Landscaping of the Guéré Lake
First a simple idea...
Wina city (Mayo-Danay, Extreme-North, Cameroon) is known for its lake with abundant fish, but also for its hippos.
The current mayor, a native of the place, look through the eyes of a child as an area that has lost for him from its original beauty... Recognizing the natural wealth of the lake, he wants to develop the site to preserve and restore this place dear to his heart, while ensuring a better future for its people.
For this purpose he appealed to FIDIDA, who works for the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development of the populations of the Logone Valley.
You will find below the project born from the affection of a Mayor for his city, the memory of a child, the passion of actors for the biodiversity conservation and a desire of harmony between peoples and environment.
Toward the creation a conservatory of biodiversity...
The lake abounds, in addition of hippos, of many fishes, but the increase in fishing-related activities represent a threat to the regeneration of fish populations.
For this reason, the Mayor plans to establish a training center to educate fishermen on new techniques to avoid too rapid decline of fish resources and endanger the biodiversity of the lake and the local economy (eg regulation of the mesh size of nets).
He had thought to associate this center a bar-restaurant and a museum of local crafts to generate an eco-tourism site around its area.
It is in this context that the Mayor of Wina has requested the assistance of FIDIDA to know whether the project could be viable in the long term to preserve the lake and its natural resources.
We believe the project lacked of an attraction that may cause a displacement towards the lake, and did not allow to showcase the richness and potential of the area.
Also we proposed the creation of a conservatory of biodiversity including fishes, hippos and birds.
We want to stimulate the interest of tourists but also the relevant Ministries (forests and wildlife, agriculture and fisheries, scientific research, environment ...).
We hope that Wina become a model in terms of conservation and a must for researchers and enthusiasts.
About hippos and fishes...
We first accentuated our work on the problem of hippos. Indeed, understanding the difficulties of fishers was an important point before considering to protect a species very few appreciated and even considered dangerous.
We therefore expect to educate people to the behavior of hippos and encourage them to protect them. Indeed, hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), not only vulnerable and therefore protected, are also essential to the presence of fishes and their habitat.
Eventually we want to define a restricted area to fishermen for the conservation of fish and sustainable fishing, but also to meet the vital areas hippos and prevent attacks.
We also thought a more stable boat avoiding, during a hippo attack, overturning or endangering its occupants.
From an ornithological point of view...
The lake, as water point is a place of refuge and nesting for many bird species.
So we considered creating artificial islands on the lake to give waterbird places for nesting and protected from predators. Like those used in traditional fishing, they will be grass clumps but with a solid foundation for a longer duration.
We hope, in addition to seeing prosper species already on the site, see come back species such as crowned crane (Balearica pavonina pavonina) also vulnerable and protected species in the area.
More : dévelop ecotourism...
To base ourselves on the proposal of the Mayor and the idea of its eco-tourism complex, we imagined, from the restaurant, access to a gateway leading to the center of the lake, on an biodiversity observation platform equipped with telescopes.
We hope to create a place of observation and a tool for researchers. We will display there educational panels showing the different species that can be seen with their scientific name, their diet, their behavioral characteristics, their periods of presence and nesting ...
The museum is a very interesting idea to learn more about people living in the area : display artifacts of cultural arts community and trace the historical facts of the lake.
All complemented by a hosting place from whence you can admire hippos out of the water at dusk...