This morning we visited the forest around Kolda to see the practices that the chief inspector of the forestry service described to us yesterday. In Senegal, there are strict regulations on deforestation that still take into account the need for many people to survive from the food and commerce associated with it. So what happens is that each region is divided into different sections, where each year one or two sections are permitted to harvest wood for making charcoal. There are also regulations on how the tree has to be cut, in order to allow for beneficial growth of the new seedlings. Once that year has passed, that area is off-limits for harvesting until eight years have passed, allowing the area to rejuvenate. There are also size restrictions to allow the larger trees to sustain the wildlife in the area, and further restrictions on how many trees within an area can be culled.
In the forest we visited, hunting is forbidden, but all the products of the forest are available to those that live there for their own personal use and for commerce as long as they follow the regulations. The World Bank has assisted the local government in providing education for women to create small businesses to do so. What impressed me as we drove through the forest and passed several villages along the way was just how well their regulations worked, and while life is certainly very difficult in the village, we have a lot to learn from the Senegalese about sustainability. It has to be profitable for the persons who are most affected, and at least from what we’ve seen, it certainly is a win-win for improving living conditions and protecting the environment. This evening our hosts arranged a traditional Fulani evening of musicians and dinner- the entire neighborhood was invited, as well as teachers from Fanta’s school, students from her English club, and Peace Corps volunteers in the region. It was a fantastic night of dancing and enjoying the musicians. I am once again just overwhelmed by the hospitality (teranga) shown to us.
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Kirstin Bullington
I teach science, engineering, and computer science at W.J. Keenan High School in Columbia, SC Archives
March 2016
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