PROTOCOLE COMMUNAUTAIRE BIOCULTUREL DE LA COMMUNAUTE DE NIAFRANG

The Biocultural Community Protocol for Niafrang serves as a guide for the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of traditional knowledge. It details the village's ecosystem, including its critical dune system, and outlines the socio-economic reliance on palm oil, rice, and forest products. The document highlights severe threats from a proposed zircon mining project, which the community argues would destroy a vital hydraulic barrier and disrupt local agriculture. It establishes a framework for access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources and reaffirms the community's commitment to protecting its environment and customary laws.

• The village of Niafrang is located within the Abéné Marine Protected Area (AMP), which was created by presidential decree in 2004 to conserve marine and coastal biodiversity and improve fishing yields.
• A proposed zircon mining project on the 'Niafrang dune' is identified as the primary threat to local biodiversity and genetic resources, as the dune acts as a critical hydraulic barrier protecting rice fields from saltwater intrusion and wind erosion.
• The community expresses strong opposition to zircon mining, citing an 'Environmental and Social Impact Study' (EIES) that they claim is controversial and fails to adequately address the risk of salinization and the destruction of the rice production system.
• The local economy relies heavily on the exploitation of the palm tree for oil and wine, as well as the harvesting of 'madd' (Saba senegalensis) and 'nététou' (néré), which provide significant seasonal income for households.
• Niafrang maintains a traditional seed bank for five local rice varieties (Barafita, Epanaha, Haissimba, Nianof, and koundiélégué) to ensure food security and preserve genetic characteristics.
• The community observes strict cultural taboos regarding certain species; for example, the parrot is the village totem and is forbidden to be killed, while killing a cobra is believed to cause miscarriages.
• Traditional governance is based on consensus and led by the village chief, who is the guardian of customary norms and the final authority for sanctions.
• The community identifies 'Large-Scale Land Grabbing' (ATGE) as a significant risk due to the fertility of the land, which attracts agrobusiness investors.
• The protocol aims to operationalize the principle of fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources and traditional knowledge, in alignment with the Nagoya Protocol and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

APA

Natural Justice (2024). PROTOCOLE COMMUNAUTAIRE BIOCULTUREL DE LA COMMUNAUTE DE NIAFRANG. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Rapport-PCB_010524-2.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. PROTOCOLE COMMUNAUTAIRE BIOCULTUREL DE LA COMMUNAUTE DE NIAFRANG. 2024. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Rapport-PCB_010524-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=PROTOCOLE COMMUNAUTAIRE BIOCULTUREL DE LA COMMUNAUTE DE NIAFRANG |date=March 2024 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Rapport-PCB_010524-2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2024protocole, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{PROTOCOLE COMMUNAUTAIRE BIOCULTUREL DE LA COMMUNAUTE DE NIAFRANG}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2024}, month = mar, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Rapport-PCB_010524-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }