Gambian German Forestry Project

Fajara, The Gambia, West Africa

Background

In 1979, the first phase of GGFP was initiated in order to provide technical assistance to the Gambian forestry sector. Phase I (1979 - 80) was confined to the delivery of forest equipment and materials. In addition, project planning for a long-term assistance in the forestry sector was elaborated.

In Phase II (1980 - 81) detailed information on the forest resource base are gathered. For this purpose land use maps were prepared based on the interpretation of aerial photographs from 1980. While this land use mapping provided the information on the extend of the forest cover of different forest types, the national forest inventory was designed to give very detailed information on the forest condition and to allow the prediction of further development trends.

In Phase III (1981 - 83), active steps against forest destruction were taken. For heavily degraded sites, tree species trials were undertaken to identify suitable tree species for afforestation.
Additionally the 66 forest parks, demarcated already in the 50s, were resurveyed and redemarcated with pillars, boundary lines and signboards, indicating that fire felling and browsing is forbidden. Survey and demarcation of the forest parks alone does not imply protection. Forest park management planning systems were developed and implemented for three forest parks in Western Division. The basic principle of this management planning system was to manage the natural forest in a sustainable way and to confine the use of exotic species only for small-scale afforestations. An essential component of the management plan was the planning of an optimal accessibility network and fire protection lines. The planning period was ten years.

The approach of Phase IV (1983 - 86) was to develop and introduce a natural forest management system with the long-term objective to rehabilitate natural forest for the purpose of a sustainable production of forest products in an economic and ecological way.
To show the rural population, that forests have an economic value and can be used for income generation, a model forest management unit was set up at Kafuta, Western Division. To familiarize people with forest management activities and to develop silvicultural techniques, the project started to implement the management plans of some of the forest parks developed during Phase III. For this purpose a model forest station consisting of office buildings, workshop, nursery and a sawmill was set up.

In Phase V (1986 - 88) the project activities were extended into the Lower River Division to disseminate the idea of natural forest management. As in Kafuta (Western Division), a forest station was set up at Dumbutu.
Main activities within this phase were the consolidation of the natural forest management system. After the model of natural forest management had been developed and proven to be feasible, the first investigations for the multiplication of the model and the extension into non forest park areas (community forest) were undertaken.

The natural regeneration capacity of the degraded forests is high, if the forest is protected from fire for several years. Consequently protection from bushfire turned out to be the most crucial measure in forest rehabilitation.
The most innovative activity in Phase VI (1988 - 94) was the introduction of Community Forestry. In 1991 the first Community Forest Management Agreement (CFMA) was signed involving the villagers of Brefet.
In the meantime forestry in The Gambia had gained high priority and received strong political support.
In order to secure the availability of well-trained forestry staff, an own education and training section was set up.

The activities of the project in Phase VII (1994 - 98) were concentrated on the finalisation of the Gambian Forest Management Concept (GFMC) and in the support of its countrywide implementation.

In the last project phase VIII (1998 - 04), the GFMC has been updated and new participatory forest management concepts have been introduced, e.g. Joint Forest Park Management (JFPM), or Community Controlled State Forest (CCSF).
End of 2000, with collaboration of the FAO, a Market Analysis and Development concept was introduced in Western Division, in order to support villages having a Community Forest in marketing their forest products. Since 2003, this concept has been implemented in most parts of the country.

 

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Contact us:

GGFP
PO Box 504
Banjul
The Gambia
Tel: 37 27 21
Fax: 37 27 21
Email:
forestryproject@gamtel.gm

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