The restoration of the Lower Delta of the Senegal River, Mauritania (1993-2004) La restauration du bas-delta du fleuve Sénégal, Mauritanie (1994-2003)

— The ecological functioning of the Senegal River estuary and Lower Delta was negatively affected by the construction of the Diama dam in 1986. As from 1994, managed flood releases were used to rehabilitate part of the floodplain and to create an artificial estuary. By simulating the pre-dam hydrodynamics, ecosystem functions were restored. This allowed the local inhabitants to resume their traditional livelihood activities and had positive impacts on biodiversity. The rapid flood recession, which characterised the pre-dam hydrodynamics, has been the most difficult aspect to emulate, for three main reasons : opposition from the fisherfolk who want to keep the fish in their basins, park managers who want to extend the season for waterbirds and the difficulty of evacuating water at flood recession because of the filling in of waterways by Coastal Ecosystems of West-Africa Biological Diversity-Resources-Conservation (Edited by J.-J. SYMOENS)