Pan Sahara Wildlife Survey
The Pan Sahara Wildlife Survey (PSWS) was started in 2009 by the Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) partnered with ZSL, with funding from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Its goal is to bring together up to date information of the status of biodiversity across the vast Saharan region.
The large bird and mammal fauna of the Sahara is one of the most threatened yet poorly known on earth. Drought, desertification, habitat loss and over-hunting have reduced many species to the verge of extinction. Animals like the addax, dama gazelle and cheetah having disappeared from over 95% of their former ranges, while the scimitar-horned oryx is extinct in the wild. The current status of many other species is either unknown or seriously out of date.
Lack of up-to-date information and data severely limits the ability of Saharan nations to conserve desert fauna, access international support for conservation, decide how to use available resources, and use wildlife sustainably.
The PSWS provides a wealth of up-to-date information on species abundance and distribution, conservation threats and habitat condition. This will contribute directly to national initiatives under the Conventions on Biological Diversity, Combating Desertification and Climate Change. The PSWS also establishes a scientific basis for decision-making on consumptive and non-consumptive uses of wildlife. It helps identify suitable sites for reintroduction projects, as well as supporting regional action plans, such the Convention on Migratory Species's plan for Sahelo-Saharan ungulates. The development of standardised protocols for data collection and analysis will allow hands-on training and skill development of local conservation agency staff, as well as supporting international efforts to list and raise support for the conservation of endangered species (IUCN Red Data List, Global Mammal Assessment, etc.).
Reports
PSWS Technical Report 1 - Termit Niger - English (2.5 MB) PSWS Technical Report 1 - Termit Niger - French (2.6 MB) PSWS Technical Report 2 - Gadabeji Niger - English (4.5 MB) PSWS Technical Report 2 - Gadabeji Niger - French (4.6 MB) PSWS Technical Report 3 - Gadafaoua Taguedoufat, Niger - English (5.8 MB) PSWS - Technical Report 3 - Gadafaoua Taguedoufat, Niger - French (5.9 MB) PSWS - Technical Report 4 - Manga Eguey, Chad - English (10.1 MB) PSWS - Technical Report 5 - Chad OROAGR 2011 (20.7 MB)
