The Workshop examined some of the scientific databases that have been collected or created about the Senegal River basin (in Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, and Guinea) and used—or not used—for decision making for that region.  A multidisciplinary approach was taken, including data and expertise in the areas of ecology, biodiversity, biology, agronomy, hydrology, meteorology, health and medical sciences, geography (geographic information systems or GIS), computer and information sciences, and social sciences.  Activities included not only the workshop itself, but also site visits to the Diama Dam and the Senegal River Authority (OMVS) Documentation Center in Saint Louis and the Centre de Suivi Ecologique (Ecological Monitoring Center) in Dakar.

Over 35 people participated in the workshop, including researchers and data managers from the US, Senegal, and other African countries who have collected, managed, and used data regarding the Senegal River Basin. The workshop provided U.S. federal government and academic data experts and researchers with an inside view of African S&T data programs and an opportunity to initiate collaboration in various related areas. In addition, prior to the workshop there was a one-day site visit to the Diama Dam on the Senegal River, as well as to the Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Sénégal (Senegal River Authority) Regional Documentation Center and the Université Gaston Berger, both in Saint-Louis, Senegal.  Many of the research activities related to the Senegal River basin are conducted at the university.  In addition, there was a half-day site visit the following day to the Centre de Suivi Ecologique (Ecological Monitoring Center) in Dakar, which develops, archives, and manages most of the country’s ecological and environmental data and information resources.

“Sustainable development” has been defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Definition used in Our Common Future, also known as “The Brundtland Report.” In support of promoting cooperation, the project was intended to demonstrate to governments, regional organizations, and various decision makers the value of African data work and of cooperation with U.S. governmental and non-governmental organizations in S&T data projects.

Before construction of Manantali and Diama dams, irregular inter-annual flow volume. For a long time, this inter-annual flood irregularity posed a major problem for the valley as it decreased the potential for guaranteed agricultural production in this narrow geographic area.  The arable land area that could effectively be farmed after the flood could vary between 15,000 ha and 150,000 ha, depending on the magnitude and duration of the flood.

In the late 1960s to early 1970s, the four countries that border the Senegal River—Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal—belonged to the Organisation des Etats Riverians du Fleuve Sénégal (or the Senegal River Riperian States Organization), which focused on managing the river basin.  This organization dissolved when Guinea withdrew due to political tensions. The three remaining countries subsequently created the OMVS in 1972.

The participants at the workshop addressed a broad range of issues concerning the human, natural, and constructed environment in the Senegal River Basin (SRB), with particular focus on the problems created by the Diama and Manantali Dams.  In particular, they identified and to some extent characterized the many different kinds of data that have either already been collected or that are still needed to support decision making toward sustainable development of the SRB.  The presentations covered four broad topical areas.

Increase in the proliferation of the snails is caused by the prevention of the intrusion of saltwater in the Senegal River, regularization of the level of the water of the river and other effluents in the delta, and the pH of the water becoming more alkaline. First outbreak of schistosomiasis occurred in the delta town of Richard-Toll in 1988-89 After Diama dam became operational and many hydro-agricultural activities were set up, an increase in animal trematodosis was observed in the SRB as well, for example an increase in the infestation rate in cattle was observed.

The World Commission on Dams (WCD) was established in 1997 under the auspices of the World Bank and the World Conservation Union with a three-pronged mandate of: (a) undertaking a rigorous and independent review of the development effectiveness of large dams; (b) assessing alternatives; and (c) proposing practical guidelines for future decision making. The WCD carried out its activities from May 1998 to November 2000. Overall, the WCD report proposed a highly data-intensive, decision-support system. As follow up to the WCD report, the UNEP Dams and Development Project “promotes dialogue on improving decision making, planning and management of dams and their alternatives based on the WCD core values and strategic priorities.” Despite the growing literature on water and conflict in international river basins, little empirical work has been done to bolster common conclusions that are so widely reported.  In order to address this gap, Wolf, Yoffe, and Giordano assessed all reported events of either conflict or cooperation between nations over water resources over the last 50 years and used these events to inform the identification of basins at greatest risk of dispute in the near future (5 to 10 years).

