Counting for better conservation
“Throughout the Senegal River Delta, we're facing a drastic decrease in water availability. For this reason, the RESSOURCE Project has started up at just the right moment, offering a positive response to climate change,” Astou affirms.
Astou Sané actively participates in counting waterbirds in Senegal's Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary. ©FAO/David Mansell-Moullin
At dawn, the water here in Senegal glimmers with orange reflections. Astou, a young ecologist, is in the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary to take part in the annual waterbird count. Her excitement is evident as she's been waiting for this moment for over a year. For the third year in a row, FAO and its partners are supporting this important biodiversity monitoring activity through the RESSOURCE* project.
Astou's gaze shifts from keeping an eye on the sky above down to earth, where she holds a notepad and pencil in hand. She speaks enthusiastically about her passion for the environment. “Ornithology is a profession that's not so well known among women,” she says. “Yet, managing wetlands and the waterbirds they protect concerns us all.” Woman can play a key role in conservation in Senegal. “We live in a society where women are central to child-rearing. As mothers, they can pass on their interest in the environment from generation to generation,” says Astou.
She left her native Dakar for the first time in 2015, heading to the city of Saint-Louis in Senegal’s River Delta region. “I'll always remember the first time I saw a great egret. I was in such awe.”
Historically, this delta offers local communities abundant resources, such as fisheries and fertile soils apt for agriculture. Above all, the region is replete with waterbirds that are essential to ecosystem health. However, climate change, invasive aquatic plants and agricultural development threaten the fragile wetlands of this oasis.