Nature in Gambia

The Gambia's natural systems form three connected zones: marine and coastal areas, the freshwater and estuarine River Gambia corridor, and inland terrestrial landscapes. Coastal dunes, beaches, mangroves, saltmarshes, salt flats, freshwater swamps, tidal creeks called bolons, gallery forests, Guinea savannah and forest parks occur across these zones. Mangrove influence extends along the River Gambia to about 150 kilometres upriver near Kaur. These habitats provide fish nurseries and spawning grounds, reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, stabilize shorelines, retain sediment and nutrients, and store carbon. People also depend on them for fish, rice cultivation, fuelwood, charcoal, timber, wild fruit, medicine, fencing and roofing materials. The ministry responsible for environment and natural resources, the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DPWM), the Department of Forestry, the National Environment Agency (NEA), the Department of Fisheries, regional governments, area councils and local communities share different responsibilities. The Biodiversity and Wildlife Act 2003 regulates conservation, protected-area designation and biological-resource use. The National Environment Management Act 1994 gives the NEA a coordinating and enforcement role. The Forest Act 1998 and its regulations support community participation, fire prevention and participatory forest management. Major developments can require environmental assessment under the 2014 EIA regulations. A 2021 public inventory listed 23 protected areas covering 94,709.1 hectares, or about 8.6% of the country. It identified nine named national parks, reserves or conservation areas and 14 ICCAs, meaning areas conserved by Indigenous peoples and local communities. The published total and site areas vary according to the document year and the definition used, so the current status and acreage of a particular site should be checked before relying on them. Key sites include Abuko Nature Reserve, River Gambia National Park, Niumi National Park, Kiang West National Park, Bao Bolon Wetland Reserve, Tanji Bird Reserve, Tanbi Wetland National Park, Jokadou National Park and Kassan Conservation Area. The Gambia has three Ramsar Sites covering about 31,244 hectares: Baobolon Wetland Reserve, Niumi National Park and the Tanbi Wetlands Complex. Ramsar Sites are wetlands listed for their international ecological value. Baobolon contains six major bolons and combines mangrove, saltmarsh and savanna woodland; rice dykes and fish breeding are significant features. Niumi contains a coastal and inland wetland mosaic important for migratory birds, manatees, otters and Western Red Colobus. Tanbi is a coastal and estuarine mangrove wetland. The Niumi-Saloum wetland system also extends across the border into Senegal. Published national species figures depend on the source and year. One official baseline recorded 117 mammals, 576 birds, 67 reptiles, 30 amphibians and 114 fish, while newer public pages use different bird totals, including 560 or more than 270 for particular sites. These figures should not be treated as directly interchangeable. Conservation attention includes the West African manatee, African Clawless Otter, Western Red Colobus, Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin, Nile crocodile, Sitatunga, Osprey and chimpanzees in rehabilitation on Baboon Island. The country has scarce wildlife populations but exceptionally important bird habitats. Protected areas are not unrestricted commons. Access, guiding, boating, fishing and other activities depend on site rules, management objectives and local arrangements. Community use may be allowed only under those conditions. Wildlife capture and keeping are prohibited, while hunting and trade in animal products are tightly restricted; buying wildlife products creates legal and conservation risks. Artisanal, industrial and inland fishing, wetland rice cultivation and forest-resource use can support livelihoods but can also damage spawning areas, mangroves and regeneration when use exceeds local rules. Community forestry progressively transfers management rights and benefits to participating communities. The process begins with a preliminary certificate, followed by a management plan covering the initial management period, an evaluation after about 18 months and possible full ownership. Ownership does not arise immediately when a community begins the process. Community consultation with the DPWM or Forestry authorities can help address access and management disputes. Nature-based recreation includes birdwatching, wildlife viewing, canoe and boat trips through bolons, photography and ecotourism. Common access points include Abuko, Tanji, Kiang West, Bao Bolon and River Gambia National Park. Abuko also has an environmental education centre and photographic hides, while Bao Bolon is commonly reached by river or boat. No countrywide official visitor-fee schedule or uniform booking system has been confirmed. Gate fees, guides, boats and opening arrangements can vary by site, so confirm them with the DPWM or the relevant site contact before travelling. The wet season usually runs from about June to October; dry-season visibility is often better, but fire risk is higher. Environmental education uses school programmes at Abuko, NEA environmental education and communication activities, school outreach and clubs, community dialogues, media and educational materials. National biodiversity plans have included awareness, sustainable-use and traditional-knowledge targets, but achievement of every policy target has not been independently verified. Major pressures include deforestation and forest fragmentation, agricultural clearing, fuelwood and charcoal demand, bushfires, illegal hunting, captive wildlife, overfishing and damaging fishing gear, pollution, waste, chemicals, invasive species, coastal erosion, sea-level rise, salinity entering freshwater wetlands and aquifers, drought, flooding, and the loss of mangrove, saltmarsh and turtle-nesting habitat. Conflicts commonly arise between conservation and settlement or rice farming, community access and protected-area restrictions, forest-resource demand and regeneration, fisheries livelihoods and nursery protection, and coastal development or sand extraction and ecosystem integrity. Land designation can also interact with State Lands jurisdiction. The NEA accepts public complaints online, by email and through a hotline, with a stated acknowledgment target of no more than 48 hours.