WEST AFRICA BIODIVERSITY AND

CLIMATE CHANGE (WA BICC)

Annual Report (October 2019 – September 2020)

Disclaimer: This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Tetra Tech. The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of its authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 1

This publication was produced for the United States Agency for International Development by Tetra Tech, through a Task Order under the Restoring the Environment through Prosperity, Livelihoods, and Conserving Ecosystems (REPLACE) Indefinite Quantity Contract (USAID Contract No. AID- OAA-I-13-00058, Order Number AID-624-TO-15-00002).

This report was prepared by: Tetra Tech 159 Bank Street, Suite 300 Burlington, Vermont 05401 USA Telephone: (802) 495-0282 Fax: (802) 658-4247 Email: [email protected]

Tetra Tech Contacts: Stephen Kelleher, Chief of Party ([email protected]) Vaneska Litz, Project Manager ([email protected]) Ed Harvey, Deputy Project Manager ([email protected])

Citation: Tetra Tech. (2020). USAID/West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC), Year Five Annual Report (October 2019–September 2020).

Cover photo: African coastline, by Dan Grinwis

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | i TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ...... IV 1. OVERVIEW ...... 1 KEY MILESTONES ...... 2 Component 1: Combating Wildlife Trafficking ...... 2 Component 2: Increasing Coastal Resilience to Climate Change...... 3 Component 3: Reducing Deforestation, Forest Degradation, and Biodiversity Loss ...... 3 Cross-cutting Disciplines ...... 4 2.0 PROGRAM STRATEGY ...... 5 COMPONENT 1: COMBATING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING ...... 5 COMPONENT 2: INCREASING COASTAL RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE ...... 5 COMPONENT 3: REDUCING DEFORESTATION, FOREST DEGRADATION, AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS ...... 6 CROSS-CUTTING DISCIPLINES ...... 6 3.0 ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS ...... 7 3.1 COMPONENT 1: COMBATING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING ...... 7 3.1.1 Strategy 1A: Improve Policy and Enabling Environment for Wildlife Protection ...... 7 Activity 1: Strengthen wildlife protection policies and legal frameworks ...... 7 Activity 2: Enhance public awareness and behavior change ...... 9 3.1.2 Strategy 1B: Build Capacity for CWT Enforcement and Prosecution ...... 12 Activity 1: Identify, develop, and/or adapt training tools for wildlife legislation, wildlife enforcement, and prosecution; and implement trainings ...... 12 Activity 2: Analyze lessons learned from CWT models in Africa to develop, strengthen, and sustain initiatives in West Africa ...... 15 3.1.3 Strategy 1C: Strengthen Regional and National Coordination and Cooperation in Data Generation, Sharing, and Use for Enforcement ...... 15 Activity 1: Increase the availability of tools, data, and information ...... 15 Performance Indicator Snapshot ...... 16 3.2 COMPONENT 2: INCREASING COASTAL RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE ...... 16 3.2.1 Strategy 2A: Identify and Promote Effective Interventions ...... 16 Activity 1: Better understand coastal knowledge needs; identify, generate, and disseminate information and data on climate change impacts in West Africa to increase coastal resilience ...... 16 Activity 2: Develop and implement climate change adaptation interventions in the SLCLC ... 19 Activity 3: Develop a Co-Management Plan ...... 24 Activity 4: Develop and implement climate change adaptation interventions in the Fresco Coastal Learning Landscape, Côte d’Ivoire ...... 26 Activity 5: Generate and support knowledge and learning ...... 31 3.2.2 Strategy 2B: Develop an Enabling Policy Environment ...... 32 Activity 1. Support the ratification process and develop regional action plans to domesticate two regional protocols ...... 32 Activity 6: Strengthen institutions and build capacity to address coastal climate impacts ...... 33 Performance Indicator Snapshot ...... 33 3.3. COMPONENT 3: REDUCING DEFORESTATION, FOREST DEGRADATION, AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS ...... 34

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | ii 3.3.1 Strategy 3A: Promote Effective Interventions for Forest & Mangrove Conservation 34 Activity 1: Support the implementation of landscape activities ...... 34 ...... 37 Field classes, respecting social distancing, and demonstration farms with training on composting, mulching, and watering...... 37 Activity 2: Build capacity of key partners for sustainable forest management ...... 46 3.3.2 Strategy 3B: Improve Policy and Enabling Environment for Forest Conservation ...... 49 Activity 1: Strengthen transboundary collaboration...... 49 Activity 2: Support approaches to address forest degradation ...... 50 3.3.3 Strategy 3C: Identify, Develop, and Implement Strategies for Threatened Species ... 52 Activity 1: Develop and Implement Regulatory Frameworks or Strategies for Threatened Species ...... 52 Performance Indicator Snapshots ...... 54 3.4 CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES ...... 55 Policy and Partnerships ...... 55 Activity 1: Improve West African natural resource management policy and legislation ...... 55 Activity 2: Building Institutional Capacity ...... 58 Communications ...... 62 Performance Indicator Snapshots ...... 67 3.5 MONITORING AND EVALUATION ...... 67 4.0 GRANTS MANAGEMENT ...... 70 5.0 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT ...... 76 ANNEX 1: TARGET INDICATOR TABLE ...... 79 ANNEX 2: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE TAÏ-GREBO-KRAHN-SAPO TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE (FFI) ...... 99 MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS ...... 99 ANNEX 3: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE ZIAMA-WONEGIZI- WOLOGIZI (ZWW) ...... 102 MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS ...... 103 ANNEX 4: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE GOLA FOREST LANDSCAPE...... 105 MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS ...... 105 ANNEX 5: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE TAÏ-GREBO-KRAHN-SAPO TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE (WCF) ...... 108 MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS ...... 108 ANNEX 6: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR SUPPORTING CITES MASTER STUDENTS (IUCN) ...... 112 ANNEX 7: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR FIBERS OF CHANGE (GLOBAL MAMAS) ...... 114 Major Achievements ...... 114

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | iii ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

AAWP Abidjan Aquatic Wildlife Partnership AbC Abidjan Convention ACEC Agriculture and Climate Empowerment Center AFOLU Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use APN African Parks Network APS Annual Program Statement AWP Annual Work Plan BCC Behavior Change Communication CBNRM Community-based Natural Resources Management CCAP Climate Change Adaptation Plan CCNRMN Coastal Chiefs Natural Resources Management Network CCVA Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment CDO CERATH Development Organization CE Costed Extension CIESIN Center for International Earth Science Information Network CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CLA Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting CMP Co-Management Plan CMS UN Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals COP Chief of Party CoP Conference of the Parties COR Contracting Officer’s Representative CRP Core Regional Partners CSSL Conservation Society of Sierra Leone CWT Combating Wildlife Trafficking DEC Development Experience Clearinghouse DoE Department of Environment DQA Data Quality Assessment EAP Environmental Action Plan ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States EMMP Environmental Management and Mitigation Plan EPA Environmental Protection Agency ETP Endangered, Threatened, and Protected Species EUCORD European Cooperative for Rural Development FAO Food and Agricultural Organization FDA Forest Development Authority of Liberia FFI Fauna and Flora International FLR Forest Landscape Restoration

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | iv FY Fiscal Year GCF Green Climate Fund GEF Global Environmental Facility GESI Gender and Social Inclusion GKNP Grebo-Krahn National Park GUC Grants Under Contract ICZM Integrated Coastal Zone Management ILDP Integrated Local Development Plan IPSAS International Public Sector Accounting Standards IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature KBNF Krahn-Bassa National Forest KML Knowledge Management and Learning LCRP Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection Sanctuary LOP Life of Project MDAs Ministries, Departments and Agencies M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MECAT M&E Capacity Assessment Tool MEL Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning MEP Monitoring and Evaluation Plan MoU Memorandum of Understanding MPA Marine Protected Area MRU Mano River Union NAP National Adaptation Plan NCE No-Cost Extension NFCS National Framework for Climate Services NGO Non-governmental Organization NPAA National Protected Area Authority OIPR Ivorian National Office of Parks and Reserves PADEV Partners in Development PPP Public–Private Partnership PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal PRCM Regional Partnership for Coastal and Marine Conservation / Partenariat Régional pour la Conservation de la zone côtière et Marine en Afrique de l'Ouest RAMPAO Network of Marine Protected Areas in West Africa/Réseau des Aires Marines Protégées en Afrique de l’Ouest RASTOMA Network of Actors for the Conservation of Sea Turtles in Central Africa REDD+ Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation ROAM Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology ROUTES Reducing of Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species RSPB Royal Society for the Protection of Birds SCNL Society for the Conservation of Nature in Liberia

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | v SLCLC Sierra Leone Coastal Landscape Complex SODEFOR Ivorian Forests Development Agency SRE Sherbro River Estuary TA Threats Assessment TGKS Taï-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo Transboundary Landscape Complex ToC Theory of Change ToR Term of Reference UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Program UNEP United Nations Environmental Program USAID United States Agency for International Development USAID/WA United States Agency for International Development/West Africa USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USG United States Government VA Vulnerability Assessment VADEMCO Vainga Agriculture Development and Management Consultancy VSLA Village Savings and Loans Association WA BiCC West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change WACA West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program WAEMU/UEMOA West African Economic and Monetary Union/Union Economique et Monetaire Ouest Africaine WASCWC West Africa Strategy for Combatting Wildlife Crime WCF Wild Chimpanzee Foundation WIA Wetlands International Africa ZWW Ziama-Wologizi-Wonegizi Transboundary Forest Landscape

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Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20), the fifth and final year of the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Program, known as WA BiCC and herein often referred to as ‘the program’, was marked by two significant events that had a major impact and influence on how the final year would evolve. WA BiCC is implemented by Tetra Tech ARD in association with five main subcontractors, or implementing partners: Pact Inc. supports capacity building; Palladium Group supports GESI and advocacy; PCI Media Impact supports communications; CIESIN supports efforts related to climate change resilience, mitigation, and vulnerability, and; Born Free USA supports combating wildlife trafficking efforts. At the time of its award, WA BiCC was the largest investment in the environmental sector in West Africa. Initially funded at just under $49 million. In September 2019 USAID awarded a time and cost extension adding 7.5 months and almost $4.75 million to the program, allowing WA BiCC to consolidate results and increase the likelihood of long-term sustainability. The first event of note is the awarding of a time and cost extension for WA BiCC. The extension added just over seven months to the original contract, extending its duration from May 4, 2020 until December 16, 2020. As a result, WA BiCC was able to implement for an additional fiscal year rather than a partial one that would have seen activities winding down as early as January 2020 to meet the original end-of-contract date. Annual work planning for FY20 and thus provided a valuable opportunity to assess and carry over priority activities from FY19. Additional time and financial resources have allowed for the scaling up and completion of several critical activities across the core technical and cross-cutting components of the Program. These will be detailed in the pages that follow, including: a series of trainings and workshops on Combatting Wildlife Trafficking (CWT) to further institutionalize and scale up the foundational capacity building accomplishments made in prior years, and to finalize and validate the West Africa Strategy for Combatting Wildlife Crime (WASCWC) with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its Member States; planning and implementing trainings on the Effective Use of Climate Information for Adaptation Planning in focal countries and completing the pilot Co-Management Plan for Sierra Leone’s Sherbro River Estuary; providing additional resources to grantees working in the three Transboundary Forest Landscapes to further embed and strengthen skills and information to increase the likelihood that gains are made in fostering integrated biodiversity conservation and income generating opportunities, and; finalizing the activities identified in the baseline Institutional Strengthening Plans with core regional partners, notably the revision of the five-year Mano River Union Strategic Plan and accompanying Resource Mobilization and Communications Strategies. The second event that affected and influenced the final year of WA BiCC was the novel coronavirus and the COVID-19 illness that it causes. By March 2020, the virus had spread to 177 countries across the globe including in West Africa. At the outset of what quickly became a pandemic there were many uncertainties in West Africa and beyond about how the virus would impact public health and economies in the region. However, governmental authorities, including US Government agencies operating in the region like USAID, were quick to act with a series of lockdowns, border and airport closures, and work at home and public safety protocols that kept the virus in check. The program also engaged with and followed all protocols across the region to ensure the safety of its staff, their families and colleagues. Although there were many unknowns about how the pandemic would influence FY20 implementation, a series of adaptive measures was quickly put into place to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, the implementation of the activities identified in the agreed annual work plan (AWP). Program activities then adapted to the fluctuation of these measures throughout FY20, while keeping a healthy respect for the virus and the protocols in place to keep people safe.

