An Overview Of Our Solution
The town of Guérin kouka, 480km north-west of Lomé, the capital of Togo, benefited in the 1980s from the construction of two reservoirs of water, the main one being that of zongo. This work is now in a very advanced state of degradation.
The perimeter of this dam was, until very recently, the green lung, the ecological zone of the city. Moreover, it is a site of an impressive ecosystem composed of a very varied biocenosis and balanced biotope. The major element of this biocenosis is the large number of impressive crocodiles, more than 75 that the dam abounds in it, some white. These species are under great threat of disappearance, which must absolutely be protected and preserved for tourism and natural balance.
- have localized information on crocodiles and caimans throughout Togo;
- have a repertoire of crocodile and caiman management experiences..
Who is this solution impacting?
Community Type
Urban
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: Africa
General Information
Organization type
Sin fines de lucro/No Gubernamental
Ecosystem (select all that apply)
Deserts
Freshwater
Oceans/Coasts
Population impacted
9750 in 2010 more visitors and tourists.
Challenge
Size of agricultural area
No answer
Production quantity
No answer
People employed
No answer
Solution
Describe your solution
Our solution is to make these animal species, the main factor of tourist development. This activity will promote local development, the promotion of agricultural activities and the improvement of living conditions.
Since this barrage serves both domestic livestock breeders, cattle breeders with more than 5000 cattle per day in the dry season, laundry and market gardening, our approach is to create the conditions for the flourishing of each activity while preserving our Crocodiles and caimans. We even want to increase their numbers by bringing some of the neighboring communities where the absence of water is a threat. Also fight hunters by making the positive benefits of their presence in the middle. In addition, with local partners and actors, we will set up a computer unit on the monitoring and management of these species throughout the territory. Therefore, we approach the leaders and actors of each prefecture to receive the information and thereby create the network for the preservation and enhancement of the crocodile and cayman in Togo.
Implementation
Describe your implementation
The main actions to be undertaken are:
- sensitization, information, education for a mobilization of the populations around the project.
- provisional securing of caimans and their restoration.
- delimitation of the right of way of the site and of the project.
- rehabilitation work: excavation of the bottom of the reservoir; Rebuilding of the dike, the spillway and the 2 culverts; Rehabilitation of drain valves.
- Construction of tarps for market gardeners and breeders.
- construction of a sand trap at the entrance of the dam to limit its silting.
- construction of the mesh fence mesh whose agglos on 120cm above the ground and the fence on 120cm on a linear of 1500m.
- supply and installation of pipes, valves and taps.
- development of a water distribution point by the populations that the tanker trucks.
- development of a grassed area for the removal of caimans on 30 * 100m2 inside the mesh fence.
- development of a cycle path on the dike and behind the wire fence.
- selection of tree species, planting and monitoring.
- Development and validation of the integrated management plan around the dam, descriptive and graphs.
- Establishment and training of the management committee and follow-up of the promotion of the site.
- sensitization of the populations and actors on the water code, the impacts of decentralization and on preventive medicine.
- Specific activities and/or specifically what your solution does to address the identified problems above in the Context Analysis section
- How you ensured your solution was adopted and promoted change in human activities
- Enabling conditions
- Key success factors
- Any obstacles and how you overcame them
External connections
No response
Results
What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?
The site of the dam, thanks to its ecological framework and its central position, is a point of attracton through its various opportunities. Unfortunately, it's in critical state and his situation threatened because of:
its very advanced silting
its narrowing
the anarchic occupation of its right-of-way & river bed
dwellings that are almost in the right-of-way of the dam
the accumulation of garbage along the course and on part of the perimeter
deforestation, deforestation and anarchic upstream and downstream occupation.
All these phenomena have resulted in:
- the appearance of filariasis, known diseases of Onchocerciasis on the subjects inhabiting the peripheries of the dam and along the river according to the prefectural direction of health.
