From 2000 to 2009
The Mali project, initially launched by the Genoa Aquarium, which was taken over by the Genoa Aquarium Foundation in 2003, had as its main partners the NGO Terra Nuova and ISCOS, also supported by the Ministry of the Environment of Mali, the Ministry of Tourism of Mali, the Ministry of Fisheries of Mali, the Niger River Agency, the University of Siena and the Rotary Club Golfo Paradiso. Throughout its duration, the project also had the collaboration of the journalist Emilio Nessi, who took care of the communication aspects.
The project was very complex and diversified, covering the following actions:
Verification of the presence of the African Manatee in the Inner Delta area of the Niger River, through interviews in all villages, in order to propose better conservation policies;
Photographic and video documentation of the African Manatee ( Trichechus senegalensis ) in the area.
Verification of the genetic characteristics of the African Manatee ( Trichechus senegalensis ) population in the area.
Collection of local knowledge and traditions on the African Manatee in the Niger River area of Mali.
Interventions to control and limit plastic contamination in the Inner Niger Delta, including through awareness-raising and education projects.
Interventions to define PCB contamination in the Inner Niger Delta, including through awareness-raising and education projects for more precautionary nutrition.
Innovative proposals to improve the health situation of the populations of the Inner Niger Delta.
Proposals for the creation of an Environmental Education Centre and Visitor Centre for the Inner Niger Delta (including a small aquarium) and for planning eco-friendly and sustainable tourism development initiatives.
The approaches were all carried out in an extremely innovative way, always taking into account local culture and traditions and always sharing each action with the village communities, who participated enthusiastically and very collaboratively.
For points 5 and 6, two information, awareness and education campaigns were implemented through specially designed comics, one in Songhai language and the other in French, which met with enormous interest from local residents.
Activity 5 also saw the development of initiatives conducted together with the schools of the Delta, with the active involvement of students who participated in plastic collection and reuse activities, with prizes in educational material for all participants.
In total, 8 missions of varying duration were carried out in Mali.
Partner:
Costa Edutainment SpA (coordinator, 2000-2004), Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus (coordinator 2004-2009), NGO Terra Nuova-Roma, Rotary Club Genova Golfo Paradiso, University of Siena – Department of Environmental Sciences, Emilio Nessi (journalist and video-maker), Andrea Ferraris (cartoonist), Andrea Glioti (cartoonist); Mali: NGO Terra Nuova-Bamako, ISCOS Mali, Ministry of the Environment of Mali, Ministry of Tourism of Mali, Ministry of Fisheries of Mali, Niger River Agency, Diplomatic Representation of the EC-Bamako, Representation of the PNUD-Bamako, Representation of the FEM-Bamako, National Museum of Bamako, Rotary Club of Mali-Bamako, Governor of the Region of Mopti, President of the Council of Cercle de Youvarou, the Village Chiefs of the Inner Niger Delta, the populations of the villages of the Inner Niger Delta, Stefano Capotorti (local project support), Sergio Giani (local health support).
Sponsors:
Rotary Club Genova Golfo Paradiso, Emilio Nessi, Aquastudio Research Institute, NGO Terranuova-Bamako.