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As a regional program based in Accra, WA BiCC depends on a large amount of travel to implement activities ranging from training to site and supervisory visits to workshops and meetings such as Conferences of the Parties, conventions, and regional fora. Given travel bans between March and September 2020 WA BiCC, like other programs and organizations, quickly adapted its approach to increase the FY20 focus on developing knowledge management and learning outputs and products, as well as mastering the art of online tools and platforms like Zoom and Teams to mitigate interruptions to the AWP. In the end, the program experienced delays implementing certain activities, and in August the program was awarded a no-cost extension from December 16 through February 28, 2021 to finalize activities that required additional time and effort to implement as a result of the pandemic. It is important to note that the coronavirus will have an impact on WA BiCC’s objectives well beyond the implementation of one year’s work plan. In terms of conservation, COVID-19’s connection to the illegal wildlife trade as the most likely source of the virus has brought combatting wildlife trafficking to the forefront of many policies in several countries. In West Africa, governments have voiced their recognition of the significant threats posed by illegal and unregulated bush meat markets and have taken positive actions supported by USAID and flagship programs like WA BiCC. Many government officials are resolute in their opinions that it will take a global effort to reduce the risk of the illegal wildlife trade, and that these efforts require shutting down markets, strengthening regulation enforcement, and reducing consumer demand for illegal wildlife products. KEY MILESTONES COMPONENT 1: COMBATING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING West Africa Strategy for Combatting Wildlife Crime (WASCWC). ECOWAS finalized the WASCWC, regional policy guidelines that allow ECOWAS members to strengthen their capacity to combat wildlife crime and trafficking. The strategy is the result of ECOWAS Commission coordination with support from USAID/WA BiCC, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), TRAFFIC and the CITES Secretariat amongst others. CITES Book of Abstracts Published. Combating Wildlife Trafficking: Building Regional Expertise and Coordination through the CITES Master’s Program is a compendium of the conservation research carried out by 26 West African researchers who were supported by WA BiCC to attain master’s degrees on the Convention on the International Trade of Illegal Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) at the University of Andalucía in Spain. The book of abstracts provides a window into the national and regional issues related to the effective implementation of the multilateral CITES treaty and highlights the competency of regional actors and provides a directory for contacting the MSc graduate across West Africa. The publication is evidence of how WA BiCC continues to build the human resource capacity in the region to tackle wildlife trafficking and related conservation issues. Marine Species Action Plan. The Action Plan to Combat the Trade, Direct Consumption, and Other Illegal Uses of Threatened or Protected Coastal and Marine Species was completed and submitted for review to the Scientific Council of the Abidjan Convention (AbC). The action plan, developed with the technical and financial support of WA BiCC and partners, will be implemented by the Abidjan Aquatic Wildlife Partnership (AAWP). The action plan is schedule to be officially adopted in the upcoming 13th Conference of Parties to the AbC initially scheduled for March 2021 in the Republic of the Congo. National Biodiversity/CWT Threats Assessments. Field work was conducted, and Threats Assessments drafted for six additional national Biodiversity/CWT Threats Assessments (TAs) for Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Mali, the Gambia, Niger and Senegal, bringing the total number of Biodiversity/CWT TAs in the region to 13. Threats Assessments provide a comprehensive overview and baseline of the state of wildlife crime in a country, which in turn informs regional policies targeting policy makers with the key issues and a summary of priority interventions. All the national assessments have been validated, and a regional synthesis report for West Africa will be published at the end of 2020.

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COMPONENT 2: INCREASING COASTAL RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE Sherbro River Estuary (SRE). The SRE Ramsar Site designation and Co-Management Plan were finalized and validated by stakeholders, bringing an end to a months-long process to draft the plan while building the capacity of the SRE Co-Management Committee to implement it. The first of its kind Co-Management Plan provides a framework for local communities and responsible government agencies to collaborate on SRE coastal resources management, demonstrates the commitment of local leaders and the national government to work together to implement the SRE’s Co- Management Plan. Abidjan Convention Protocols. A series of national-level consultation workshops were held in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone on the four new AbC Protocols, notably for WA BiCC the Protocols on Sustainable Mangrove Management and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). The workshops resulted in the adoption by all four countries of action plans and roadmaps for the ratification, domestication and implementation of the protocols. Fresco Landscape Coastline Assessment. A detailed map and report of historic, current, and projected changes to the Fresco Coastal Landscape for the periods 1962-2018 and 2018-2048 provides useful information to help identify options to better control and manage the connection between the Fresco lagoon and the sea. Experts used aerial photos, satellite images, and topographical surveys to determine the extent of coastline retreat. Upland Forest Ecosystem Assessment. An assessment was undertaken to analyze the conservation and management status of the Port Gauthier and Okromoudou Classified forests in the upper watershed of the Fresco Coastal Landscape. The report highlights the importance of an ecosystem-based approach to contribute to the resilience and adaptation of people and ecosystems in the Fresco landscape through the integration of forests, freshwater resources, farmlands, lagoon, mangroves, and the Atlantic Ocean and provides recommendations for consideration. Effective Use of Climate Information for Adaptation Planning. A total 102 climate experts and meteorologists from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire, responsible for generating and analyzing climate, hydrological, and meteorological information, received training on the effective use of climate information for adaptation planning. The training brought the climate experts together with policy influencers tasked with preparing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). COMPONENT 3: REDUCING DEFORESTATION, FOREST DEGRADATION, AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS Transnational Conservation of the Gola National Parks. Officials from Sierra Leone and Liberia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in February 2020 for the joint conservation and sustainable management of the Gola National Parks that are shared by both countries. On a related note the U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone and eight officials from the U.S. Embassy travelled to the Gola Forest Landscape in October 2019 to hear more about WA BiCC’s work to conserve Gola. Historic Bilateral Agreement Between Liberia and Guinea. The governments of Guinea and Liberia signed a bilateral agreement and a protocol of operation for the sustainable management of the Ziama-Wologizi-Wonegizi (ZWW) Transboundary Forest Landscape in October 2019. This first-of-its kind agreement between the two countries includes a jointly approved management plan and brings renewed commitment on both sides of the border to reduce deforestation in the ZWW and to restore deforested and degraded areas. Uncovering Biodiversity in the ZWW Transboundary Forest Landscape. Grantee Flora and Fauna International (FFI) undertook several biomonitoring wildlife assessments and research activities to document birds, large and small mammals, butterflies, reptiles and amphibians in the ZWW transboundary forest. The assessments indicated what species live where and uncovered a never-before described taxon of butterfly, which could be endemic to Ziama, as well as a new genus and species of vesper bat. These discoveries have made West African forest researchers leaders in

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the identification and conservation of species new to science and mark important strides in advancing the scientific understanding of the landscape’s biodiversity in order to better protect it. Establishing the Krahn-Bassa Protected Area. Liberia’s Forest Development Authority Board of Directors authorized the establishment of a protected forest – the Krahn-Bassa National Forest (KBNF) to connect to the Taï-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo (TGKS) Transboundary Forest Landscape that covers forested land in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia. The addition would make TGKS-KBNF the largest transboundary forest block in West Africa with close to two million hectares. The forest landscape provides an ideal setting for biodiversity and habitat conservation and carbon sequestration, creating an enabling environment to enhance agroforestry productivity in the communities that border the protected areas. CROSS-CUTTING DISCIPLINES Policy and Partnerships. The Mano River Union (MRU) 2020–2025 Strategic Plan and accompanying action plans, including support for the technical validation and political endorsement by Member States, were finalized and validated. The MRU Strategic Plan provides specific targets for the next five years. WA BiCC-supported ECOWAS Environmental Action Plan (EAP) and the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (MEP) were also developed in the period. Public–Private Partnership (PPP) in Ghana. A PPP was facilitated between 3M, Global Mamas and the Akuse community on the harvesting and transformation of invasive water hyacinths for domestic and international sale, resulting in income-generating job opportunities for local women. MRU’s Accounting and Financial System. The MRU’s Secretariat migrated and upgraded its accounting and financial system to meet International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). The IPSAS accounting system enables the MRU to increase compliance and accountability with regard to donor funds, to enhance its reputation and stakeholder confidence, and to harmonize financial reporting across all sub-offices. Raising Awareness on Deforestation. The Forest Blessings radio drama was broadcast between June and September 2020 on eight radio stations reaching forest-edge communities in and around the Gola, ZWW, and TGKS Transboundary Forest Landscapes. The program raised listener awareness about reducing deforestation, forest degradation and the loss of biodiversity.

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2.0 PROGRAM STRATEGY

The overall goal of the five-and-a-half-year USAID-funded West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Program (WA BiCC) is to improve conservation, climate resilient, low-emission development across the region of West Africa. WA BiCC generates, synthesizes, documents and disseminates critical knowledge and experience to influence and inform effective policies and practices that advance WA BiCC’s objectives. Activities are based on the experiences and lessons derived from WA BiCC-supported grantees and partners working in learning landscapes, policy initiatives with core regional partners, capacity-building exercises and past experiences drawn from relevant programs implemented across the region. The knowledge captured from lessons learned and information about effective policies and practices to advance positive change are broadly communicated across a variety of platforms, ranging from a website to print media and video to high-level presentations and social media. The intent is to provide examples of interventions that can be adopted, adapted, replicated and/or scaled up in pursuit of results across three core technical components. COMPONENT 1: COMBATING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING The growing demand for illegally traded wildlife and wildlife parts, both flora and fauna, is devastating the biodiversity of West Africa and beyond. Efforts on the part of government and conservation stakeholders have strived to assure that wildlife trafficking and the criminal activities that accompany it are more effectively and systematically understood and addressed across the region. While much attention is directed to this issue in the eastern, southern and central regions of Africa, a growing body of evidence, generated in part by WA BiCC, indicates that wildlife crime and trafficking are on the rise in West Africa, with links in some cases to the illicit trade in drugs, arms, and precious minerals among other goods. This component addresses the rising illegal trade of wildlife within and transiting through West Africa and how to most effectively bring it to a halt. COMPONENT 2: INCREASING COASTAL RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE The effects of climate change, along with climate variability and vulnerability to climate change impacts, are a daily reality for millions of people living along the coast of West Africa. While there is an increased understanding of the human-induced causes of climate change, securing a full picture of the global climate system and the resulting impacts on humans and ecosystems in West Africa remains a work in progress. Along the coast, weather events, such as coastal flooding, erosion, and stronger winds occur more frequently and are more intense than before. If viable options are not identified and implemented, coastal communities and ecosystems will continue to be exposed to more extreme weather events, increasing temperatures and rising sea levels. These threats will negatively impact infrastructure, water quality, and natural resources such as fisheries and mangroves, further increasing ecological, economic and human vulnerability. Against these challenges to coastal communities and ecosystems, it is imperative to identify and promote effective adaptation strategies that increase coastal resilience while ensuring ecosystem sustainability and human wellbeing. WA BiCC works with partners to better understand the actual and potential impacts of climate change and the options available or needed to address them in two areas referred to as learning landscapes. The foundational participatory Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments (CCVAs) in the Sierra Leone Coastal Landscape Complex (SLCLC) and the Fresco Coastal Landscape in Côte d’Ivoire have provided the roadmaps to identify, pilot, and scale up landscape-level activities to more effectively minimize risk and build on opportunities to strengthen resiliency and develop adaptive capacity and sustainable livelihoods. WA BiCC has identified and is piloting interventions that increase and promote effective adaptation approaches that combat the effects of climate change in the two focal coastal landscapes and contribute to the regional goal of scaling up impact. Knowledge and information generated is used to inform regional and national policies and practices and the integration of coastal issues into national climate change adaptation plans.

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COMPONENT 3: REDUCING DEFORESTATION, FOREST DEGRADATION, AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS West Africa has lost 90 percent of the Upper Guinean forests, which historically stretched from Guinea to Togo. The remaining ten percent of these forests—estimated at 73 million hectares— consists of fragmented blocks and patches of forest, with the majority found in the Mano River Union Member States of Guinea (6% of remaining forest), Sierra Leone (4%), Liberia (49%) and Côte d’Ivoire (21%). Ongoing deforestation and degradation is caused by several unsustainable or illegal practices that need to be reduced and reversed to conserve and protect the remaining inland and mangrove forests and curb the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. This component aims to improve understanding and tackle knowledge and research gaps that can inform public policies and recommended practices to address the root causes driving deforestation, forest degradation and biodiversity loss within three transboundary forest learning landscapes. The information gathered is triangulated based on the experiences of partners working on similar issues in the region. WA BiCC has issued grants and subcontracts to competent institutions to undertake activities in the learning landscapes in partnership with ECOWAS, the MRU and national and local partners. Knowledge and lessons are generated and disseminated related to biodiversity conservation, forest conservation and reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), including maintaining forest carbon stocks and fostering the uptake and storage of carbon through forest landscape restoration. CROSS-CUTTING DISCIPLINES The three thematic components are supported by complementary cross-cutting disciplines and specialists that are essential to the success of the program. These include gender and social inclusion (GESI), collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) and communications and capacity building, the latter which focuses on sustainability by increasing the organizational and technical capacities of the regional and local partner NGOs. The program’s MEL plan and set of indicators guides activity development and reporting, which is complimented by a robust focus on learning.

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3.0 ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS

3.1 COMPONENT 1: COMBATING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING 3.1.1 STRATEGY 1A: IMPROVE POLICY AND ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR WILDLIFE PROTECTION

Activity 1: Strengthen wildlife protection policies and legal frameworks Task 1.1: Support the development of a regional strategy to combat wildlife trafficking OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Final Regional CWT Strategy (Output) ECOWAS Commission allocates budget for CWT policy development (Output) CWT briefing materials (Multiple Outputs) West Africa Strategy for Combating Wildlife Crime (WASCWC). In June 2020, the technical directors for wildlife management of the fifteen ECOWAS Member States finalized and validated the WASCWC, which is a regional policy to strengthen regional capacity and coordination to combat wildlife crime. The technical validation meeting set the stage for a Ministerial validation meeting in September, where Ministers of the regional block also validated the Strategy. The Ministerial level validation was the critical final step towards official Member States adoption of the strategy at the ECOWAS Heads of States Summit in December 2020. At both meetings—convened virtually by the ECOWAS Commission’s Environment Directorate—officials from USAID/West Africa, including the Mission Director, made opening remarks. ECOWAS Member States have worked on the WASCWC since 2018 when they established a Steering Committee drawn from the CITES focal points from every West African country. The process of developing the strategy was informed by the ongoing Combating Wildlife Trafficking (CWT) Threats Assessments, research carried out by CITES master graduates, species assessments, and other sources. The WASCWC’s six priority areas include: training; coordination; political commitment; disposal of confiscated specimens; equipment and staff resources; and raising awareness. The WASCWC marks a major milestone in combating wildlife trafficking in West Africa. Its overall goal is to reduce the illegal exploitation and trade in wild fauna and flora in the region and build the capacity of regional leaders to increase wildlife trafficking enforcement and to create and share information about how wildlife crime affects local communities, biodiversity and ecosystems. Once the strategy is adopted by ECOWAS Heads of States, the next steps are to establish the West Africa Network to Combat Wildlife Crime (WANCWC), which will act as an implementation mechanism for the WASCWC. The WANCWC will develop platforms and tools to enable the sharing of confidential enforcement information, facilitate regional collaboration, enhance enforcement and develop capacity building programs. In addition to ECOWAS partners and CITES focal points, the strategy received feedback and recommendations from the African Union, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Abidjan Convention, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to ensure successful implementation. WASCWC budget. Due to greater awareness of CWT issues in West Africa and following a groundbreaking performance by the ECOWAS-led West African Delegation at the CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP) 18 in Geneva in August 2019, ECOWAS allocated US$195,000 from its core budget as co-funding for workshops related to the WASCWC development. The budget allocation made history and marked the first time a West African regional institution has specifically allocated core funds to CWT and demonstrates the commitment to CWT by the ECOWAS commission and Member States.

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CWT communications materials. Numerous CWT outreach products for different audiences and purposes, such as CWT profiles for each of the ECOWAS Member States, have been produced. These information materials will be published online and in hard copy, as needed, to facilitate access to information for designing local, national and/or regional CWT initiatives. The profiles are also intended for distribution at relevant national, regional, and local fora and will be translated into local languages as needed prior to WA BiCC’s end. A two-page technical brief summarizing the strategy was developed in English and French to target policy makers of the ECOWAS Member States. The technical brief was shared via social media, WA BiCC and ECOWAS websites, mailing lists, and distributed to partners to raise awareness about the strategy and its objectives. Task 1.2: Contribute to and participate in CWT and CITES platforms and networks OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Outreach materials related to AAWP and Sea Turtle Network influence global fora (Outputs) Network of Marine Protected Areas in West Africa (RAMPAO/Reseau Regional des Aires Marines Protegees en Afrique de l’Ouest, in French). WA BiCC gave a presentation on the conservation status of aquatic wildlife in West Africa at the 8th General Assembly of RAMPAO, held in Mauritania in February 2020. The assembly focused on building the institutional and technical capacity of partners and strengthening coordination for sea turtle conservation. In addition, RAMPAO and WA BiCC submitted a draft policy brief on the impact of upland mining on coastal ecosystems and biodiversity for review and discussion. The policy brief led to the adoption of a resolution by the General Assembly to include the thematic issue of mining impacts on coastal resilience and biodiversity in RAMPAO’s mandate. A follow-up meeting with RAMPAO identified several areas of mutual interest including co-organizing a West Africa Sea Turtle Conference, developing a sea turtle conservation training toolkit and delivering trainings on sea turtle conservation to NGOs, civil society organizations, and interested government agencies. Abidjan Aquatic Wildlife Partnership (AAWP) outreach. The UN Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) CoP13 was held in February 2020 in Gandhinagar, India. The AAWP was represented by marine life protection organization OceanCare. Building on research generated by OceanCare for the CMS’s Aquatic Wild Meat Working Group, WA BiCC and partners issued recommendations for the CMS to provide support to the AAWP to develop an action plan to combat trade, consumption, illegal logging, and other uses of endangered, threatened or protected coastal and marine species (Decision 12.46f). The recommendation requested that CMS support the AAWP where the mandates of both organizations converge. WASCWC outreach. ECOWAS, the West African Monetary Union, and WA BiCC partnered to showcase the vision, process, and coordination on CWT among regional partners during a panel organized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization at the 22nd Session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission Meeting held in March 2020 in Mpumalanga, South Africa. WA BiCC prepared a presentation titled Addressing the Illicit Exploitation and Trade of Forest and Wildlife Products in Africa that was presented by the African Union Commission on behalf of all partners. Links to the presentation in PowerPoint and PDF are below: PPT: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LkkqpKQYL8R4h4wDMrf2qzSIcVwjY2f5/view?usp=sharing PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eUPzZcxQNslSa5hYHATa9X2NrQ33CCG-/view?usp=sharing Task 1.3: Support ongoing or planned reviews of existing regional or national action plans for combating illegal trade in wildlife OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Aquatic Endangered, Threatened, and Protected Species (ETP) Action Plan submitted for adoption (Outcome) Roadmap and draft Action Plan for regional pangolin conservation (Output) Regional Aquatic ETP Action Plan. With support from WA BiCC and OceanCare, the AAWP Action Plan was finalized and submitted to the Scientific Council of the AbC for review and adoption

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the Convention’s Thirteenth Meeting of the CoP. Due to the pandemic, COP13 was postponed until March 2021. The Action Plan—published in English and French—covers the period of 2020-2024 and provides information, guidance, and tools that encourage stakeholders to take action at local, regional, and international levels to achieve significant reductions in the illegal and unregulated trade, capture, bycatch, consumption and other uses of coastal and marine species—including aquatic, threatened or protected species—across West, Central and Southern Africa. Action Plan for the Western Chimpanzee. The IUCN Primate Specialist Group and the ARCUS Foundation, among others, published the Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of Western Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) 2020 to 2030. The action plan was developed using the Open Standards conservation action-planning approach, which involves identifying conservation priorities in a precise geographic area, assessing the target’s viability, and then identifying threats to the targets. The action plan responds to the need for cross- sectorial and integrated solutions and introduces the one health concept—a collaborative effort of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally, to attain optimal health for people, animals, and our environment—which is critically important in the context of the global pandemic and the focus on zoonotic diseases, public health, and conservation. Just as important, it stresses the importance of sanctuaries not just as orphanages for wild animals but as an integral part of conservation systems and approaches. The action plan is the result of a technical workshop held in Monrovia in 2018 and is available in French at https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2020.SSC-RAP.2.fr and in English at https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2020.SSC-RAP.2.en. The Pan-African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), WA BiCC and the government of Guinea organized the first Action for Chimpanzees conference on combating the illegal exploitation of Western chimpanzees in Conakry in January 2020. A total of 63 participants from Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Bissau attended, representing government forestry and wildlife services, chimpanzee and wildlife sanctuaries, conservation NGOs and research organizations. Participants worked on the need for a multifaceted, region-wide collaboration to more effectively stop the wildlife trade of the critically endangered western chimpanzee. The event provided a crucial boost to efforts for long-term, cross-border collaboration against the illegal wildlife trade in the region. The USAID/Guinea Mission Director and the UK Ambassador to Guinea were among those providing remarks at the workshop. Among the priority actions identified to be carried out in 2020, participants agreed upon a roadmap and established a 10-person technical working group to 1) finalize the action plan 2) develop strategies for improved communication and coordination across institutions and countries, and 3) mobilize funds for further strengthening, implementing, and monitoring specific actions. A meeting is planned between the IUCN Species Survival Committee and PASA to ensure harmonization and complementarity between the two initiatives.

Activity 2: Enhance public awareness and behavior change Task 2.1: Develop and implement public awareness and advocacy campaigns OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Development and piloting of training materials for airport workers (Output)

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Capacity building for airport staff on CWT. The Wildlife Manager at Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport, who is one of the WA BiCC-sponsored MSc CITES graduates, designed and conducted a two-day training workshop in Accra for 35 participants on facilitating import and export processes in compliance with CITES regulations and Ghana’s national wildlife laws. The training provided participants with the manual Combating Wildlife Trafficking in ECOWAS Airports, covering basic procedures and guidelines for CITES implementation at airports for a variety of wildlife, veterinary, immigration and customs services. The manual has not been published and made available to the public because the content could help traffickers avoid detection. Partner Born Free USA has designed a more comprehensive airport training program based on the USAID-funded Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES) modules. The model can be adapted and used elsewhere in the region and has already been shared with Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. Airport trainings are scheduled for October 2020 at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Airport in Abidjan Airport and a follow-on training is planned in Accra.

Training for airport customs and wildlife agents at the Forestry Commission in Ghana World Environment Day and World Ocean’s Day 2020. In compliance with restrictions imposed by the Government of Ghana amid the COVID-19 pandemic, WA BiCC joined the digital celebration to create awareness of conservation issues in West Africa by publishing two online quizzes: ● “How well do you know your biodiversity?” – World Environment Day ● “How well do you know your oceans?” – World Ocean’s Day Over ten days, the quizzes were taken by more than 400 people. The World Environment Day quiz is available here and the World Oceans Day quiz, here. The 2020 theme for the World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5, was Time for Nature and focused on the role of nature in providing the essential infrastructure that supports life on Earth and nurtures human development. The 2020 theme of World Ocean’s Day, celebrated June 8, was Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.

2.2: Participate in awareness-raising events and on wildlife trafficking issues OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Communication materials (e.g., comic books, blogs, Exposure pieces) (Output) Increased number of people participating in community mobilization campaigns (Result/ Ind. 25)

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World Pangolin Day. A factsheet to commemorate World Pangolin Day, held each year on February 15, was developed and published. Produced in English and French the factsheet, titled ‘We are not MEAT. We are not PETS. We are not MEDICINE. We are FREE, WILD & PROTECTED’, is meant to raise awareness about the plight of the world’s most traded and endangered mammal. USAID/West Africa assisted to distribute the factsheet far and wide. World Wildlife Day. Support was provided for events in Ghana and Liberia to raise awareness about wildlife protection for World Wildlife Day, celebrated every year on March 3. Approximately 600 people attended the main event, held in conjunction with the inauguration of a nature museum at the Shai Hills Forest Reserve in Accra. The event was complemented by an interscholastic debate between two high schools on the merits and disadvantages of destroying seized wildlife products such as ivory and pangolin scales. The debate, which was organized by partner Kali Etch at the Forestry Commission and attended by over 200 people, provided the ideal opportunity to launch and disseminate the WA BiCC-developed comic book about combating wildlife trafficking titled Sasraku: The Secret Within. The comic book is available in English and French. In Liberia, World Wildlife Day was held in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, near the Grebo-Krahn National Park. The event brought together government officials, local leaders, community members, NGOs and community-based organizations. Earth Day. 2020’s Earth Day marked the 50th celebration of this important global event, celebrated every year on April 4. This year’s theme was Climate Action highlighting climate change as one of the biggest challenges to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make the planet habitable. WA BiCC, in partnership with the Wildlife Division of Ghana’s Forestry Commission, Kali Etch Foundation, and A Rocha Ghana promoted Earth Day through a digital campaign. The campaign raised awareness around Earth Day and generated traffic on USAID and WA BiCC websites and social media accounts, providing people with further information and links to USAID’s work on climate resilience issues in West Africa. The campaign, marketed under the hashtag #EarthDayGhana2020, also promoted three contests for junior high school, senior high school, and university students across Ghana. Eleven people from the organizing institutions, IUCN Ghana, and the U.S. Embassy helped judge the following contests: ● Junior high school video contest: Contestants submitted a 00:30-1:00 minute videos to answer the question: What environmental problem are you most concerned about and what is the most important thing people can do to address it? ● Senior high school video contest: Contestants submitted a 1:00-2:00 minute video featuring a song, poem or rap about why protecting forests is so important to help combat climate change. ● University student video contest: Entrants were required to submit a 4:00-6:00 minute video that argues three ways Ghana can become a leader in addressing climate change. The three contests yielded 70 submissions, each showcasing the creativity, knowledge and passion for protecting the planet. The winners and their videos were publicized on WA BiCC’s social media accounts on Facebook and Youtube as well as on the program website. The first, second, and third- place winners received prizes that included laptops, smartphones and digital pocket cameras.

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3.1.2 STRATEGY 1B: BUILD CAPACITY FOR CWT ENFORCEMENT AND PROSECUTION

Activity 1: Identify, develop, and/or adapt training tools for wildlife legislation, wildlife enforcement, and prosecution; and implement trainings Task 1.1: Develop enforcement training and awareness raising OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD CITES CWT train-the trainer course for customs officers (Output) CWT training modules for judges and prosecutors (Output) Protect–Detect Training for Park W Rangers (Output) CITES training-of-trainers. A total of 11 representatives of the CITES Management Authorities and customs officials from Ghana, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde took part in a training-of-trainers course in Accra focused on CITES in November 2019. The training was organized by partners Born Free, Freeland and the Ghana Wildlife Division and delivered jointly by Freeland and the Sub- Regional Commission on Fisheries. Ghana’s two CITES graduates led the planning and logistical operations. The training was composed of 12 modules covering various technical aspects of CITES including the identification of key species in trade (e.g., rhino, elephant, pangolin), CITES permits, permit fraud and evidence management. This was the third such regional training and prior training sessions were held in FY19 in Senegal for Senegal, Guinea, and Mauritania and in Benin for Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon.

Judges and prosecutors learning about CWT. PROTECT/DETECT. The PROTECT/DETECT training for park rangers from Benin, Niger, and Burkina Faso was planned to be organized in the Benin portion of the tri-national Parc W complex. PROTECT and DETECT is a training produced over the last 14 years with support from USAID, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to help government agencies suppress poaching and trafficking of wildlife and timber products. Delivered so far to over 5,000 personnel, PROTECT and DETECT courses are layered from basic to advanced and are modular. The training program can be tailored for, and co-produced and adopted by, local government agencies to suit their specific circumstances and needs. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the training could not be held as planned in FY20. Remote training of trainer modules has been adapted and will be delivered to rangers from the three countries, who will be in site for practical exercises, early in FY21. Rosewood Conservation. Following up on the high-level policy dialogue on rosewood in West Africa held in Accra in FY19, a state of knowledge study was initiated as a first step towards the development of a prioritized action plan for the conservation of rosewood species in West Africa. The study, completed in August 2020, synthesizes the available information required to develop an action plan with a special focus on the endangered species Pterocarpus erinaceaus, which is native to the region and listed in the Appendix II of the CITES. Rosewood faces extinction as people continue using it for fuel, medicinal purposes and as a woodworking material. The study specifically: ● Documents ecological knowledge, conservation status, and internal and international threats.

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● Defines progress and challenges in implementing CITES COP17 and COP18 decisions, including strategic or operational barriers such as trade, corruption, legal, technical or institutional capacity barriers, towards effective protection of Pterocarpus species. ● Proposes roadmap for developing a rosewood conservation action plan and set up a network for rosewood conservation specialists in West Africa and beyond. The STAR Ghana Foundation organized a meeting on the Accountability of Key Actors in the Illegal Rosewood Trade in Northern Ghana. The August event was attended remotely by more than 40 participants, was held in August 2020. WA BiCC shared the regional perspective regarding issues with rosewood management, and how sustainability of trade needs to be addressed through a regional action plan and coordinated enforcement. CITES master’s student thesis on sustainable rosewood management in Sierra Leone. One of Sierra Leone’s CITES MSc graduates successfully defended a follow-on thesis titled Assessing the Sustainability of the Uses of Pterocarpus erinaceus (rosewood) in the Outamba Kilimi National Park and Its Buffer Zone, Sierra Leone. The thesis was submitted and defended via Zoom videoconferencing as the final requirement for obtaining a master’s degree in Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Sustainable Agriculture from the Felix Houphouet Boigny University in Côte d’Ivoire. The thematic focus of her thesis was policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services. The program provided co-funding for her field research as well as guidance in selecting her research methodology and analysis. Advancing pangolin conservation. The pangolin is considered the most threatened mammal on Earth. The CITES CoP17 agreed and issued a total ban on trading and commercializing pangolin products, which are heavily traded as meat and components of traditional medicine. West Africa is an important source of pangolin that feeds the illegal trade. Over six months in 2019/20, several shipments originating from West Africa weighing several tons of pangolin products were seized at Asian ports. To address this critical issue a scoping study that provides a framework to guide policy and enforcement decisions aimed at strengthening compliance on pangolin related CITES listings across the region was finalized. The study is based on a literature review and questionnaire surveys in West African countries as well as Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The comprehensive document serves as a baseline for CITES compliance among participating countries and is a starting point for the creation of pangolin conservation and management policies. In addition to the full report several collateral products were produced including: a policy brief titled Priority Interventions for Saving West African Pangolin Species, accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation that synthesizes the findings of the study; distribution maps for the three West African pangolin species- Manis tricuspis (white bellied pangolin), Manis gigantea (giant pangolin) and Manis tetradactyla (black bellied pangolin), and; a Terms of Reference for a regional workshop on status and priority interventions for pangolin conservation in West Africa. Sea turtle conservation. A report ‘Current Status, Gaps and Opportunities for Strengthening Marine Turtle Conservation in West Africa’ was published. The assessment presents the current status and trends of marine turtle conservation in West Africa, including threats and priority interventions. The study also provides the technical elements for developing a regional action plan for sea turtle conservation and provides recommendations for setting up or strengthening regional networks to promote the protection of marine turtle species and their habitats. In May, prior to the study’s publication, a partner coordination meeting was organized for institutions implementing sea turtle conservation activities. The meeting was chaired by WA BiCC and also attended by representatives from IUCN and the Abidjan Convention. Partners briefed each other on ongoing and upcoming initiatives for sea turtle conservation in the region and discussed possibilities to ensure regular coordination and collaboration on various activities.

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Partners convened a second sea turtle conservation meeting in August and invited a wider group of stakeholders, including the Network of Marine Protected Areas in West Africa, the Programme Régional Côtier et Marin, OceanCare and the Central Africa Network of Sea Turtle Conservation. Participants identified several activities that can be jointly conducted: ● Support the organization of the first General Assembly Meeting for the West African Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WASTCON); ● Produce a summary document of key institutions and on-going and planned sea turtle conservation initiatives in West Africa; ● Develop a training toolkit for sea turtle conservation in West Africa and organize training programs (contingent on the evolution of COVID-19 restrictions); and ● Develop a project proposal to be submitted to the Global Environment Facility to support sea turtle conservation work across the region. Task 1.2: Complete CITES master’s degree training and develop network OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Enhanced capacity for CITES implementation in West Africa (Outcome) Abstract booklet from CITES theses reports (Output) Policy brief and research article derived from thesis reports (Output) Advocacy materials derived from thesis reports (Output) The ‘CITES Book of Abstracts: Combating Wildlife Trafficking: Building Regional Expertise and Coordination through the CITES Master’s Program’ was published in June 2020. The rich publication is a compendium of the conservation research carried out by 26 West African researchers who were supported by WA BiCC to attend the Convention on the International Trade of Illegal Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) MSc program at the University of Andalucía in Spain. The document addresses national and regional issues related to the effective implementation of the multilateral CITES treaty. The publication provides evidence of how WA BiCC’s support is building the capacity of human resources in the West African region to tackle wildlife trafficking and conservation issues. The final document also pertains to the priorities of the WASCWC and key threatened species in the region A high-profile learning exchange workshop was organized in January in Accra, which officially marked the end of the CITES master’s training and research initiative. The event, at which the USAID/WA Mission Director gave remarks, was held in partnership with the USFWS, Ghana’s Forestry Commission and the IUCN, and brought together 62 participants. The event, themed People, Products, and Potential bolstered the consensus that the CITES MSc program has had an immense impact on individuals and institutions across the region, as well as the quantity and quality of knowledge and products generated on awareness raising, public policy,

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advocacy and best practices. Attendees identified future priorities, including the dissemination of research, the training of more West Africans in the MSC program and formalizing a West Africa CITES Expert Network. ECOWAS representatives welcomed the ideas and indicated that the recommendations would be considered as inputs to the WASCWC. Products developed for the workshop included a peer-reviewed article published in the Newsletter on African Protected Areas (available in English and French); a PowerPoint synthesis of findings from the 26 master’s theses; a draft policy brief summarizing the key master’s theses recommendations for strengthening CITES implementation capacity in West Africa, and; the publication of the abstracts, research objectives, and individual profiles of each of the 26 graduates.

Activity 2: Analyze lessons learned from CWT models in Africa to develop, strengthen, and sustain initiatives in West Africa Task 2.1: Strengthen existing networks OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Regional CITES network (Output) The CITES Network. Over the course of WA BiCC, partners have discussed the steps to establish and formalize a regional CITES network. The topic was part of the CITES Learning Exchange and Action for Chimpanzees workshops. The latter workshop brought together chimpanzee conservation experts from various parts of Africa to share experiences on successful CWT models that could benefit chimpanzee conservation. Discussion on the evolution of the network is ongoing through various exchanges and discussions. 3.1.3 STRATEGY 1C: STRENGTHEN REGIONAL AND NATIONAL COORDINATION AND COOPERATION IN DATA GENERATION, SHARING, AND USE FOR ENFORCEMENT

Activity 1: Increase the availability of tools, data, and information Task 1.1: Complete CWT/Biodiversity Threats Assessments OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Six additional threats assessments conducted (Output) National Biodiversity/CWT Threats Assessments. Field work was conducted, and Threats Assessments drafted for six additional national Biodiversity/CWT Threats Assessments (TAs) for Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Mali, the Gambia, Niger, and Senegal, bringing the total number of Biodiversity/CWT TAs in the region to 13. Threats Assessments provide a comprehensive overview and baseline of the state of wildlife crime in a country, which in turn informs regional policies targeting policy makers with the key issues and a summary of priority interventions. All the national assessments have been validated, and a regional synthesis report for West Africa will be published at the end of 2020.

Participants in the National Wildlife Crime Assessment Report Validation Workshop.

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PERFORMANCE INDICATOR SNAPSHOT A snapshot of progress as measured through the project performance indicators for Component 1. Details can be found in Annex 1, Performance Indicator Results.

