List of national parks of Niger

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Niger is home to a number of national parks and protected areas, including two UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserves. The protected areas of Niger normally have a designation and status determined by the Government of Niger. Further, fourteen sites also have international designations, applied by UNESCO and the Ramsar Convention on wetlands protection. Protected lands in Niger are managed by a number of authorities, and the areas of authority and structure have changed a number of times since independence. Some of the first reserves, parks, and protected areas were designated under French Colonial rule and much of the legal regime is based on these colonial laws. Niger is also party to a number of international agreements and participates in international ecological, conservation, and resource management programs with its neighbors, region, and worldwide.

Contents

Type and number of protected areas

Protected lands in Niger fall under both national and international regulation, and are managed by elements of the Nigerien government, as well as regional bodies and international designation oversight bodies. Initial classification of lands as legally protected for conservation of flora, fauna, landscape, and resource protection was done under French Colonial rule beginning in 1936. Much of the legal framework of land management and protection is based on these original regulations. As of the late 1990s, most land management was the area of the Nigerien Natural Resource Management Unit (Cellule de Gestion des Resources Naturelles) of the Inter-ministerial Sub-committee for Rural Development (Sous-Comité Interministériel chargé de la politique de Développement Rural au Niger), which includes ministries focused on environmental issues, industrial resource extraction, economic growth, and farming. Nigerien designated protected areas were administered by the Direction of Fauna, Fisheries and Aquaculture (Direction de la Faune, de la Pêche et de la Pisciculture - DFPP) of the Ministry of Hydrology and the Environment (Ministère de l'Hydraulique et de l'Environnement - MHE). Actual protection is the responsibility of the DFPP's Fauna and Apiculture Management Service (Service d'Aménagement de la Faune et de l'Apiculture - SAFA) which in 1987 had only 40 staff actually managing or guarding sites. [1]

Note: most sites have at least two overlapping designations.

National designations

Various Nigerien government designations, administered by the "Direction de l'Environnement" office of the Ministry of Hydrology and Environment [1]

Niger's national parks and protected areas (yellow) Niger protected areas parks 2005.png
Niger's national parks and protected areas (yellow)

International conventions and programmes

Additionally, several sites have international designations as protected areas. As signatories of the below conventions, the Government of Niger places restrictions on use of these lands.

VII. "to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance";
IX. "to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals";
X. "to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-site conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation."

Other international conventions ratified by the Nigerien government include the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Migratory Species, CITES, the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Convention on Climate Change, the African - Eurasian Waterfowl Agreement, the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the Convention on Game Hunting and the Convention on Plant Protection. [1]

Nongovernmental

A number of Nigerien sites are recognised by conservation programmes as conservation areas of special importance, even where there is no formal government convention. Notable among these are 15 BirdLife International designated Important Bird Areas (IBA). [3] Many of these are additional designations given to existing Nigerien government, IUCN, or Ramsar designated sites.

List of sites

Parks and reserves

UNESCO World Heritage Site 573 criteria vii, ix, x
World Heritage established 1991, endangered 1993
7,736,000 hectares
Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve, IUCN type IV [4]
Established 1 January 1988
6,456,000 hectares
Aïr and Ténéré Addax Sanctuary [5]
Strict Nature Reserve IUCN type Ia
Established 1 January 1988
1,280,000 hectares
Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV
Establishment 25 April 1955, by Law No. 3120/S.E. Also a 'fôret classée'
76,000 hectares
Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV
788,928 hectares
Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV
75,600 hectares
Total Faunal Reserve
700,000 hectares
Faunal Reserve Buffer Zone
National Park - IUCN type II
UNESCO World Heritage Site 749 criteria vii, ix, x [9]
World Heritage established 1996
220,000 hectares
Partial Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV
Established 1 January 1962
306,500 hectares

Ramsar wetland sites

Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar), Inland Wetlands [11]
Established 1981
66,829 hectares
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
376,162 hectares
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
318,966 hectares
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
25,366 hectares
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)

See also

Related Research Articles

This is an index of conservation topics. It is an alphabetical index of articles relating to conservation biology and conservation of the natural environment.

Ramsar Convention International treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was signed in 1971.

Transboundary protected area

A transboundary protected area (TBPA) is an ecological protected area that spans boundaries of more than one country or sub-national entity. Such areas are also known as transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) or peace parks.

W National Park

The W National Park or W Regional Park is a major national park in West Africa around a meander in the River Niger shaped like the letter W. The park includes areas of the three countries Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso, and is governed by the three governments. Until 2008, the implementation of a regional management was supported by the EU-funded project ECOPAS. The three national parks operate under the name W Transborder Park.. The section of W National Park lying in Benin, measuring over 8,000 km2 (3,100 sq mi), came under the full management of African Parks in June 2020. In Benin, W National Park is contiguous with Pendjari National Park which is also under the management of African Parks.

Important Bird Area Area recognized as a habitat for bird population conservation

An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.

Wildlife of Niger

The wildlife of Niger is composed of its flora and fauna. The wildlife protected areas in the country total about 8.5 million hectares, which is 6.6% of the land area of the country, a figure which is expected to eventually reach the 11% percent target fixed by the IUCN with addition of more areas under the reserve category. The dama gazelle has become a national symbol. Under the Hausa name meyna or ménas the dama appears on the badge of the Niger national football team, who are popularly called the Ménas.

