A Socio-Ecological Assessment Aiming at Improved Forest Resource Management and Sustainable Ecotourism Development in the Mangroves of Tanbi Wetland National Park, The Gambia, West Africa

Abstract

Although mangroves dominated by Avicennia germinans and Rhizophora mangle are extending over 6000 ha in the Tanbi Wetland National Park (TWNP) (The Gambia), their importance for local populations (both periurban and urban) is not well documented. For the first time, this study evaluates the different mangrove resources in and around Banjul (i.e., timber, non-timber, edible, and ethnomedicinal products) and their utilization patterns, including the possibility of ecotourism development. The questionnaire-based results have indicated that more than 80% of peri-urban population rely on mangroves for timber and non-timber products and consider them as very important for their livelihoods. However, at the same time, urban households demonstrate limited knowledge on mangrove species and their ecological/economic benefits. Among others, fishing (including the oyster-Crassostrea cf. gasar collection) and tourism are the major incomegenerating activities found in the TWNP. The age-old practices of agriculture in some parts of the TWNP are due to scarcity of land available for agriculture, increased family size, and alternative sources of income. The recent focus on ecotourism (i.e., boardwalk construction inside the mangroves near Banjul city) received a positive response from the local stakeholders (i.e., users, government, and non-government organizations), with their appropriate roles in sharing the revenue, rights, and responsibilities of this project. Though the guidelines for conservation and management of the TWNP seem to be compatible, the harmony between local people and sustainable resource utilization should be ascertained.

An Empirical Study on the Effect of Eco-Tourism Visitors’ Environmental Attitudes on Environmental Behavior

“…In other words, attitudes are individual positive or negative evaluation towards certain behaviors, relating to belief. Satyanarayana et al (2012) regarded the environment as whatever could stimulate, affect, or induce individual and group behavior, referring to visitors' travel destinations as the object formed by eco-tourism environmental attitudes. It presented the relative relationship between a subject (visitors) and an object (the environment).…”

Effects of different management regimes on mangrove ecosystem services in Java, Indonesia

“…This highlights the first and foremost requirement for recreation; it needs to be facilitated by local governance and planning, by making locations accessible (roads, bridges, parking place, entrance), creating awareness of potential users (advertisement, communication), etc. (Satyanarayana et al 2012). All this requires coordination, funding, competence and personnel.…”

“…The most direct way to monitor actual recreational activity would be to gather information on sold entrance tickets, boats hired, booked trips, etc. (Ahmad 2009, Satyanarayana et al 2012). In addition, local communities also recreate in their environs.…”

“…recreation can also take place around protected mangrove forests. The occurrence of high biodiversity, opportunity to fish and watch rare plant and animal species combined with the supporting role for beach-recreation (snorkelling and diving) makes protection forests crucial for nature-based recreation (Knight et al 1997, Satyanarayana et al 2012.…”

“…The combined focus on ecological and cultural functions is typical for conservation forests. Although conservation forests in Java will not have the high biodiversity of protected forests, the opportunity created by information stands, boardwalks, organised tours and other facilities will make conservation forests crucial locations for nature-based recreation (Knight et al 1997, Satyanarayana et al 2012. It should be noted, however, that not all mangrove conservation forests are necessarily ecotourism sites, as they can have other functions as well.…”