RESSOURCE PROJECT

The Sahelian wetlands are sites of important economic, agricultural, and pastoral activities. They help support the livelihoods of millions of people. Wetlands store carbon, retain and improve freshwater quality. They are home to a rich biodiversity, including millions of waterbirds, such as Palearctic migrants (wintering in Africa but breeding further north in temperate or boreal latitudes of Eurasia) but also many Afro-tropical species. However, climate change, agricultural developments, water supply projects, and intensive use of natural resources, in particular the important pressure of agribusiness (intensive rice cultivation, market gardening) and the competing use of water, are threatening these wetlands. The resulting dramatic changes in habitats have a major impact on the Sahelian waterbird populations, some of which may have declined by 40 percent between 1960 and 2000.

The RESSOURCE Project, which stands for "Strengthening Expertise in South Sahara on Birds and their Rational Use for Communities and their Environment", aims to improve the sustainable use of natural resources, particularly waterbirds, in the wetlands of Egypt, Mali, Senegal, Sudan and Chad. The activities, coordinated by FAO, are implemented by technical partners recognized for their expertise, in collaboration with national authorities and local wildlife institutions.