3.2 COMPONENT 2: INCREASING COASTAL RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE 3.2.1 STRATEGY 2A: IDENTIFY AND PROMOTE EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS

Activity 1: Better understand coastal knowledge needs; identify, generate, and disseminate information and data on climate change impacts in West Africa to increase coastal resilience

Task 1.1: Strengthen and build capacity of climate information providers and users OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Interactive training manual for climate information and adaptation targeted at climate information providers and users (Output) Stakeholders trained on climate change adaptation (Result/Ind. 1) Institutions with improved capacity to assess or address climate change risks (Result/Ind. 2) Tools, databases, monitoring systems developed or adapted to analyze, organize, manage, or share data on biodiversity conservation (Result/Ind. 21)

Information for Climate Change Adaptation Planning. Four workshops for more than 100 participants on the use of climate information for adaptation planning were organized in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire. Country summaries follow below. Liberia. In Monrovia, the training targeted 20 Liberian experts to improve their understanding of climate information gaps, gauge the quality of climate information needed for adaptation planning, and to more effectively use climate information. The four-day workshop held in December 2019 included topics on climate fundamentals, useful climate portals, and how to identify and use climate information already included in national adaptation planning documents. Participants represented Liberia Hydrological Services, Meteorology Department of the Ministry of Transport, National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, Office of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Ministries of Mines and Energy and Agriculture, Forestry Development Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Disaster Management Agency. The training was timely as Liberia begins to implement a National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS), which is a strategy to maximize the use of climate information for adaptation planning. Participants also had the opportunity to discuss a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses,

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opportunities and threats) of the Meteorological Department and Hydrological Service, the main institutions implementing the NFCS. Participants then performed a SWOT analysis of the overall institutional landscape including climate-sensitive sectors to support the implementation of the NFCS and agreed on a set of recommendations, including changes to the institutional structures to foster improved inter-agency coordination and an awareness campaign on climate adaptation on local and national levels. These recommendations may be included in an upcoming proposal to the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

Participants at the Climate Information for Adaptation Training in Liberia.

Sierra Leone. The training in Sierra Leone for 26 Leonian experts took place in Freetown in February and was organized in partnership with the Ministry of the Environment. The training was an important opportunity to review current climate information and to share strategic and planning tools for joint actions to improve adaptation measures. Participants were drawn from government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, NGOs, and civil society groups involved in the NAP, or related adaptation-planning processes. The training included presentations on climate change information, technical capacity building around climate mechanisms and hands-on exercises evaluating climate information from relevant plans and strategies that complement and/or inform the NAP. Senegal. In Dakar, a total of 24 participants from the government, farmers organizations and financial and academic institutions attended the training. Fifteen government institutions were represented, including ministries in charge of environment, forests and coastal erosion, climate, water resources, agriculture, livestock, transport, heath, and local authorities. The training, held through plenary sessions and group work, was an opportunity to identify and promote existing and new interventions to ensure maximum effectiveness. Côte d'Ivoire. A total of 46 participants attended this training held in Grand Bassam, including representatives from government ministries, agencies, local authorities, and development partners. The training provided skills to individuals and institutions to better collect and analyze data to generate information and improve the use of climate information in the NAP. The workshop was organized in partnership with UNDP, the GCF and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.

Task 1.2: Review Vulnerability Assessments (VAs) in selected coastal landscapes OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Literature review on existing VAs and policy/practice recommendations (Output) Updated National Adaptation Strategy for coastal areas (Output) Number of tools, databases, monitoring systems developed or adapted to analyze, organize, manage, or share data on climate change and biodiversity (Ind. 21) Number of laws, policies, regulations, or standards addressing climate change adaptation formally proposed, adopted, or implemented as a result of U.S. Government (USG) assistance (Ind. 3)

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Coastal Vulnerability Assessments (VA). A full literature review of all existing studies assessing the vulnerability of infrastructure and coastal communities to sea level rise, coastal storms and flooding in Côte d’Ivoire was finalized. The objective of the review was to synthesize the main findings of the VAs and overlay them with existing cartography of coastal vulnerability to provide recommendations to the government of Côte d’Ivoire on possible adaptation and resilience activities. Researchers reviewed documentation drawn from different segments of the country’s coastline that provided a wealth of information on current and potential vulnerabilities. The review includes nine detailed maps that indicate the location of biological and socio-economic vulnerabilities along Côte d’Ivoire’s coast. The main recommendation of the report is to address the information gaps it identified regarding the vulnerability of the Ivoirian coastline. Specific information gaps include: vulnerabilities and risks in different economic systems and sectors (e.g. presence or absence of human infrastructures and settlements, health, water resources, tourism, agriculture, fisheries, marine life, ecosystems such as mangrove forests and lagoons, people's livelihoods, etc.); accurate biogeophysical data; legal and institutional frameworks and adequate stakeholder capacities, and; more effective data risk management strategies and action plans, among others. A critical overarching recommendation is for adaptation planners to determine how to factor in uncertainty without overly discounting available information and models. The full report - Literature review of coastal vulnerability in Côte d’Ivoire and its recommendations can be found here (French version here). Task 1.3: Review best practices in coastal adaptation, including carbon monitoring OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Report evaluating various adaptation interventions (Output) Summary report of the carbon monitoring for the SLCLC and Fresco Coastal Landscapes (Output) Number of institutions with improved capacity to assess or address climate change risks supported by USG assistance (Ind. 2) Greenhouse gas emissions estimated in metric tons CO2 equivalent, reduced or sequestered, and/or avoided as a result of USG assistance (Ind. 13) Best practices are identified (Ind. 22)

Coastal adaptation best practices. The Review of Practices in Coastal Adaptation in Developing Countries was completed. The study is based on the desk review of 17 coastal adaptation projects from tropical regions around the globe and analyzes end-of-project and mid-term evaluations performed by entities independent of implementing and funding agencies. To evaluate and compare a wide variety of projects, the analysis used a comprehensive set of 37 criteria stemming from nine practices identified by the ‘Adaptation Good Practices Checklist’. Those practices include: Risk, vulnerability and capacity; Participation, inclusion, and gender; Climate information and uncertainty; Planning and decision making processes; Innovation, local and indigenous knowledge, and technology; Adaptive management; Institutional linkages; Learning, capacity building, and knowledge management, and; Scaling up and sustainability. Projects were evaluated using a three-point scale to guide a subjective evaluation and facilitate a comparative analysis. The report includes a special section on WA BiCC’s experience in the Sierra Leone Coastal Landscape Complex (SLCLC) and in the Fresco Coastal Landscape of Côte d’Ivoire. Two projects received perfect scores for planning and decision-making processes including a project in Sao Tome called Adaptation to Climate Change and a project in Haiti called Strengthening Adaptive Capacities to Address Climate Change Threats on Sustainable Development Strategies for Coastal Communities in Haiti. In Sao Tome, practitioners used participatory methods to create risk maps and presented adaptation options to communities themselves, who then suggested even more options. These local decision- making processes were complemented with institutional strengthening at the national level, and from the outset, the process was designed to be a part of the national adaptation plan. In Haiti, the

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project adequately balanced the needs of local communities and institutional stakeholders, and the project’s flexibility was illustrated by how the project responded to Hurricane Matthew. In the two WA BiCC landscapes a Landscape Management approach was applied using a stepwise methodology and 16 complementary and consistent actions. The approach focused on the development of a strong foundation for continuous efforts to restore ecosystems while building resilience and adaptation to changing coastlines and ground adaptation measures in existing institutions, policy frameworks and data infrastructure in order to ensure sustainability moving forward. Best practices promoted by WA BiCC include: ● Building partnerships with a wide array of institutions at different levels. ● Planning activities with the full involvement of key stakeholders at local and national levels. ● Ensuring community ownership of processes, outputs/outcomes, and future commitments to coastal adaptation to ensure sustainability and replicability. ● Carrying out active monitoring to improve flexibility and help to safeguard adaptation measures from unexpected challenges. ● Conserving and wisely using healthy and productive coastal ecosystems, which are critical to the long-term strength and resilience of communities. ● Promoting more sustainable livelihoods and dependable ecological resources that are needed for future generations Climate Change Adaptation Planning. The Living Manual for Climate Information for Adaptation Planning was launched. The Manual is a tool for governments and experts working to adapt to the threats of global warming and was authored by climate scientists and climate adaptation specialists from Columbia University’s Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN). The manual is a key resource for national and local governments preparing National Adaptation Plans or specific adaptation interventions, in the face of climate change. The tool contains comprehensive information on climate information basics, sectoral information needs, climate data types, best practices, and a wealth of useful information aimed at guiding national adaptation processes. The manual can be accessed here: https://www.wabicc.org/en/manuals/using-climate-information-a- training-manual/ The final version was updated over several months based on the needs and feedback of participants during the climate information trainings held in four countries across the region. The manual has wide utility for anyone interested in the application of climate information for adaptation planning and development interventions and is available in English and French. It was used as one of the key materials to undertake training of trainers for the use of climate information for adaptation planning in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

Activity 2: Develop and implement climate change adaptation interventions in the SLCLC Task 2.1: Finalize and distribute Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP) OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Final CCAP for Sierra Leone (Output) Documentation of the CCAP methodology and its application in adaptation planning (Output) Laws, policies, regulations, or standards addressing climate change adaption or biodiversity formally proposed, adopted, or implemented (Results/Ind. 3, 10 and 17) Increased number of people participating in community mobilization campaigns (Result/ Ind. 25)

World Wetlands Day and CCAP. Sierra Leone’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), UNDP and WA BiCC commemorated World Wetlands Day, February 2 and launched Sierra Leone’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Attendees included local chiefs, the Mayor of Bonthe in

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the Sherbro River Estuary and representatives from USAID/Sierra Leone, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and civil society organizations. The media and 40 students and teachers from Freetown area schools also attended. The Minister of Environment gave the keynote address and encouraged all government institutions to refer to the CCAP to inform actions that will increase the country’s coastal resilience. WA BiCC provided 160 copies of the CCAP, and the EPA is responsible for distribution and for raising awareness.

Adeleke Adewale of WA BiCC handing over copies of the CCAP to Minister Foday M. Jaward. Task 2.2: Strengthen the Coastal Chiefs Natural Resources Management Network (CCNRMN) OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD CCNRMN resource mobilization plan (Output) News articles and blog (Output) Increased number of people trained on climate change adaptation (Ind. 1) Number of institutions with improved capacity to assess or address climate change risks supported by USG assistance (Ind. 2) Resource mobilization training in the SLCLC. A resource mobilization strategy was developed and organizational and management trainings for the CCNRMN and the Co-Management Committee (CMC) were then organized. The CMC is composed of 11 people representing local chiefdom-level stakeholders drawn from each of the 10 Sherbro River Estuary chiefdoms and the Bonthe Municipality. The CMC is responsible for mobilizing communities, resources, and partners for the implementation of conservation activities enshrined in the SRE’s co-management plan. In August, a total of 44 participants in Bo, Sierra Leone, including representatives from seven Sierra Leone Government ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as members from UNDP/Sierra Leone and NGOs received the training, which also covers proposal writing skills and contract negotiation.

Task 2.3: Promote behavior change communication (BCC) through radio-based drama OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Radio series (Output) Audio programs produced and broadcast on climate change adaptation (Results/Ind. 24) Investment mobilized (in USD) from the UNDP for climate change adaptation (Ind. 5)

SLCLC radio drama series. The radio drama series Watasay Ston and call-in sessions focusing on coastal resilience in Sierra Leone aired on four radio stations—Africa Young Voices Radio, Sierra

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Leone Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Peninsula-Tombo and Radio Bontico—between July 2019 and January 2020. The 24-episode production was broadcast in three local languages—Krio, Mende, and Temne—in order to ensure accessibility for the majority of the population and complement additional technical activities being implemented in Sierra Leone’s coastal landscape. A follow-up M&E study revealed that 17 of the 24 target communities listened to this behavior change communications product. Focus group discussions found the radio drama was successful in informing and influencing coastal community members’ efforts to improve natural resource management, including the conservation of mangroves. In the focus groups, people who listened to the radio drama said the messages influenced them to start thinking about mangrove restoration and how they can contribute by planting mangrove cuttings. Other listeners said the radio drama had sparked discussions about the negative effects of cutting mangroves near communities, the dangers of flooding, and the construction of embankments to protect their communities from erosion. Because the radio drama emphasizes the need for community by-laws on natural resource management, listeners also said the radio drama influenced them to implement strong and effective by-laws in their communities to minimize the destruction of mangroves for firewood. Recognizing the radio drama’s success, the UNDP, which is supporting Sierra Leone with its Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded Coastal Risks Management Project, partnered with WA BiCC to fund and develop season two of the radio drama and an additional 24 episodes. The new UNDP- supported season was broadcast between April 2020 and October 2020 in four local languages— Mende, Temne, Krio and Sherbro.

