Villa No 39B BP 25581 DAKAR-FANN TEL. : (+221) 33 869 16 81 FAX : (221) 33 825 12 92 EMAIL: [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENT Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4 Goals and objectives of the module ........................................................................................ 6 Module content ..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Module content (continued) .................................................................................................... 8 Training needs ....................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Expected results .................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1. Presentation of the study area ............................................................................................... 11 2. ASPECTS OF BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION .......................................................... 15 2.1.- Species geographical area ............................................................................................. 15 2.2.- Identification and abundance of species ....................................................................... 16 2.3.- Genetic diversity ........................................................................................................... 22 2.4.- Behavior of migratory species ...................................................................................... 23 2.5.- Synopsis on planned changes ....................................................................................... 23 3. Potential impacts of dams on fishing and biodiversity ........................................................ 25 4.- Adaptation for biodiversity conservation ............................................................................ 26 4.1.- Management of biological diversity ............................................................................. 26 4.1.1.- Monitoring of indicators and sites .......................................................................... 26 5.- Environmental assessment .................................................................................................. 30 6.- Integrated water management ............................................................................................. 31 Bibliographical references ........................................................................................................ 32 Web site listing ..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................. 34 ANNEXES ............................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Annex 1 : Estimated training budget .................................................................................... 35 ANNEX 2 .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. ANNEX 3 : Lexicon for the survey of fishing efforts and landings ..................................... 37 ANNEX 4 : Species that are under specific monitoring ....... Error! Bookmark not defined. ACCRONYMES IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature OMVG The Gambia River Basin Development Organization OMVS Organization for the Development of the Senegal River INTRODUCTION The Gambia River Basin Development Organization (OMVG), which includes The Gambia, Guinea, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, looks to further improve the socio-economic integration of the four member states through the development and management of resources in the Gambia basin, Kayanga (Senegal), Geba (Guinea Bissau), Koliba (Guinea), and Corubal (Guinea Bissau). The project’s objective is to increase the agro forestry and pastoral yield, streamline the procurement of natural resources and improve infrastructure and Social Services. It also seeks to reduce poverty on a sustainable basis and improve the conditions of the populations established in the Gambia River basin. OMVG has committed to an important infrastructure project to reduce the energy deficit of its member countries. The project includes hydroelectric dams in Senegal (Sambangalou) and in Guinea (Kaleta) with regional integration of power grids in the four countries. The bigger of the two projects is the Sambangalou dam, which will have a 400 Gigawatt (GWh) capacity. In addition to the dams and power stations in Senegal and Guinea, the construction of 225 kilovolt (kV) power lines connecting the plant and the four countries is included in the project. In order to mitigate the impact of constructing the Sambangalou dam, OMVG has partnered with Wetlands International and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with the objective of conserving biodiversity in the Gambia River basin within the framework of the demonstration project. The biodiversity gap assessment has provided basic information for species’ development and monitoring. Biodiversity conservation will also enable the development of eco-tourism. This local development will move forward via the training of targeted community groups to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity conservation. Thus, this module on freshwater fish is destined for trainers and for the monitoring of biodiversity, especially once the Sambangalou dam is functional, in relation to the creation of an observatory. The information issuing from this biodiversity monitoring will serve as a support to future habitat construction projects and approved plans for species conservation. Wetlands International, in collaboration with IUCN, has implemented a program entitled "Integration of Freshwater Biodiversity in Africa’s Development Process: Mobilization of Information and Demonstration Sites. The Gambia River Basin Development Organization (OMVG) which is composed of The Gambia, the Republic of Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Senegal, plans to build a dam on the Sambangalou site. The construction of this dam will involve a significant disturbance to biodiversity as proven by the impact studies conducted by OMVG. In order to mitigate the negative impact of this project, and to simultaneously improve those that are positive, Wetlands International Africa, in partnership with the IUCN- Species Survival Commission and the OMVG Organization, through Phase 2 entitled "Demonstration Project of the Gambia River (West Africa)" within the program "Integration of Freshwater Biodiversity in Africa’s Development Process: Mobilization of Information and Demonstration Site" agree on the implementation of a plan to monitor the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems in the Gambia River basin. In order to get important information on all ecosystems and especially on key species and habitats, it is important that all stakeholders are given the tools to undertake the monitoring of biodiversity in general and of key species related to this specific project. As for the various challenges and issues at this point in time, it is appropriate to provide training on the adapted monitoring methods. Thus, Wetlands International Africa decided to develop a training module for trainers on freshwater fish. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE MODULE This module is designed for the state’s technical services, NGOs and local communities of the Gambia River Basin to implement in a practical manner a preliminary monitoring plan of freshwater biodiversity of the Gambia River basin. It offers a precise and operational methodology to monitor the status and dynamics of freshwater crabs. The development of this type of course involves choices that must eventually be adjusted in the field. Ultimately, this course will enable the : • Strengthening of the capacities of trainers in the monitoring of species for the conservation of species biodiversity • Evaluation of the educational means and training plan for targeted groups • Provision of information on the impacts of the construction of the Sambanganlou hydroelectric dam Arius parkii (FAO, fishbase) MODULE CONTENT This module is for the training of trainers who will be able to disseminate widely within the communities or other targeted groups the need for the conservation of the biological diversity of the Gambia River basin and to adapt to changes resulting from the establishment of the Sambangalou dam. The training aims to teach participants the concepts of biological diversity conservation, the identification of monitored species, collection of biological, environmental and socio-economic data and the archiving of data for in-depth analysis and processing by the observatory. The training module on fish requires 28 hours of course work distributed as follows: • General information on the Gambia River Basin ecosystems