Impacts of Terrorism on Biodiversity Management in West Africa Sahel: A Review

Authors

  • Nyarko Lawrence Fletcher West African Centre for Sustainable Rural Transformation (WAC-SRT), Faculty of Science and Techniques, University Abdou Moumouni of Niamey, Niger
  • Sakina Maman Bawa West African Centre for Sustainable Rural Transformation (WAC-SRT), Faculty of Science and Techniques, University Abdou Moumouni of Niamey, Niger
  • Moussa Soulé Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques (FST), University Dan Dicko Dankoulodo of Maradi (UDDM), Maradi, Niger

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v4i3.4930

Abstract

Over the past 50 years, a number of homegrown solutions and international development assistance have been initiated and implemented to address the West Africa Sahel region’s biodiversity resources decline. This ranges from indigenous/community led natural resources regeneration and land restoration techniques, funding and technical support in developing protected areas, military aid, specialized training of forest rangers and massive education of populace on biodiversity protection. Terrorist activities have negatively affected the biodiversity management in West Africa Sahel. However, there is a paucity of information about the impacts of terrorist activities on biodiversity management in West Africa. Therefore, this study tries to close this knowledge gap by describing and highlighting the impact of terrorism on biodiversity in West Africa Sahel. The authors used a systematic review of data through search engines like Google scholar, Z-library, Mendeley, Researchgate and Jstor for reports, scientific articles, books, field notes and other already published materials. The authors also consulted videos and media reports on YouTube, France24, PBS news etc. The study highlighted the key impacts of terrorist activities on biodiversity management. Some of these include the kidnaping of foresters, hijacking and controlling the management protected area like the case of Park W, destroying forest/bush fires, the use of explosive and poaching. These activities destroy animals’ habitats and therefore causing biodiversity depletion. The authors recommend the enhancement of the framework of protect areas, enhance the management of conflicts between population around protected areas as some sustainable solutions to biodiversity management. The Sahel states should strengthen their cooperation in building the capacities of the citizens in reducing the viability of terrorism through sustainable green jobs.

Keywords:

Terrorism, Biodiversity, West Africa Sahel, Management

References

[1] Convention on Biological Diversity, 2021. First draft of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

[2] IUCN, 2021. Conflict and conservation. Nature in a Globalised World Report No.1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.ch.2021.ngw.1.en

[3] Novacek, M.J., 2008. Engaging the public in biodiversity issues. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 105(SUPPL. 1), 11571-11578. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0802599105

[4] UN, 2019. World population projected to reach 9.8 billion in 2050, and 11.2 billion in 2100. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

[5] IUCN, 2021. Post-2020 global biodiversity framework. pp. 2020-2021.

[6] Mukherjee, V., Gupta, G., 2006. Of guns and trees: Impact of terrorism on forest conservation. Environment and Development Economics. 11(2), 221-233. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355770X05002767

[7] Bhandari, A.R., Lamichhane, S., 2020. Sustainable Forest Management Resource Book. WWF Nepal.

[8] Hayward, M.W., 2009. Conservation management for the past, present and future. Biodiversity and Conservation. 18(4), 765-775. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9436-y

[9] Morrison-métois, S., Lundgren, H., 2016. Forests and Sustainable Forest Management. Evaluation Insights. OECD. 11.

[10] Agger, K., Hutson, J., 2013. Kony’s ivory: How elephant poaching in Congo helps support the Lord’s Resistance Army. http://www.enoughproject.org/files/KonysIvory.pdf.

[11] Titeca, K., Edmond, P., 2019. Outside the Frame : Looking Beyond the Myth of Garamba’s LRA Ivory -Terrorism Nexus. Conservation and Society. 17(3), 258-269. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/cs.cs

[12] Tubiana, J., 2019. Protected areas, conflict and insecurity: understanding the situation and defining the rules. Papaco.

[13] USAID, 2018. Climate Risk Profile. Adaptation Thought Leadership and Assessments (ATLAS). https://www.climatelinks.org/sites/default/files/asset/document/2017_USAIDATLAS_ClimateRiskProfile-India.pdf

[14] CILSS, 2016. Landscapes of West Africa- A Window on a Changing World. CILSS.

[15] Institute for Economics & Peace, 2022. Measuring the Impact of Terrorism. Global Terrorism Index 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203731321

[16] Belliot, N., 2021. Management of protected areas in West Africa: The law of the strongest? Éclairage Du GRIP. 1-6.

[17] Masumbuko, B., Somda, J., 2014. Analysis of the links between climate change, protected areas and communities in West Africa.

[18] Ido Babou, E., 2020. The impacts of climate on terrorism: The site of Laongo, Burkina Faso. Tourisme et Environnment En Afrique. 6, 1-28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/etudescaribeennes.20391

[19] Thouless, C.R., Dublin, H.T., Blanc, J., et al., 2016. African Elephant Status Report 2016: an update from the African Elephant Database. Occasional Paper Series of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, No. 60 IUCN / SSC Africa Elephant Specialist Group.

[20] Henschel, P., Coad, L., Burton, C., et al., 2014. The lion in West Africa is critically endangered. PLoS ONE. 9(1), 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083500

[21] IUCN/PACO, 2010. Parks and reserves in Niger : evaluation of management effeciency of protected areas. IUCN-PACO.

