Emergence of an environmental citizenship in Senegalese rural areas: local development initiatives by the Fannabara association in Missirah (Fatick, Senegal) M. Fall1, M. N. Dimé2, and C. O. Sarr3 1Humanities Departement, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555, boulevard de l'Université, Chicoutimi (Québec), G7H 2B1, Canada 2Interethnic and Intercultural Research and Education, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555, boulevard de l'Université, Chicoutimi (Québec), G7H 2B1, Canada 3Fannabara Association, Missirah, Senegal
Published: 13 Feb 2009
Abstract. In Missirah, a village in Senegal, a group of young ecologists who are part
of an association called {Fannabara}, developed initiatives with the objective of
restoring deteriorating ecosystems and promoting local culture. Along with
the many numerous to their credit, in cooperation with partners such as the
IUCN and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Fannabara is trying to establish
itself as a framework within which the interests of the Missirah communities
can be defended. The projects undertaken are in line with a perspective that
promotes public-awareness, education and actions for a sustainable
development. The project is dependent on obtaining the necessary resources
to meet the ecological, economic, social and cultural challenges faced in
Missirah. This research shows that the decentralization and accountability
context for community-level players – associated with the changes taking
place in rural areas, namely as they relate to the participation of
populations in the governance of biodiversity – has greatly contributed to
the promotion of new local development dynamics.
Citation: Fall, M., Dimé, M. N., and Sarr, C. O.: Emergence of an environmental citizenship in Senegalese rural areas: local development initiatives by the Fannabara association in Missirah (Fatick, Senegal), Field. Actions Sci. Rep., 2, 79-84, doi:10.5194/facts-2-79-2009, 2009.