Ecotourism as a mechanism to strengthen resilience in Tumani Tenda, Gambia

Countries
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa
Country Grouping
Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
Climate Objective
Adaptation
Planning and Implementation Activity
Developing and Implementing Policies and Measures
Sectors and Themes
Rural Development
Barriers Overcome
Socio-cultural
Technological
Source
Global Good Practice Analysis (GIZ UNDP)
Language
English
Case Summary

Ecotourism as a practice involves the regeneration of the environment through annual tree planting (especially during the rainy season), the promotion of alternative tourism and biodiversity conservation (Drame and Kiema, 2016). It has become a common practice for the Tumani Tenda community located in the west coast region of The Gambia since its creation in 1997. People in this area have adopted the ecotourism practice as a result of climate change, which has caused irregular rainfall for many years, leading inter alia to a decline in agricultural production, loss of vegetation and biodiversity (ibid.).
The ecotourism project activities include: annual tree planting, environmental monitoring to prevent systematic tree felling, hunting and bushfires, introduction of new plant and animal species, vegetable production and day-to-day management of the ecotourism camp. The main objectives of these activities are to: i) strengthen community resilience to climate change; and ii) improve food security and livelihoods for the people of Tumani Tenda through the development of a sustainable economy that enables
them to supplement the gains from agriculture.
Overall, the interventions were effective in strengthening community resilience, preserving and regenerating the environment, and strengthening social cohesion within the communities. The case constitutes a good practice as it is financially viable, replicable in similar contexts and provides sustainable development benefits.

Further Information

Case study author(s)

Amy Gueye and Khady Yama Sarr Fall (Centre de Suivi Ecologique)

Contact
· Dr. Aby Drame, Programme Coordinator, Environment Development Action in the Third World (ENDA Tiers-monde Energy) Senegal, byba27@hotmail.com · Doudou Trawally, Executive Director, National Environment Agency Gambia, dtrawally@gmail.com, dtrawally@nea.gm · Omar Ngum, Community Development Specialist, former Gambia Focal Point at the Department of Community Development, omarsmngum@hotmail.co.uk, nainangum@hotmail.com
Website(s)

Website of Tumani Tenda´s Ecotourism Camp: www.tumanitenda.co.uk/

Year Published
2019