Description:

Millions of people depend on Sahelian wetlands for their livelihoods. These ecosystems provide essential services to local communities and are also home to many waterbirds. Climate change, water and agricultural developments and the intensive exploitation of natural resources are threatening these fragile habitats, which has led to a dramatic decrease of 40 percent in waterbird populations in the region between 1960 and 2000. If the waterbirds were to disappear from this region, many rural communities would be deprived of an important source of food.

The RESSOURCE Project was launched in 2017 to tackle the challenges facing people and migratory birds in Egypt, Mali, Senegal, Sudan and Chad. This initiative works with national authorities and local communities to:

• improve knowledge on waterbirds populations and their Sahelian wetlands habitats as well as on the major threats to their conservation;
• develop innovative solutions for the sustainable management of waterbirds populations and their Sahe- lian habitats.