From the Diawling and Djoudj National Parks to the Transfrontier Biosphere Reserve: Management Strategies Changes of the Senegal River Lower Delta

The rich biodiversity and natural heritage of the fragile Senegal River lower delta ecosystems explains its early enlisting as wetlands of international importance. The Senegalese Djoudj Birds National park created in 1971 marked the beginning of a heritagisation process followed by the Mauritanian Diawling National park in 1991 and the Senegal Delta Transfrontier Biosphere Reserve (SDTBR) in 2005. This chronology illustrates the changes of conceptions and practices over nature conservation in Africa since the 19th century, from conservation 'against' populations to conservation 'for', 'with' and 'by' populations. However, the careful review of the management changes occurring in the two parks, main SDTBR pieces, shows how difficult it is to achieve proper reconciliation process between ecosystems restoration and conservation and socio-economical development of local people. It also shows that the progress towards resources and territories co-management remains fragile as the new zoning proposed by SDTBR seems to indicate.