[22] Habou, R., Mansour, M., Issiaka, I., et al., 2019. Impacts of refugee, returnees and displaced persons’ camps on timber resource explitation in Diffa Region. European Scientific Journal. 15(36), 118-140. DOI: https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2019.v15n36p118

[23] Leonhardt, M., 2017. Regional Policies and Response to Manage Pastoral Movements within the ECOWAS Region.

[24] Kenza, F.F., 2002. Elephants in the midst of humans, ecological and anthropic elements involved in the use of space in the classified forest of Baporo, Boromo Region, Burkina. Université Paris VII Denis Diderot.

[25] Leroy, R., de Visscher, M.N., Halidou, O., et al., 2009. The last african white giraffes live in farmers’ fields. Biodiversity and Conservation. 18(10), 2663- 2677. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-009-9628-0

[26] United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, 2020. The Great Green Wall United Nations Convention. UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). pp. 1-13.

[27] UNCCD, 2016. The Great Green Wall: Hope for the Sahara and and the Sahel. pp. 1-15.

[28] Goffner, D., Sinare, H., Gordon, L.J., 2019. The Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative as an opportunity to enhance resilience in Sahelian landscapes and livelihoods. Regional Environmental Change. 19(5), 1417-1428. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-019-01481-z

[29] UN Climate Change Newsroom, 2015. “Growing a World Wonder”. Restoring the Productivity and Vitality of the Sahel Region. Great Green Wall. http://newsroom.unfccc.int/Ipaa/resilience/great-greenwall.

[30] Benjaminsen, T.A., Ba, B., 2021. Fulani-Dogon Killings in Mali: Farmer-Herder Conflicts as Insurgency and Counterinsurgency. African Security. 14(1), 4-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19392206.2021.1925035

[31] Gravesen, M.L., Funder, M., 2022. The Great Green Wall (No. 02).

[32] Benjaminsen, T.A., Svarstad, H., Shaw of Tordarroch, I., 2021. Recognising Recognition in Climate Justice. IDS Bulletin. DOI: https://doi.org/10.19088/1968-2021.127

[33] Moretti, S., 2020. Transit Migration in Niger. Migration and Society. 3(1), 80-88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3167/arms.2020.111406

[34] Borum, R., 2004. Psychology of terrorism. Tempa: University of South Florida.

[35] Laqueur, W., 2003. No end to War: Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century. Continuum.

[36] Crenshaw, M., 1988. The subjective reality of the terrorist: Ideological and psychological factors in terrorism. Current Perspectives in International Terrorism. Macmillan.

[37] Felbab-Brown, V., 2018. Wildlife and Drug Trafficking, Terrorism, and Human Security : Realities, Myths, and Complexities Beyond Africa. PRISM. 7(4), 124-137.

[38] Laqueur, W., 1987. The Age of Terrorism. Little, Brown. https://books.google.ne/books?id=Km-W1GwAACAAJ.

[39] United States Institute of Peace, 2010. Teaching Guide on International Terrorism: Definitions, Causes and Responses. United States Institute of Peace Education Program. 202, 22.

[40] Scull, N.C., Alkhadher, O., Alawadi, S., 2020. Why People Join Terrorist Groups in Kuwait: A Qualitative Examination. Political Psychology. 41(2), 231- 247. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12622

[41] Darden, J.T., 2019. Tackling Terrorists’ Exploitation of Youth. American Enterprise Institute. 3(501), 1-24. https://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/report/tackling-terrorists-exploitation-of-youth/Tackling-Terrorists-Exploitation-of-Youth.pdf.

[42] Gómez, Á., Martínez, M., Martel, F.A., et al., 2021. Why People Enter and Embrace Violent Groups. Frontiers in Psychology. 11(614657), 1-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.614657

[43] Kruglanski, A., Jasko, K., Webber, D., et al., 2018. The Making of Violent Extremists. Review of General Psychology. 22(1), 107-120.

[44] Bélanger, J.J., Moyano, M., Muhammad, H., et al., 2019. Radicalization leading to violence: A test of the 3N model. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 10, 1-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00042

[45] Liddick, D.R., 2006. Eco-Terrorism: Radical Environmental and Animal Miberation movements. Eco-Terrorism. PRAEGER. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5744/florida/9780813044972.003.0010

[46] Abbey, E., 1976. Monkey Wrench Gang (1st ed.). Avon Books.

[47] Banunle, A., Apau, R., 2019. Environmental and Natural Resources Consequences Of Arm Conflict And Violent Extremism In Sahelian Countries in Africa. African Journal on Terrorism. 8(1), 73-91.

[48] Kishi, R., Maggio, G., Raleigh, C., 2017. Foreign Investment and State Conflicts in Africa. Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy. 23(3), 1-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/peps-2017-0007

Downloads

How to Cite

Fletcher, N. L., Bawa, S. M., & Soulé, M. (2022). Impacts of Terrorism on Biodiversity Management in West Africa Sahel: A Review. Research in Ecology, 4(3), 30–41. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v4i3.4930

Issue

Article Type

Review