They participated in the various meetings of the national committees, the scientific and technical committee, and the Transnational Steering Committee.

• A participatory process was adopted to review, consolidate, and approve the RBTDS vision;
• Governance and management bodies are now operational;
• The RBTDS management plan is produced and validated in a participatory manner (Plan de gestion de la Réserve de Biosphère Transfrontalière du Delta du fleuve Sénégal (youtube.com).
• A communication strategy and action plan to communicate the vision, objectives and management strategies of the RBTDS to target audiences are developed with stakeholders and implemented.
• A capacity-building strategy and action plan to meet the needs of RBTDS stakeholders are developed and implemented.
• Cross-border exchanges are organized, promoting the exchange of knowledge and learning.
• A grievance mediation and conflict resolution mechanism are proposed as part of the RBTDS management plan.
• A participatory process to identify and prioritize sites within the RBTDS ecosystems that require restoration or appropriate management to maintain or enhance benefits is underway;
• A participatory process to identify inclusive and sustainable income-generating initiatives that contribute to the conservation and sustainable development objectives of local communities within the RBTDS is being developed, enabling a start to be made on supporting local communities through capacity-building sessions, the provision of equipment and the granting of innovative funding.
• A cross-border research network for functional data management is currently being set up.

As part of this support for local communities, a dozen sessions have been organized, mainly for women and vulnerable groups:

• Capacity-building for 30 eco-guards, who are RBTDS protected area volunteers, in financial management and marketing.
• Capacity building for 30 women from the Diawling periphery in administrative and accounting management of cooperatives and micro-project management.
• Capacity-building for women in Saint Louis on fish and cereal processing.
• Capacity building for 50 RBTDS agents and eco-guards on waterbird recognition and counting techniques,
• Training of 20 women processors from Ndiago in fish processing techniques.
• 30 women from the Ndiael AIV received training and equipment for processing local cereals. ROSS BETHIO: RBTDS ACCELERATES BIODIVERSITY TRAINING FOR WALO WOMEN (youtube.com)
• Training and delivery of equipment to 30 members of the Diama women's cooperative on saponification techniques.
• Training for 80 women from the outskirts of Diawling in agroecology and market gardening techniques. 

In the near future, a revolving credit facility will be operational, applying positive segregation for women and vulnerable groups.

Biodiversity officers have been trained in the biosphere reserve concept, protected area assessment tools such as RSAT, drone piloting and GPS handling.

The project is working to ensure the knowledge generated is shared and to facilitate its replication. 

The RBTDS communication strategy already produced targets different stakeholders in Senegal and Mauritania and supports the achievement of other project results. 

Tools are already being produced to share information and communicate on RBTDS issues, including water management, sustainable use strategies, maintaining and restoring natural ecosystem values and functions, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. 

A cross-border research network comprising research organizations and academic institutions such as UNIVERSITE GASTON BERGER, UNIVERSITE DE NOUAKCHOTT, and UNIVERSITE DE DAKAR has already been established within the Scientific and Technical Committee.

The project is also working towards cross-border knowledge exchange to eliminate knowledge gaps and accelerate the development of effective solutions to efficiently manage RBTDS.

To this end, exchange visits have been organized:

• Between PND and PNLB managers and peripheral populations, through filao and mangrove reforestation camps on the Langue de Barbarie.
• Between stakeholders on the outskirts of the PNOD and the Ndiael Reserve and the Diawling National Park, with a sharing of experience on water lily seed processing.
• Between stakeholders from the periphery of the Ndiael Reserve and the Diawling National Park on local natural resource management conventions.

• Communication events on the RBTDS are organized with the celebration of days dedicated to the environment and biodiversity:
• World Wetlands Day in the Ndiael Special Avifauna Reserve on February 02, 2024, 
• International Day of Biosphere Reserves, with a webinar with well-known experts in the field of biosphere reserves and awareness-raising sessions for schoolchildren on the outskirts of Diawling and Djoudj.
• International Biodiversity Day, with the organization of an awareness-raising event in Saint Louis for students and teachers on preserving biodiversity and critical ecosystems.

The project's UGT presented a panel on the RBTDS as an example of cooperation and transboundary ecosystem restoration. 

The panel was chaired by the Senegalese Minister for the Environment and Ecological Transition (BIODIVERSITE, SAINT-LOUIS | Veiller à la réserve de biosphère du Delta (youtube.com)).

Communication tools and media have already been produced, including roll-ups, tee-shirts, caps, and brochures on the project and the RBTDS.

The RBTDS website is up and running (www.rbtds.org). 

The project's UGT has produced a dozen road signs positioned at various points in the RBTDS.

The RBTDS Atlas is being printed.

Radio broadcasts with reports are hosted every month by the UGT team.

About the project

For more information on the project, please contact the project coordinator, Aminate Sall (Aminat71@yahoo.fr), or visit the project page on iwlearn.net.