Colonel Abdoulaye Ndiaye and the Inter-Villager Association (AIV) of Ndiaël, all from Senegal, received this Monday, November 9, 2015 in Bonn, the prestigious 2015 Award on the Conservation of Migratory Waterbirds of African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) on the occasion of the 6th Meeting of Parties (9 to 14 November 2015) in Bonn, Germany.
In recognition of their efforts in the field of conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats in Senegal and in Africa, Colonel Abdoulaye Ndiaye a long serving staff of Wetlands International and currently associate expert and the Association Inter Villager (AIV) of Ndiaël, got rewarded today when they received the 2015 AEWA award on the occasion of the 6th meeting of the Parties (MOP) opened this Monday, November 9, 2015 in Bonn, Germany, and which work will continue until November 14th, 2015.
” This international recognition will strengthen the position of the AIV in its future efforts to equitable distribution of water and sustainable land use. This award is timely given the recent agricultural developments noted these last 3 years around the floodplain ” said Amadou Sow, president of AIV Ndiaël, receiving the price this morning.
The AIV Ndiaël has worked for years in ecological and ornithological monitoring and restoration of wetlands for the benefit of the 32 local communities and the Special avifauna Reserve of Ndiaël.
Meanwhile, Colonel Abdoulaye Ndiaye worked for more than 15 years as an active staff of Wetlands International where he is now an associate expert. As such, he has worked in over 30 countries in Africa and made an invaluable contribution to the conservation of wetlands and waterbirds. Trained as commissioned officer in the Senegalese army, Colonel as it is affectionately known to Wetlands International, later joined the management of national parks in Senegal.
As he recently spoke just before leaving for Bonn, he said: ” I have just been informed that I have been rewarded with the 2015 AEWA Individual Award for my humble involvement in wetlands management and monitoring of waterbirds in Africa and around the world.
My thanks and thoughts go my family, but most especially to my parents, who provided education and guidance to me, my wife and my children for their availability and their anguish as a result of my frequent absences
I extend my gratitude to the Government of Senegal, through the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development as well as the National Parks Department.
The most significant step has been my experience at Wetlands International which has sharpened my skills and experience in this specific field.
My thanks to the whole Africa for the unfailing support in all my activities
This prize is especially dedicated to General Mohamadou Keita for his coaching and continuous monitoring as my reference in strengthening my skills acquired throughout my career. And finally to all (friends and colleagues) among whom the AEWA Technical Support Unit (France-Senegal), I say “Thank you”! said Colonel Ndiaye
Representatives of Wetlands International and Vogelbescherming Nederland (BirdLife in the Netherlands) which have supported for years the work of the AIV Ndiaël were present at the awards ceremony on Monday at the 6th Triennial Meeting of the Parties in Bonn.