African Applied Freshwater Ecology (Fisheries/Aquatic/Environmental): a mixed-methods study of ENT mechanisms and measurable outcomes across African contexts

Sahelian floodplain agriculture and inland fisheries depend on the same shallow channels, yet fertiliser intensification places production and ecological productivity in tension. This methodological proposal clarifies Eutrophication–Nutrient Transport (ENT) mechanisms and develops a transferable Eutrophication–Nutrient Transport Composite Spatial Index (ENT-CSI) that integrates Slope, Drainage density, Rainfall intensity, Land cover, Soil permeability, Elevation and Distance to channels. Using Senegal as a methodological exemplar, the paper specifies a geographic information systems workflow based on administrative spatial units, kernel density estimation, buffer analysis and network connectivity, supported by the analysis workflow (Script 1). Figure 1 delineates administrative units, Figure 2 provides city-scale detail, Figure 3 formalises criterion weights with uncertainty, and Figure 4 organises service-coverage buffers. The framework proposes how measurable ecological and agricultural outcomes would be linked to spatial risk without claiming completed estimation, and its bounded contribution is a reproducible, policy-relevant method for applied freshwater ecology.