- conflicts between cattle farmers, market gardeners and populations and between men and caimans (which are classified as threatened species).
lack of water supply for household needs and weak layers
unhealthy environment and water
Describe the context in which you are operating
In terms of access to drinking water, margins are very limited. The Togolese Water Company's (TdE) total drinking water line is approximately 5 km with nearly 60 subscribers of all categories and 11 standpipes, many of which are not functional. This to cover the needs of 9750 resident residents in 2010 without counting the traders, the gatherings on market days, the various transhumants and travelers or visitors. According to the monograph drawn up by the Ministry in charge of planning, development and spatial planning in December 2009, Dankpen Prefecture presents many agricultural, tourist, economic and socio-cultural opportunities; But it is handicapped by a very low rate of urbanization, servicing, infrastructure and integrated development. People of Dankpen show lots of initiative.
At the level of education, for example, preschool and primary education consists of 120 primary schools, including 39 EDIL (Local School of Initiative). At the secondary level, in 2009, there were 10 Colleges of General Education (CEG) for the first cycle of which 2 private and 2 of local initiative.This makes it possible to believe in their availability to sustain an investment once they are involved from the design stage in a participatory approach. They will be more effective if this approach integrates the work of appropriating the principle of Role and Responsibility Capacity Development according to the concept of Human Rights-Based Planning.
How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?
This project should bring the following results:
- the dam is cleared and is multifunctional use.
- the incomes descended of the exploitation of the dam allow the development of the site and the maintenance of the works.
- the committee of management and follow-up put in place is legal and legitimate to the eyes of the population, of the local, regional authorities and the different partners.
- the prefecture of Dankpen and the city of Guérin kouka became an attractive pole and of regional and national radiance through the promotion of his/her/its caymen.
- the integrated planning plan around the dam is available.
- the practices citizens, of hygiene and purification are understood well.
- the appropriation of the individual and collective responsibility principles has an anchorage.
- the committees of development are formed to the communal development
Language(s)
French
Water
The issue of access to is of concern in this environment. Through our solution, we want to help solve this problem. What we are bringing back is the notion of water governance. It is a question of putting in place a system leading to the establishment of the culture of rational management of water. Once restraint has been restored, there will be sampling points reserved for each use, household, laundry, market gardening, classical breeder and cattleman.
Food Security/Nutrition
The area around this reservoir is the main site for growing vegetables off-season. In times of rains, all breeders turn to this place day or night. When the oxen enter the fields, they eat & trample the crops. When the rains are abundant, the waters invade the gardens. In addition, there are various agricultural activities along the watercourse. For lack of better water piping, not only are they not valued, but they facilitate the departure of crocodiles to places more exposed to human attacks.
Economic/Sustainable Development
Our option to develop the reservoir is to create a prosperous socio-economic environment in the community. We envisage airy spaces rented to third parties for enhancement. We rent out spaces and develop economic activities. In addition, through the texts, the tariffs will be fixed for all use especially for market gardening and breeders. Visits to watch the crocodiles will be paid and the guides trained and organized to lead visitors and tourists.
Climate
The management of the living environment must be taken with much more rigor. This is why our solution to preserve the crocodiles of Guerin and those of Togo in general is important. In this site, we have a micro climate because of the trees surrounding the dam. If the dam disappears, this mini forest that is already threatened will also disappear. The survival of these trees depends on the dam and
Sustainability
We absolutely need a grant to do the work. We also need financial support to acquire the equipment and the management of the functioning of the organs to say that the project is carried out. Once after, everything will work from the return on investment realized by the management bodies. The sustainability of the project is guaranteed, it will no longer depend on someone or another donor. If donor there is, will be to realize other investment.
Return on investment
The cost of full implementation of the works is estimated at 125 095 530 F CFA or 190 706,9 euros. With regard to the preservation of crocodiles and the development of an enabling socio-economic environment, we are requesting 55,000 euros, ie 36,077,365 CFA francs.
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Replication and Scale
How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?
Implementation elsewhere of this solution is very feasible; The main one being the mobilization and commitment of the local populations.
But the most difficult is the training of actors.
In our case, we have four years ago, and several times exchanged on this project with the various local players. We have the préfecture, with the préfet, the préfecture council, the chief township, the director of the health district, the 17 development committees that we supported. Alongside these institutional and organizational actors, we have our local partner, the NGO Acor Afrique, which will be the real mainstay of implementation. With the support of the prefecture, we will run the information exchange point on the crocodile and cayman in Togo. Given that it is known to all that the Dankpen and Gurérin kouka area is the main host for crocodiles in Togo, it will be easy to mobilize everywhere.