World Congress of Agroforestry 2009 , Nairobi, Kenya, 23-28 August

1. Local ecological knowledge as key to managing the trade-off between biodiversity and livelihoods in Fouta Djallon –Guinea World Congress of Agroforestry 2009, Nairobi, Kenya, 23-28 August Agroforestry-The Future of Global Land Use By Serge Ngendakumana, Tree system socio-agronomist (s.ngendakumana@cgiar.org ) Scientist /Consultant, The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Harold R.Macauley, Kalinganire Antoine,Michael Balinga, Amara Keita & Abou Keita

2. Presentation outlines • Fouta Djallon Highlands: a global biodiversity Hotspot and a water tower for West Africa • Research problem and objectives, • Research Methodology • High lights of keyfindings • Conclusion 3

3. Landscape Management for Improved Livelihoods (LAMIL) GoG Other CG Centres

4. Were here and this is where Fouta Djallon is located East Africa where we are now West Africa where we work

5. Fouta Djallon Highlands - a variety of mountain ecosystems landscape mosaics extending out to several West African countries - Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone ext. to Niger, Mauritania Source area of several of West Africa’s most important waterways – mainlyRivers Gambia, Senegal and the Niger FD is considered by Botanists to be a centre of high plant endemism Fouta Djallon biodiversity importance

6. One of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and most severely threatened forest systems in the world • Present a good potential for carbon sequestration - a monetary value can be given to environmental benefits coming from activities aimed at reducing carbon emissions • The Nialama for instance is designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA GN002), with ten of the 33 threatened species occurring in the Sudan-Guinea Biome (Robertson, 2001).

7. Views of some ecosystms in West Africa

8. Research back ground Over centuries, communities in the Fouta Djallon Highlands of Guinea have demonstrated a high capacity of maintaining biodiversity-friendly indigenous practices in their native landscapes Through traditional land-use and local knowledge such as beliefs, customary rules tree planting, live fencing and conservation of agroforests, forest galleries and community forests in this part of Guinea have been maintained over generations(Ngendakumana et al, 2008) On the other hand, biodiversity versus livelihoods has been a widely entertained debate among conservationists, development actors and forest dependent communities (Edmunds and Wollenberg, 2003; Colfer, 2005; Fisher et al, 2005, Minang 2007)

9. What is the problem then?(key challenges) • more than 40% of the rural population in Guinea lives in extreme poverty, with less than 1 USD per day, with one out of three people going hungry • Increased deforestation and loss of forest habitat – increased population pressure ,logging, uncontrolled bush fires, shifting cultivation, increased collection of fuel wood • Increased land degradation - unsustainable forms of agriculture (shifting cultivation, overgrazing )and vulnerability to climate change • Watershed degradation and disruption of hydrological balance – due to loss of forest cover in up streams of rivers and reservoirs • Decreased animal biodiversity - bush meat hunting • Loss of globally significant unique plant and animal biodiversity and livelihood resources

10. Drivers: Deforestation is mostly due to farmers' survival efforts, Bush fires and logging

11. Research objective and methodology We documented and analyzed the local ecological knowledge of communities of Foula ethnic background in Guinea in relation to biodiversity conservation and agroforestry development in four sites(Fig1) through:

12. Target landscapes for the study

13. Action research approach (FIVA) Semi structured Interview Village group discussions METHODOLOGY Content analysis SPSS 14.0 & Excel. METHODOLOGY • Secondary data review • Focus group discussions Rapid Biodiversity Assessment(Transect)

14. High lights of key findings 1)Cultural beliefs and customary institutions Four customary norms and practices secularly used to protect the forest and wildlife: • Djin concept, • wild fauna eating tabous, • traditional hunting rules • social regulation on bush meat trading and consumption. However, the study revealed that since the past two decades, habits and trends are changing due external influences and suggested the promotion of agroforestry technologies to enhance biodiversity conservation (See Table) as people believed in direct positive influence on long run.