Protected areas of Poland

Protected areas of Poland include the following categories, as defined by the Act on Protection of Nature of 16 April 2004, by the Polish Parliament:

Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve National nature reserve in Niger

The Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve is a national nature reserve in Niger. It includes several overlapping reserve designations, and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It covers both the eastern half of the Aïr Mountains and the western sections of the Ténéré desert. It has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area.

Dosso Reserve

The Dosso Partial Faunal Reserve is a nature reserve in the southwest Dosso Region of Niger. It is a Partial Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV, established 1 January 1962. The reserve covers 3,065 square kilometres in the mouth of Dallol Bosso valley, a seasonal wash and ancient riverbed running from the Azawagh region, near where it reaches the Niger River valley. It is situated near the W du Niger National Park.

Termit Massif Reserve Nature reserve in the southeast of Niger

The Termit Massif Total Reserve is a nature reserve in the southeast of Niger which was established in January 1962. In March 2012, a national nature and cultural reserve was established covering an area of 100,000 square kilometres (39,000 sq mi), including the entire area of the Termit Massif and Tin Toumma desert, making it the largest single protected area in Africa. The area provides habitat for many critically endangered species. Prominent among them is the addax antelope, which is categorized under the IUCN Red List as one of the rarest and most endangered species in the world; about 300 of them are reported in the reserve. A conservation effort has been launched by the Government of Niger in collaboration with many international conservation agencies. The reserve has also been declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site for the biodiversity value of the Termit Massif and surrounding Sahara Desert and for the cultural value of its archaeological sites.

Tamou Reserve

The Tamou Total Reserve is a nature reserve in the southwest of Niger. It is a Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV, covering some 75,600 hectares within the Tillaberi Region. The reserve abuts W du Niger, and is primarily dedicated to the protection of African Elephant populations which migrate through the region.

The Tadrès Total Reserve (T'adéras/Tadress) is a nature reserve in the central north of Niger, southwest the city of Agadez. It is a Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV, covering some 788,928 hectares within the Agadez Region. The reserve follows the northeast - southwest flow of the Tadrès valley, a Kori or seasonal wash and ancient river bed south of the Aïr Mountains. It was originally dedicated to the protection of Oryx populations which have largely disappeared from the region. In the 1940s, the valley was an important migration route for the animals from the Tenere desert to the Adar in the south of the country. It remains a transhumance route for domesticated cattle and camels, as well as wild Dorcas and Ménas Gazelles

The Gadabedji Total Reserve is a nature reserve in the central region of Niger. It is a Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV, covering some 76,000 hectares within the northern tip of the Maradi Region, just north of the town of Dakoro, and south of the border with the Agadez Region. The reserve is also recognized biosphere reserve by the Unesco since 2017.

Aïr and Ténéré Addax Sanctuary

The Aïr and Ténéré Addax Sanctuary is a nature reserve in the north center of the nation of Niger. The reserve forms part of the larger Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve covers 77,360 square kilometres (29,870 sq mi), of which 12,800 square kilometres (4,900 sq mi) form the Aïr and Ténéré Addax Sanctuary.

Termit Massif

The Termit Massif is a mountainous region in southeastern Niger. Just to the south of the dunes of Tenere desert and the Erg of Bilma, the northern areas of the Termit, called the Gossololom consists of black volcanic peaks which jut from surrounding sand seas. The southern Termit is a roughly east–west range of heavily eroded black sandstone. Its foothills on the south west are the Koutous hills.

World Database on Protected Areas

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is the largest assembly of data on the world's terrestrial and marine protected areas, containing more than 260,000 protected areas as of August 2020, with records covering 245 countries and territories throughout the world. The WDPA is a joint venture between the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre and the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Commission on Protected Areas.

Protected areas of Scotland Designated area for protection in Scotland

Many parts of Scotland are protected in accordance with a number of national and international designations because of their environmental, historical or cultural value. Protected areas can be divided according to the type of resource which each seeks to protect. NatureScot has various roles in the delivery of many environmental designations in Scotland, i.e. those aimed at protecting flora and fauna, scenic qualities and geological features. Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designations that protect sites of historic and cultural importance. Some international designations, such as World Heritage Sites, can cover both categories of site.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Niger Conservation Archived 2012-05-29 at the Wayback Machine , African Bird Club, African Birding Resources (2005-2008).
  2. ↑ Quote from Article 3.1 of the Ramsar Convention Treaty, quoted in The Ramsar Convention Manual, 4th Edition, 2006, Section 1.7: What are the commitments of Parties joining the Ramsar Convention?
  3. ↑ Niger Important Bird Areas, The African Bird Club. Includes detailed descriptions of each site.
  4. ↑ nep-wcmc site record
  5. ↑ nep-wcmc site record
  6. ↑ unep-wcmc site record [ permanent dead link ]
    unep-wcmc site details [ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ unep-wcmc site record [ permanent dead link ]
  8. ↑ "See map here". Archived from the original on 2005-12-24. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  9. ↑ "UNESCO protected area information sheet". Archived from the original on 2008-07-18. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  10. ↑ nep-wcmc site record [ permanent dead link ]
  11. ↑ unep-wcmc site record 900597 [ permanent dead link ]
  12. ↑ unep-wcmc site record 902369 [ permanent dead link ]
  13. ↑ unep-wcmc site record 902370 [ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ unep-wcmc site record 902738 [ permanent dead link ]
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