Task 2.4: Strengthen Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) and similar groups in the SLCLC and link to sustainable livelihoods OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Increased number of institutions with improved capacity to assess or address climate change risks (Ind. 2) News articles and blogs (Output) Refresher trainings report (Output) Investment mobilized (in USD) for climate change adaptation (Ind. 5) People supported by the USG to adapt to the effects of climate change (Ind. 6)

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People using climate information or implementing risk-reducing actions to improve resilience to climate change (Ind. 7) People receiving livelihood co-benefits (monetary or non-monetary) associated with the implementation of USG-supported sustainable landscapes activities (Ind. 12) A training report and a manual for VSLA activities was finalized for three clusters across the SLCLC. The training package, including the application of the manual, was implemented in 2018 and 2019 and 155 people, including key leaders, chairpersons, secretaries, financial secretary or treasurer, from 78 VSLA groups from 26 communities, were trained using the manual. The manual is a key document to support the following training objectives: 1) increase capacity of groups to provide vision, leadership and governance instruments; 2) improve skills in basic bookkeeping and recording to enhance transparency; and, 3) improve knowledge and skills in lobbying and advocacy techniques The training manual is participatory and topics capitalize on the daily experiences of the participants by using brainstorming, group discussions, experience sharing, group presentations, and plenary sessions to reach participants. An assessment of the VSLA effectiveness post-training was carried out in 2020 and the key findings are as follows:

- A total of 71% of the VSLAs were established by WA BiCC and 20% were established before WA BiCC. About 8% were established after WA BiCC initiated the process in 2018 and were based on the positive achievements observed by community members. - Representatives from 92% of the VSLAs’ confidently stated that WA BiCC support contributed to increasing the mobilization of funds in their VSLAs. The majority (90%) of the VSLAs increased financial capacity among members. This signifies a positive change in the wellbeing of the VSLAs’ members with increased financial capacity and economic resilience. - More than 84% of the VSLAs said members increased resilience to climate change risks, and 81% of the VSLAs responded that the VSLA scheme has decreased the destruction of mangroves across the landscape. - Participants said that most of the VSLA members who were involved in mangrove harvesting changed to other business ventures that had no negative effect on mangroves. In addition, their awareness in the importance of mangroves through training received guided them to reduce the destruction of the mangrove - More than half of the VSLAs responded that the schemes had led to the reduction of bad fishing practices. This was because VSLAs’ members who obtained loans from the scheme had the financial capacity to procure the required fishing nets to practice good fishing methods. - 88.9% of the VSLAs noted female members with improved leadership capacity, indicative of the roles and responsibilities claimed as assigned to females across the VSLAs in the landscape.

Task 2.5: Livelihood interventions in the Sierra Leone Coastal Landscape Complex (SLCLC) OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Assessment report (Output) Pamphlet (Output) Rehabilitated fish-smoking systems (Output) People trained on climate change adaptation (Ind. 1) People supported by the USG to adapt to the effects of climate change (Ind. 6) People using climate information or implementing risk-reducing actions to improve resilience to climate change (Ind. 7)

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Sustainable programming. The SLCLC team held meetings and a site visit with Wetlands International Africa (WIA) to share experiences and inform the implementation of a new program on mangrove forest management in West Africa, which includes Sierra Leone. The program, funded by the European Union, is worth nearly 10 million euros and will be implemented by IUCN and WIA. Nine West African coastal countries from Senegal to Benin (excluding Côte d’Ivoire) are co- financing the project and providing approximately 10% of the funds. The goal of the project is to promote an ecosystem-based approach to sustainable mangrove management, conservation and restoration. The program aligns well with WA BiCC objectives to increase coastal resilience and will build on WA BiCC’s work in the landscape. The meetings were followed by a half- day workshop culminating in the presentation of the new program’s content and implementation strategy to government and civil society representatives. WIA stressed the importance of collaboration with all relevant stakeholders and for the Following focus group discussions in Moyamba, Kortimoh, and Hangy Site on implementers to emulate WA BiCC’s community members’ perceptions and experiences on the effectiveness of the embankments, WA BiCC measured and assessed the embankments. participatory approach of engaging stakeholders during implementation.

Task 2.6: Learning Assessment OUTPUTS and RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Learning Questions finalized (Output) A learning assessment was held to inform results-based case studies. The program developed learning questions and undertook research in the SLCLC. The case studies, video testimonials, and other documentation will be compiled into final products for use in learning events in the final months of the program. (Please see Section 3.6 for more details.) Task 2.7: Monitor embankment effectiveness

OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Case study (Output) People trained on climate change adaptation supported (Ind. 1) People supported to adapt to climate change (Ind. 6)

Monitoring coastal embankments. Following the approval of the Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) in 2018, two embankments in Momaya and Kortimoh were constructed by the community to mitigate the effects of climate change. An assessment of the embankments in 2020 identified decidedly mixed results. The assessment found that there was a lack of sufficient training of community members to maintain the embankments, according to community members, although training was provided during embankment construction. Training gaps were exacerbated by misunderstandings within the communities as to who was responsible for maintenance and upkeep. The lack of clear roles and responsibilities for embankment maintenance led to their falling into disrepair. Plans to provide additional trainings and corrective actions did not materialize due to the lack of an available engineer with adequate training skills and delays in implementation as a result of COVID travel constraints.

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A positive finding from the assessment was at the Hangy Site, near Momaya, where the youth group replicated the exercise and built an embankment in their community using their own initiative and skills they learned when assisting to construct the embankments at Momaya and Kortimoh. This finding indicates that governance, as much or more than technical skills, was a main though not singular factor for the failure to adequately maintain the two initial embankments.

Activity 3: Develop a Co-Management Plan Task 3.2: Develop Co-Management Plan for the Sherbro River Estuary (SRE) OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Maps of SRE (Output) Draft Management Plan (Output) Ramsar application (Output) Laws, policies, regulations, or standards addressing climate change adaptation formally proposed, adopted, or implemented (Ind. 3) People supported by the USG to adapt to the effects of climate change (Result/Ind. 6) Number of people trained in sustainable natural resources management and/or biodiversity conservation as a result of USG assistance (Result/Ind. 16)

Sherbro River Estuary Ramsar site designation. The SRE Ramsar Site designation and Co- Management Plan (CMP) were finalized and validated by stakeholders at a workshop in September, bringing an end to a months-long process to build the capacity of the SRE Co-Management Committee (CMC). Over fifty (50) people participated at the workshop of which 20% were women. Participants included a Deputy Minister, the chairmen of two district councils, ten Paramount Chiefs/senior representatives, a deputy mayor, regional representatives from various agencies, the CMC, and non-governmental organizations, including Wetlands International Africa. The workshop concluded with the signing of the Co-Management Agreement by the community leaders and the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA). Government authorities also expressed their interest in extending the Ramsar site to other coastal landscapes in Sierra Leone. Stakeholders had previously conducted a literature review to develop and finalize the CMP, a document that contains a wealth of information necessary to develop a solid plan that covers the SRE’s historic importance, rich biodiversity, anthropogenic and natural threats to the landscape, socio-economic considerations, and potentially promising conservation and community interventions. The plan is also the main source of information for the completion of the Ramsar Information Sheet to designate the SRE as a Ramsar Site, or Wetland of International Importance. The CMC was established in January 2020 when paramount chiefs appointed the CMC implementing body composed of 11 positions. Members were trained on laws and regulations related to MPAs, wildlife/CITES and fisheries. The CMC developed institutional strengthening plans and key priority actions plans and stakeholders demonstrated their commitment toward the management structure by mobilizing startup funds through personal contributions in cash and pledges. The SRE CMC as a community-based organization (CBO). Five months after its establishment, the SRE CMC completed the registration process to become a CBO. Once the CMC was officially a CBO, it opened office space in town and a bank account, two key steps for resource mobilization.

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CBO Registration Certification and the SRE-Co-Management Committee established in January 2020. Participatory rural appraisal. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) exercises were conducted in the SRE in November to better understand the livelihood activities of community members and how external drivers of change, like extractive industries and climate change, are influencing resource distribution and sustainability in and around the SRE. The one-day activity consisted of chiefdom- level community consultation workshops in five chiefdoms— Sittia, Jong, Imperi, Lower Banta and Bendu Cha. Over 170 community stakeholder representatives participated, drawn from various coastal resources user groups and local religious and traditional authorities. Representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, represented by the NPAA, also attended. The PRA resulted in land use maps including participatory resource distribution and socio-economic activity maps. According to communities, resource distribution—mangroves, coastal forests, and animals, including threatened and endangered species like manatees and crocodiles, grey parrot, and waterfowl, and resource use do not vary significantly from chiefdom to chiefdom. Activities like industrial mining influence community access to land and the choice of crops that are farmed in the lower Banta and Imperi chiefdoms. Across all chiefdoms, community members significantly rely on natural resources for subsistence, commercialization and export. Current exploitation and use patterns of natural resources across the SRE are gradually degrading and depleting the landscape.

Development of the participatory maps and gathering information from participants during the participatory rural appraisal exercise.

Participatory mapping. The participatory mapping resulted in geographical maps that can be referenced in the SRE Co-Management Plan (CMP). All of the 10 SRE chiefdoms have been mapped. As a result, maps of vegetation types in the SRE as well as the status and variety of land uses (see image) were produced. Despite the abundance of natural resources and biodiversity, there is visible evidence that human activities are affecting the habitats of several threatened and endangered species. Key species included in the mapping exercise include sea turtles, sharks, manatees, sea horses, monkeys, and several bird species, including parrots, grey herons, egrets, eagles and

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 25 kingfishers. Chiefdoms continue using the maps and the results of the PRA exercise to develop chiefdom-level action plans.

Land cover map of Sherbro River Estuary Engaging the private sector. Progress was made towards actively involving the private sector in the development and implementation of the SRE’s CMP. After several months of exchanges, WA BiCC met with mining firm Sierra Rutile, a mining company operating in the landscape to extract titanium oxide, rutile, and ilmenite. The firm’s operations have negative implications on the watershed for downstream coastal users. During the meeting, WA BiCC and NPAA staff educated the mining company about the CMP and how they could leverage it to promote corporate social responsibility objectives. Armed with a clear understanding, the company expressed interest in reviewing the final plan and indicated it will support interventions that align with their objectives. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the momentum of these important discussions and it is planned that the WIA project getting started will be able to pick up discussions and move them forward towards action.

Activity 4: Develop and implement climate change adaptation interventions in the Fresco Coastal Learning Landscape, Côte d’Ivoire Task 4.1: Manage the Fresco Grant OUTPUTS and RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Communal Development Plan (Output) People trained on climate change adaptation (Ind. 1) Institutions with improved capacity to assess or address climate change risks (Ind. 2) People supported by the USG to adapt to the effects of climate change (Ind. 6) People using Climate information or implementing risk-reducing actions to improve resilience to climate change as supported by USG assistance (Ind. 7) People trained on sustainable landscapes supported by USG assistance (Ind. 8) Institutions with improved capacity to address sustainable landscapes issues supported by of USG assistance (Ind. 9) Livelihoods of community groups in Fresco Landscape. Grantee IMPACTUM delivered agriculture kits to 193 farmers from Fresco, Okromoudou, and Zegban coastal communities. The kits support farmers with the production, processing, and marketing of cassava. The farmers are members of the natural resources management (NRM) committees that were established through an inclusive and participatory approach to ensure that the all social strata—women, men, elders, youth,

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community associations, and cooperatives—are represented. Nearly half of the beneficiaries are from the forested communities of Zegban 1 and 2, where cocoa farmers have especially suffered the damage of cocoa plants due to swollen shoot disease and climate change. On the other hand, just 12% of the beneficiaries are from the Kpandaduo community where, despite coastal erosion, fishermen still fish by migrating along the coast. Outreach efforts that include sharing the success of micro-projects in fishing communities could improve community participation in Kpandadou. On average, just under 30% of direct beneficiaries are women, and 70% of the participating women come from the fishing communities of Kpandadou and Fresco beach. Results show that gender consideration in development initiatives is increasing and women are key players in the local economy. To participate in the micro-projects, recipients made commitments to contribute to funding livelihood improvements. Community co-financing averages 2,345,288 CFA francs (USD $4,000) per community. The communities of Kpandadou (57%) and Fresco (49%) contributed the most co- funding, an indication that they have greater capacity to mobilize resources. Co-financing and equipment management agreements were developed and signed to substantiate and confirm the commitments of communities to continue investing in livelihood improvements. A local steering committee including the prefect, a local stakeholder representative, IMPACTUM and NRM committees monitor livelihood activities. Information collected is recorded in a report and returned to the prefect. To ensure the success of the micro-projects, the NRM committees hired an agricultural technician charged with: ● Validating and mapping the proposed plots for the realization of micro-projects ● Tracking soil preparation, maintenance, and harvesting operations ● Advising local committees on markets and other business opportunities for their micro-projects ● Advising local committees on how to increase the profitability of micro-projects

Ceremony held for the provision of kits in Fresco, Okromoudou, Zégban 1 and 2 for livelihoods improvement. Fresco Landscape coastline study. The study Assessment of the Evolution of the Coastline Between 1962 and 2018 of the Fresco Landscape (1962–1993, 1993–2014, and 2014–2018) was carried out to inform the design of a local development plans. The information will ensure that adaptation and risk management measures are taken and to identify better options to control and manage the connection between the lagoon and the sea. Aerial photos, satellite images and topographical surveys were used to determine the extent of coastline retreat. The study includes detailed maps and projections on the evolution of the coastline from a historical perspective, today and in the future.