The workshop presentations and panel discussions identified a number of key scientific, technological, institutional, and policy issues regarding data for decision making toward sustainable development of the SRB.  These are summarized below.  While they are representative of the views expressed by many of the participants, they do not constitute a formal set of consensus conclusions or recommendations. Since the livelihoods of so many people depend on water from the SRB or access to the water, and since the quality, movement, and temporal extent of the water all determine aspects of human and livestock health, the broader basin needs to be studied in its totality

•There is a wide disparity in technological capabilities for SRB-related data and information management and use.  This was made clear from the two site visits that were made by the workshop participants.  Although the personnel in the OMVS Documentation Center had the expertise to meet substantially higher technology standards, they lacked most basic information technology capabilities, including Internet connectivity.  Effective Internet links will be essential for deriving maximum benefits from distributed digital data holdings. •There is a need to have a standardized, modern, cartographic GIS as a tool to integrate the diverse data resources in support of various decision making and policy formation activities, both for the SRB and for many other applications and geographic areas.  •Other computational tools are needed to model and assess agricultural, environmental, and hydrological processes.  Many of the key data sets are available and so are the techniques for modeling and simulation.  The main hurdle, as with many other needed improvements, is a lack of money rather than the requisite technology or expertise.

§         Improving the coordination of existing institutions and projects is a key concern.  For example, the OMVS and the CSE activities are not adequately linked.  A network of all other relevant data-holding institutions, in the SRB region as well as internationally, could be formed to share their data and information in an integrated manner.  §         The CSE might consider viewing its role as a clearinghouse for a national and regional spatial data infrastructure.  A clearinghouse is not centralized, but designed as a distributed data center connected through the Internet.  There is no physical transfer of actual data holdings—the distributed data are made available through separate servers containing structured data and metadata.  This would go a long way toward linking and integrating the data holdings of all the separate institutions and individual researchers. 

§         There is a need to take better advantage of the SRB data that are collected, and to establish early warning and vulnerability links.  Scientific data in particular need to be used and integrated from the research into policy and decision making whenever appropriate. §         There is a role for the scientific community in the policy process.  Scientists can act as policy entrepreneurs to help bring issues to the attention of decision makers and the public, and particularly by cooperating with OMVS and its administrative and technical staff. §         For data collection and analysis, as well as for the use of the data in decision making, there are political and ideological biases and barriers.  An important issue is the requirement for clear credibility on the part of the data holders and decision makers in the SRB.  This requires or would be aided by a high level of transparency in the data holdings as well as in the decision-making process.  An up-to-date and complete Web-based system with a geospatial clearinghouse for both spatial data and relevant documents would go a long way toward achieving such transparency.  Related to the previous issue is the need to involve all stakeholders, including the people from the communities directly affected, in the problem management and policy formation.  Potential participants in decision making include:  government agencies, industry, nongovernmental organizations, and the public, which would include representatives of local inhabitants and fishermen, herders, and farmers (both flood-recession and irrigation). §         The capital cities of Mauritania, Senegal, and Mali (Nouakchott, Dakar, and Bamako, respectively) are located outside of the SRB, and there appears to be a disconnect between the decision making in these cities and local needs.  A disconnect also exists between Saint-Louis, where the Diama dam is located, and Dakar, where the OMVS is headquartered.  The broad availability of relevant data and information online would help mitigate those asymmetries.  §         The absence of Guinea in the OMVS has weakened the success of the water management and infrastructure development, operation, and maintenance because of the lack of upper basin data for planning and management purposes. 

It is hoped that this workshop contributed in some small way to the capabilities for sustainable development in West Africa by identifying and reviewing scientific data activities that will help managers in different sectors, policymakers, and citizens to make better informed decisions about the Senegal River basin area.  The workshop and this resulting online publication are intended to foster communication and interaction among a number of interested groups at the local and regional levels. The report, likely will be published in late October, will be an online publication, and includes hyperlinks, where available, to organizations and data sources identified during the course of the workshop. Links to individual workshop presentations, where available, will be posted on the U.S. National Committee’s Web site at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/usnc-codata/Senegal%20Workshop.html and on the Senegal National Committee’s Web site at http://www.codata.sn/16conf.htm.