15. Local ecological knowledge of Foula communities in relation to biodiversity conservation and agroforestry development • Local people have in-depth knowledge of their environment, opposing the common assumption that local people’s knowledge about forests and biodiversity is irrelevant for conservation planners • Fouta Djallon communities was found to have considerable understanding on many forms of biodiversity friendly behaviors and are able to explain the role and some functions performed by the forest. • Most of the respondents acknowledged the fact that forests maintain soil fertility, and that land around or in the forests are the most appropriate for agriculture while forest vegetation provides fodder for livestock

16. They also relate river water flow over seasons to forest cover as well as heat regulation and variation over time This explains why Fouta communities like the forest, and therefore, have been protecting various landscapes in the massif, even though expanding agriculture and other ethnic groups’ perceptions towards forest and biodiversity seem to be a contrast for long term management.

17. Traditional gender role in Forest mangement • In an attempt to deepened the traditional links between agriculture and community forests in these highlands, this research brings out the importance of a less known practice called “Tapade” especially in terms of its role to involve women in forest conservation and reduce pressure on natural resources in Fouta Djallon. • Tapade in the Fouta Djallon is a typical agroforestry system, which is similar to home garden . In the context of landscape management, this land use pattern is a family production unit covering about 1/4-1/2ha. It is solely managed by the woman, who plant food crops and valuable trees for fruits and medecine . • Tapades are highly intensifed, as this is a traditional indicator of the woman’s commitment to her home . It is a viable family bank and source of revenue for other kitchen items such as spices, fruits, vegetables and main foodstuff. During this study, it was found that, this system combined with agroforests has led to increased trees cover and a substantial pressure reduction on forests resources (table below)

18. Tableau 2: Analysis of the influence of agroforestry practices on biodiversity Key : + = Positive influence - = Negative  influence 4- Great influence  3- Average influence  2- Little influence  1- Very little influence

19. Effects of Agroforestry innovations on Biodiversity and livelihoods Agroforests dynamics and effects on livelihoods and agro biodiversity were analysed through local knowledge lenses. Hence, 5 local practices were identified with potential for reducing the livelihood-biodiversity trade-off: • wood fencing, • traditional mixed tree gardens (agroforests), • shifting cultivation, • crop-fallow rotation, • community-led watershed protection. Agroforestry options were tested with the Farmer’s Initiative and Vision –based Approach (FIVA) combined with collective action. In the pilot area of 60.000 ha, a start was made with 279 ha of improved agroforests through natural and assisted regenerations, 30 ha of enriched community forests, improved live fencing and crop-fallow rotation with improved manure pits

20. Habitat and wildlife recovery • Local informants reported that key wildlife populations are showing signs of recovery. Cited species included important mammals species such as the West African Chimpanzee Pan troglodytesverus, baboons, panther, multiple types of Duikers like Jentink’s Duiker Cephalophus jentinki , Black Duiker C. niger back in landscapes to the sight of farmers after several years of disappearance. The impact of agroforestry practices on livelihood and environment carried out in 4 landscapes are presented in the influential matrix in tables 2 above and 3 below

21. The deep analysis of this table suggests that local ecological knowledge could play a fundamental role in most proposed conservation strategies derived from scientific knowledge system Increased Income as a Livelihoods key Asset • On the other hand, In interviews realised in 3 sites out of 4 with a total of 335 participants among which were 116 women, 76% declared that they have experienced an increase in their income. Random surveys realised showed that 50.5% of target household had increased their revenues by 28%. • Introduced innovations generated increased revenues: 1200 USD for nursery farmers, combined onion cultivation: 3 777 dollars of UE; groundnut cultivation associate to trees in farms: 11 170 USD. This is in line with the results highlighted above (Garrity et al, 2006) on the importance of agroforestry in livelihoods improvement and showcases the potential to reduce pressure on forests resources in Fouta Djallon highlands

22. Tableau 3: Analysis of the influence of agroforestry practices on environment and social welfare Keys: 5=very big influence; 4=big influence;3= average influence ; 2= little influence ; 1=very little influence

23. Conclusions and recommendations • This study revealed that local knowledge based on customary norms and practices has been effective in protecting the Fouta Djallon ecosystems until recently. • Communities combine collective planting of trees with tree based traditional farming systems in their attempt to conserve tree diversity. • People believe also that there is a strong positive influence of agroforestry on fauna, tree over and soil fertility.

24. Conclusion (End) • On the other hand, FIVA which is an approach explicitly built on LEK was proven effective in connecting agroforestry technologies to indigenous practices to enhance populations’ livelihood improvement and biodiversity conservation in and around local forests. • However, research on alternative compensation options to manage livelihoods and environmental tradeoffs would be important in providing information on how to sustain such local initiatives

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