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Chemical and microbiological characteristics of Fresco Lagoon. A study was carried out on the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of the Fresco Lagoon, aimed at determining the current quality of the ecosystem and possible risks to human health. The study found that more than 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities, and that many pesticides and nutrients used in agriculture end up in the lagoon’s waters, resulting in oxygen depletion that kills marine plants and shellfish. Physical and chemical analyses were carried out on water and sediments on 10 stations distributed throughout the Fresco Lagoon, as well as the Bolo and Niouniurou Rivers that feed into the lagoon. Study findings of concern include the presence of heavy metals such as lead and mercury, bacteria such as fecal coliforms, enterococci and vibrio, and organic pollutants such as chlordane and dieldrin. All are present in some of the sampling sites at levels detrimental to human health.

Fresco coastline with a sandbar, subject to erosion.

Port Gauthier and Okromoudou Classified Forests. A study describing the current conservation state of the Port Gauthier and Okromoudou Classified Forests was commissioned to provide a clearer understanding of these two forests and the implications for landscape management as they are in the upper watershed of the greater Fresco Landscape. The study also looks at how the forests are managed, or not managed, and how these practices have direct and indirect impacts on downstream users and the Fresco Lagoon. Findings are based on field visits, interviews with local stakeholders and available documentation and show that the Okromoudou Forest is extremely degraded, while the Port Gauthier Forest remains relatively intact due to its more challenging terrain. The study’s critical analysis and recommendations for future conservation make the study important for the forests’ rehabilitation. The recommendations also provide SODEFOR, which is the line management agency for Classified Forests in the Côte d’Ivoire, as well as governmental/non-governmental organizations and local communities, with management options to improve the sustainable use of the forests and associated ecosystems within the watershed. Of note researchers observed traces of the presence of elephants in the Port Gauthier forest. The integrated findings of the study demonstrate the interactions between upstream and downstream ecosystems and human activities. This integrated approach improves the understanding of the interactions between forests, wildlife and watersheds, and the role of upland streams and rivers and human activities that have direct and indirect impacts on the coasts and the ocean. Unfortunately, when human activities are carried out in the absence or ignorance of proper management approaches, inland waterways carry harmful substances such as pesticides and heavy metals from agriculture and extractive industries and negatively impact downstream species (including humans) and ecosystems. Future development plans for Port Gauthier and Okromoudou forests should consider the values and importance of these complex ecosystems so that their ecological, socioeconomic, cultural and

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scientific roles are maximized. Indeed, the implementation of an adequate Management Plan is desirable for these forests to: - Maintain soil, surface and groundwater and biodiversity (plant and animal species) - Significantly increase carbon retention capacity - Contribute to the availability of water resources, in terms of quantity and quality, in the watersheds.

Map of the Okromodou and Port Gauthier Classified Forests. Integrated Local Development Plan (ILDP). The ILDP, which includes risk management measures, management recommendations and livelihoods options to increase the resilience of people and ecosystems, was validated. The overall objective of the ILDP is to agree on adaptation measures, risk management for the municipality of Fresco, and adopt a management plan for the Ramsar Site. The ILDP is an exceptional tool for translating national priorities into local development actions, offering a suitable and updated framework for future actions, including the preparation of a proposal to be submitted to the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

Task 4.2: Provide technical support and capacity building to Fresco grantee OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Knowledge management content for KML products (Output) Capacity assessment report (Output) Institution with improved capacities to manage and monitor interventions to address climate change (Ind. 2)

USAID visit to the Fresco Landscape. The Regional Environment Officer from USAID/West Africa’s Regional Economic Growth Office visited the Fresco landscape in December 2019 to visit with grantee IMPACTUM, which is working on activities that increase the resilience of Fresco communities and ecosystems. The objective of the visit was to better understand the progress and challenges in the landscape and consult with relevant local stakeholders, including local authorities, community groups, resource users, and other partners and beneficiaries.

USAID and WA BiCC staff in the Fresco Landscape

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Fresco Relic Forest. A study to assess the conservation status and the current land ownership of a small forest where ‘old Fresco’ once stood was completed. The study of the Old Fresco Relic Forest clarifies that the land rights of this forest are held by individuals from three large families, and therefore has a legal status of a private forest. In 2019, the families began the process of subdividing the land with the intent to develop it, which would potentially destroy its ecotourism and biodiversity conservation potential. The Old Fresco Relic Forest is unique because it has survived despite widespread degradation of forests in Côte d’Ivoire and it offers interesting prospects for conservation and development of activities, including eco-tourism. The forest is also rich in biodiversity, summarized below:

Lagoon and Old Fresco Relic Forest. Wildlife Fourteen species of wildlife were recorded in the forest by means of specific evidence, such as signs and marks, left by wild animals. These species belong to two classes: mammals and birds. The species are Cephalophus (duiker, 3 species), Tragelaphus (horned antelope, 1 species), Cercopithecus (monkey, 2 species), Crossarchus (mongoose, 1 species), Atherurus (porcupine, 1 species) Cricetomys (giant pouched rat, 1 species), Touracos (Turaco, 1 species), Bycanistes (hornbill, 1 species), Tockus (red billed hornbill, 1 species), Peliperdix (francolin, 1 species) and Centropus (cuckoo, 1 species). The evidence of 14 animal species prove that this unique forest has significant wildlife restoration potential. The study also notes that this was a relatively rapid study and a more extensive study would likely identify additional fauna and flora species. Some of these species are of major concern for conservation, according to the IUCN. Plants. A study of the conservation status of this small forest of approximately 57 hectares identified the existence of 140 species of flowering plants, of which three are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list. The flowering plants are distributed among 49 families, including 8 families of Fabaceae (18 species); Rubiaceae (12 species); Annonaceae (8 species); Apocynaceae (8 species); and Anacardiaceae, Connaraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Malceae (5 species each). In addition, two species of the Fabaceae family—Anthonotha sassandraensis Aubrév, commonly known as Rerede Sassandra and Leptoderris sassandreensis—were recorded and are so far known to exist only in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. A total of 41 species of the plants inventoried in the forest have recognized medicinal virtues and are used by the riparian populations as part of the African pharmacopeia. Other plants are used for food and timber.

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Underside of the leaf of the Rerede Sassandra. Upper face of leaf of the Rerede Sassandra. A unique geological stratum also exists on the island and offers an exciting ecotourism opportunity, an asset that was included in the Integrated Local Development Plan. There are opportunities for sustainable management of this small island forest, however more information is needed. Key issues that must first be resolved include clarity on land ownership and the exact distribution of land among the three families. Secondly, the families must be surveyed to discover whether they might support the idea of making the forest a protected reserve. In the meantime, proposals are underway for the conservation and sustainable management of the forest with a focus on ecotourism development. Recommendations for the future management of the Old Fresco Relic Forest can be found in the diagnostic study report, available in French and English.

Cliff bordering Old Fresco Relic Forest.

Activity 5: Generate and support knowledge and learning Task 5.1: Explicitly identify and map coastal learning landscape activities (and potentially other coastal efforts) to the domestication and implementation of the AbC Protocols on the Sustainable Management of Mangroves and ICZM OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Final technical report linking AbC Protocols to WA BiCC activities and proposal for adapting the AWP based on the findings and recommendation of the technical report, currently in draft (Output)

Abidjan Convention Protocols (AbC) in the Fresco Landscape. Four studies have already been carried out on the Fresco landscape, and the findings of these studies were used to test the implementation of the AbC protocols. The findings of the studies are instrumental in determining sustainable options for the management of the lagoon and their impacts on the coastline. In addition, the ILDP (Task 4.1) is considering adaptation measures, risk management, and a management plan for this Ramsar Site. The process will consider the interactions between terrestrial and coastal

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Task 5.2: Develop KML products for advocacy OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Economic analysis of mangroves (Output) Fact sheets on sea level rise (Output) Thematic fact sheet(s) linking AbC Protocols to WA BiCC activities (Output) People trained on climate change adaptation (Ind. 1) Best practices identified (Result/Ind. 22) Institutions with improved capacity to assess or address climate change risks (Ind. 2) People supported by the USG to adapt to the effects of climate change (Ind. 6)

Land use systems. The report that covers land use changes in the Fresco Landscape from 1990 to 2017 was finalized and validated in December 2019. It was shared with relevant government and non-government institutions, including the National Office for Climate Change, which is coordinating the NAP as well as the office responsible for the integrated management of coastal environments, both of which have committed to use the study’s findings to strengthen management and adaptation strategies, policies, and planning. These institutions are also working with WA BiCC to design a proposal to be submitted to the GCF for a comprehensive adaptation plan for Fresco. Case study competition. A case study on Coastal Resilience to Climate Change Integrating Biodiversity, Adaptation, and Sustainable Landscapes in West Africa was submitted to USAID’s 2019 Biodiversity Integration Case Study Competition. The case study focuses on how WA BiCC uses biodiversity, adaptation, and sustainable landscapes funding to achieve cross-sectorial objectives. USAID included the case study in its annual compendium of case studies. 3.2.2 STRATEGY 2B: DEVELOP AN ENABLING POLICY ENVIRONMENT

Activity 1. Support the ratification process and develop regional action plans to domesticate two regional protocols Task 1.1: Support the ratification and domestication of two AbC Protocols OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Action plans (Output) Protocol summary sheets (Output) Laws, policies, regulations, or standards addressing climate change adaption or biodiversity formally proposed, adopted, or implemented (Results/Ind. 3, 10 and 17)

Integrating AbC Protocols in MRU Strategic Plan. The four MRU Member States—Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire—were supported to plan for and achieve the ratification and initial implementation of four AbC Protocols. These protocols are international environmental agreements that MRU Member States have signed but they have yet to be ratified or implemented. The four protocols are: 1. Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)—Pointe Noire Protocol 2. Sustainable Mangrove Management—Calabar Protocol 3. Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities—Bassam Protocol 4. Norms and Environmental Standards for offshore Oil and Gas activities—Malabo Protocol Workshops were organized in each of the countries that brought together about 40 people from approximately 25 institutions and organizations in each country. At the end of each workshop the countries adopted an action plan and a roadmap to undertake the ratification, domestication, and implementation of the protocols and the regional integrated oceans management policy. These protocols and the regional policy are expected to contribute to the effective implementation of the MRU Strategic Plan.

