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
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
and the
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar site, Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on W ...
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.
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.Niger Conservation , African Bird Club, African Birding Resources (2005-2008).
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
*4 Total Faunal Reserves, the equivalent of the
World Commission on Protected Areas
The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) is one of six commissions of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
History
In 1948, the IUCN established a Committee on National Parks. Two decades later the IUCN had been ask ...
/ IUCN ''Category IV - Habitat/Species Management Area''
*1 Partial Faunal Reserve, the equivalent of the World Commission on Protected Areas/IUCN ''Category IV''
*1 Faunal Reserve Buffer Zone
*1 National Nature Reserve, the equivalent of the World Commission on Protected Areas/IUCN ''Category IV''
*1 Strict Nature Reserve, the equivalent of the World Commission on Protected Areas/IUCN ''Category Ia'' (
Nature Reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
)
*1 National Park, the equivalent of the World Commission on Protected Areas/IUCN ''Category II'' (National Park)
*79 Forest Reserves (Forêts Classées) totaling 212,000 ha
*51 restoration and land protection areas totaling 69,000 ha
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.
*12
Wetlands of International Importance
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
Ramsar Ramsar may refer to:
* Places so named:
** Ramsar, Mazandaran, city in Iran
** Ramsar, Rajasthan, village in India
* Eponyms of the Iranian city:
** Ramsar Convention concerning wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran
** Ramsar site, wetland listed in ...
). As a Convention signatory, Niger has agreed to establish wetlands protective areas, which may restrict use and promote "the wise use of wetlands in their territory".
*2
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Convention sites, which are also the
*2 UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserves. Both are listed under ''Natural criteria'' vii, ix, x. These are:
::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."
*1
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
List of World Heritage in Danger
The List of World Heritage in Danger is compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through the World Heritage Committee according to Article 11.4 of the World Heritage Convention,Full title: ''Conv ...
.
Other international conventions ratified by the Nigerien government include the
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is a multilateral treaty. The Convention has three main goals: the conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity); the sustainable use of its ...
, the
Convention on Migratory Species
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention, is an international agreement that aims to conserve migratory species throughout their r ...
,
CITES
CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...
, the
Convention to Combat Desertification
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (UNCCD) is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought throug ...
African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
The African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (known also as Algiers Convention) is a continent-wide agreement signed in 1968 in Algiers. It supersedes the Convention Relative to the Preservation of Fauna and Flora in ...
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). Many of these are additional designations given to existing Nigerien government, IUCN, or Ramsar designated sites.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
573 criteria vii, ix, x
::World Heritage established 1991, endangered 1993
::7,736,000 hectares
:''Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve'', IUCN type IV
::Established 1 January 1988
::6,456,000 hectares
:'' Aïr and Ténéré Addax Sanctuary''
::Strict Nature Reserve IUCN type Ia
::Established 1 January 1988
::1,280,000 hectares
*'' Gadabedji Total Reserve''
::Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV
::Establishment 25 April 1955, by Law No. 3120/S.E. Also a 'fôret classée'
::76,000 hectares
*'' Tadres Total Reserve''
::Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV
::788,928 hectares
*'' Tamou Total Reserve''
::Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV
::75,600 hectares
*'' Termit Massif Total Reserve''
::Total Faunal Reserve
::700,000 hectares
*''Termit Massif Faunal Reserve Buffer Zone'': This forms a half ring around the southern border of the larger Termit Massif Total Reserve.
::Faunal Reserve Buffer Zone
* W du Niger
::National Park - IUCN type II
::
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
749 criteria vii, ix, x
::World Heritage established 1996
::220,000 hectares
*'' Dosso Partial Faunal Reserve''
::Partial Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV
::Established 1 January 1962
::306,500 hectares
Ramsar wetland sites
*'' Complexe Kokorou-Namga''
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar), Inland Wetlands
::Established 1981
::66,829 hectares
*''
Dallol Bosso
The Dallol Bosso ( Zarma: Boboye) is one of two major seasonal river valleys in southwest Niger. The Dallol Bosso valley runs from the Azawagh area in the Sahara west and south through the Dosso Region where it reaches the Niger River valley.
H ...
Wetlands''
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
::376,162 hectares
*'' Dallol Maouri Wetlands''
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
::318,966 hectares
*'' La Mare de Dan Doutchi Wetlands''unep-wcmc site record 902738 /ref>
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
::25,366 hectares
*''Gueltas et Oasis de l'Aïr Wetlands sites''
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
*''La Mare de Lassouri Wetlands''
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
*''La Mare de Tabalak Wetlands''
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
*''Lac Tchad Wetlands - Niger''
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
*''Oasis du Kawar Wetlands''
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
*''Parc national du "W" Wetlands - Niger''
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
*''Zone humide du moyen Niger Wetlands - Niger''
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
*''Zone humide du moyen Niger II Wetlands - Niger''
::Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
See also
*
Geography of Niger
Niger is a landlocked nation in West Africa located along the border between the Sahara and Sub-Saharan regions. Its geographic coordinates are longitude 16°N and latitude 8°E. Its area is 1.267 million square kilometers, of which 1 266 ...
Niger
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, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages
National parks
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individua ...
National parks
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individua ...