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Activity 6: Strengthen institutions and build capacity to address coastal climate impacts Task 6.1: Support the development of a GCF proposal OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD GCF Proposal (Output) People trained on climate change adaptation (Result/Ind. 1) Institutions with improved capacity to assess or address climate change risks (Results/Ind. 2) Investment mobilized for climate change adaptation (Result/Ind. 5) West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Program. The World Bank’s WACA Program is collecting new information from various partners to update information for future activities in West Africa. WA BiCC responded to the request and shared the following documents: ● Reports on the Vulnerability Assessments in Sierra Leone and Fresco ● Full literature review of all existing studies assessing the vulnerability of coastal communities and infrastructure in Côte d’Ivoire to sea level rise, coastal storms, and flooding ● Report on coastal sediment dynamics and hydrodynamics of Fresco Lagoon ● Mapping West Africa’s Low Elevation Coastal Zones Joint Green Climate Fund (GCF) proposal. Several meetings were held between the WACA Program, the Ivo rian government and WA BiCC to explore the possibility of a joint submission to the GCF. The intention was to collaborate on a proposal that would include the municipality of Port-Bouët (Abidjan Port) and Fresco with a common objective to increase the resilience of coastal populations in urban and rural areas. While the WACA Program wishes to develop grey infrastructure in Port-Bouët to increase the resilience of urban coastal populations, WA BiCC’s approach in Fresco favors a series of ecosystem-based interventions. Both approaches are complementary and combine natural and human-made interventions towards attaining complementary goals. A pre-feasibility study for the Fresco area based on existing information is planned. The objective of this study will be to identify and assess the technical, financial, and institutional feasibility of each planned intervention. Once the prefeasibility study is completed and approved by the Ivorian government, the proposal will be drafted and submitted independently or jointly to the GCF Simplified Approval Process, depending on the findings from the study. PERFORMANCE INDICATOR SNAPSHOT A snapshot of progress as measured through the project performance indicators for Component 2. Details can be found in Annex 1, Performance Indicator Results.

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3.3. COMPONENT 3: REDUCING DEFORESTATION, FOREST DEGRADATION, AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS 3.3.1 STRATEGY 3A: PROMOTE EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS FOR FOREST & MANGROVE CONSERVATION Gola National Parks. Officials from Sierra Leone and Liberia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint conservation and sustainable management of the Gola National Parks in both countries in October. Ziama-Wologizi-Wonegizi (ZWW) Transboundary Forest Landscape. The governments of Guinea and Liberia signed a bilateral agreement and a protocol of operation for the sustainable management of the ZWW Transboundary Forest Landscape in October. This first-of-its kind agreement between the two countries includes a management plan and brings renewed binational commitment to reduce deforestation in the ZWW and to restore deforested and degraded areas. Detailed biodiversity assessments were conducted on amphibians and reptiles (herpetological fauna), butterflies and small mammals. These assessments mark important strides in advancing the scientific understanding of the landscape’s biodiversity and provide information for managers and scientists to better protect and conserve some rare global findings.

Activity 1: Support the implementation of landscape activities Task 1.1: Support landscape learning, collaboration and exchange OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Presentations of grantee practices (Outputs) Draft documentation of best practices (Outputs) Learning exchange event (Output)

Birds of ZWW. A series of rapid assessments was undertaken to consolidate the efforts of landscape partners to improve the protection of the unique biodiversity of this rich landscape. Between November 2018 and February 2020, teams surveyed threatened and endangered birds during a 38-day field survey—18 days in Wologizi, 20 days in Ziama. The forest highlands of Guinea and Liberia continue to provide an important refuge for a great number of endemic and threatened species. During the observation period, 92 line transect samples were surveyed, and a total of 289 individual birds—158 in Wologizi, 131 in Ziama—comprising 205 species in 47 families were recorded. Among the total, teams recorded seven threatened bird species of global importance: the white-breasted Guinea fowl (Vulnerable–IUCN); rufous fishing owl (Vulnerable–IUCN); yellow-casqued hornbill (Vulnerable–IUCN); yellow-bearded greenbul (Vulnerable– IUCN); Timneh parrot (Endangered– IUCN); white-backed vulture (Critically Endangered–IUCN); and the green-tailed bristlebill (Near Threatened–IUCN). Of the seven threatened species recorded, the yellow-casqued hornbill, the white-breasted Guinea fowl, and the yellow-bearded greenbul were found in both Wologizi and Ziama. The green-tailed bristlebill was recorded in Ziama only, and the rufous fishing owl, white-backed vulture and Timneh parrot were recorded only in Wologizi. Despite the anthropogenic activities within and around the two forests, the sites still contain a high level of avian diversity. Additional support is recommended for a continuous avian survey across the ZWW Transboundary Forest Landscape in order to document all the bird species, including those this survey may have missed due to limited time.

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(Left) The yellow-bellied wattle-eye and (Right) bird surveyors in the ZWW landscape.

Experience sharing in Gola, Sierra Leone. The Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), in collaboration with implementing partners Gola Rainforest Conservation and the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA), organized an event to share lessons learned during the implementation of their WA BiCC grant ‘Community Landscape Management to Reduce Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss in the Gola Transboundary Forest Landscape’ in June. The lessons and achievements highlighted include 1) increased collaboration and a bilateral agreement between Sierra Leone and Liberia; 2) an increase in the financial power of the communities thanks to the introduction of Village Savings and Loan Associations; and 3) mobilization of seven chiefdoms adjacent to the Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone to protect the forest and creating more community forests under the slogan “One chiefdom, one community forest”. Partners highlighted the challenge of building consensus since it requires bringing together and managing several interest groups and communities with competing priorities. Generating consensus is critical to the success of short and long-term projects. Other challenges include widespread suspicion of rural communities that have experienced a history of perceived broken promises and conservation enforcement in protected areas. Forest-edge communities continuously expressed concern that community forests be subject to more strict protected area management, which was not the case. Large mammals of Wonegizi. Through biomonitoring and data analysis, researches learned that about 20 large mammal species are living in the Wonegizi protected area, and 12 of those species are of conservation importance (see Table 1 below). The Wonegizi biomonitoring data was gathered between June 2019 and February 2020. Table 1. Large Mammal Species Recorded in the Wonegizi proposed protected area with conservation concern

IUCN Conservation Species (6) IUCN Conservation Species (6) Status Status ● Western Chimpanzee ● Forest Elephant Critically Vulnerable ● Leopard Endangered ● Olive Colobus ● Pygmy Hippopotamus ● Yellow-back duiker Endangered ● Jentink’s duiker Near threatened ● Bay duiker ● Sooty Mangabey ● Bongo ● Diana Monkey ● Forest Buffalo

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Among the 12 mammals of conservation importance, data showed distribution of western chimpanzees, pygmy hippos and forest elephants (see map). The species distribution data is key to developing strategies and patrol plans for wildlife conservation and fighting deforestation, especially in biodiversity-rich areas and the corridor between the Ziama and Wologizi forests. The importance of species-rich intact forest remnants becomes even more evident during episodes of zoonotic contagion such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. Learning exchange event. WA BiCC’s third learning exchange event did not take place in FY20 due to the COVID19 pandemic, however, the program and partners plan to integrate the learning into planned close-out webinars. Given the ongoing restrictions, remote and online platforms are now being explored to ensure that a modified learning exchange event can take place with no issues. Sustainable livelihood activities. Effective community forest management approaches include expanding conservation areas and fostering buffer zone management of protected areas while building skills for income-generating activities that can remove the pressure put on the forests. However, these approaches can put community forestry in direct conflict with competing land uses and reveal social challenges, including the exclusion of vulnerable groups. Sustainable livelihood activities help balance forest and biodiversity conservation with the well-being of forest-edge communities. The need to conserve the forest without negatively affecting adjacent communities has long been a challenge for conservationists and the governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone. In a move to address this concern, approximately half of the 350,000 hectares of the Gola Transboundary Forest Landscape was set aside to establish two national parks—one in Liberia and the other in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone’s Gola Rainforest National Park was created in 2011, while Liberia’s Gola Forest National Park and became an officially recognized national park in 2016. Over 300,000 people depend on the forest for survival, making the forest’s health crucial for both humans and the animals and plants it shelters. With a mandate that includes combating forest degradation and biodiversity loss, the program has supported livelihood initiatives in Gola to balance the conservation of the forest and wellbeing of forest-edge communities. Foremost among these initiatives is teaching farmers and those interested in farming about sustainable agriculture and agroforestry. The following livelihood activities demonstrate the program’s strategy to strike a balance between forest and biodiversity conservation and the wellbeing of forest- edge communities. Permaculture training near Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. Permaculture is based on the concept of using plants that are best suited for a landscape’s climate and utilizing only what works best for the local environment. A total of 11 farmers (8 women, 3 men) from communities adjacent to Taï National Park received training in permaculture practices in April 2020. The number of trainees was limited due to social distancing protocols during the COVID-19 restriction period. Permaculture trainers introduced farmers to the concepts of agroecology and permaculture tools and practices, including crop diversification, composting and pest control. The farmers will later train other farmers in their communities under the mentorship of Wild Chimpanzee Foundation’s local partner NOFNA (Our Forest, Our Future). The initiative is part of WA BiCC’s exit strategy to train farmers to use demonstration farms and provide ongoing training for their peers, including learning by doing, exchange visits and extension services.

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Field classes, respecting social distancing, and demonstration farms with training on composting, mulching, and watering. Cocoa farming in Sierra Leone. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSBP), under a contract with Jula Consultancy in Gola, provided a series of trainings for farmers and buyers on fair trade and organic standards in the cocoa value chain. RSBP conducted three trainings for 36 farmers and six cocoa buyers. RSBP also trained 30 farmers in cocoa quality assurance, and 72 farmer association members signed contracts for fair trade certification. Training on vegetable cultivation was also provided to 450 members of the farmer associations. In addition, the program helped establish the Ngoleagorbu Cocoa Union (NGOCFU) and built the union’s capacity to serve as the umbrella for three Gola cocoa farmers associations: Gaura Cocoa Farmers Association (GACFA); Tunkia-Koya Cocoa Farmers Association (TunKoCFA); and Malema Cocoa Farmers Association (MACFA). The program supported the establishment of the organizational and legal entity of NGOCFU as well as technical and administrative training for union leaders and its current member associations. Trained farmers have proven to maintain cocoa nurseries and farms better than untrained farmers. Also, farmers are able to deal directly with international buyer ETICO, and negotiations regarding a buyer’s contract are underway. This type of evidence is showing that NGOCFU is prepared to take cocoa farming as a business to the next level. Farmers have started producing higher quality cocoa beans using ecological and conservation best practices, including improved post-harvest handling. Using selling prices as a key barometer to assess impact shows that pre-intervention prices fluctuated from between 5,000 to 12,000 SLL (Sierra Leone leones) per/kg and post-intervention prices increased to 10,000 SLL with a peak reported of 25,000 SLL per/kg, according to cocoa sales reports in July 2020.

Cocoa farming in Liberia. A total of 105 farmers graduated from cocoa-farmer field schools upon completing nine months of in-class and hands-on training to increase skills in nursery construction, seedling support, the planting of shade-grown seedlings, and general cocoa farm maintenance. The training, led by RSPB, the Society for the Conservation of Nature in Liberia (SCNL), and the Vainga Agriculture Development and Management Consultancy (VADEMCO) targeted Liberian cocoa farmers living near the boundaries of the Gola Forest National Park. With the acquisition of proper agronomic practices and field management skills, farmers expect to increase cocoa yields by one MT/ha and revenue by US$1,500 each year once the trees start producing cocoa pods. The Liberian farmers visited their peers in Sierra Leone as part of a learning exchange visit to help increase cocoa productivity on both sides of the Gola boundary Groundnut and rice farming in Liberia. RSPB, SCNL and VADEMCO provided 80 female groundnut farmers in 9 communities near Gola forest with hybrid, high-quality groundnut seeds,

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 37 demonstration plots, and training on agriculture best practices. Harvests from the initial training show that the availability and affordability of quality groundnuts have increased in the communities. Farmers used new skills and knowledge to increase production by 28% to 1,050 kg/ha compared with average pre-intervention yields of 827 kg/ha. Prices have increased from an average of US$60/unit to $75/unit. In attempts to turn rice farmers in Gola away from upland rice farming and shift cultivation practices to lowland rice farming, RSBP/SNCL trained 80 beneficiaries on the farmer field schools methodology centered on lowland rice farming. By using a special variety of seed rice (NERICA L-19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Rice_for_Africa) that results in faster and larger yields, Gola area farmers obtained an average yield of 1.3 MT/ha, compared to 953 kg/ha before the training. On one lowland rice paddy, farmer Boakai Kamara from Korlah village and his family produced 105 kg of rice on the same parcel that previously produced 80 kg, an increase of 31% in production.

Musa Sinii (far right) and other beneficiaries harvesting rice with VADEMCO technician Bendu Johnson (far left). Vegetable farming in Liberia. In Sapo National Park, grantee FFI trained 250 people involved in vegetable production groups and 61 people in cassava production groups. In addition, FFI set up an experimental farm to conduct trials on farming methodologies. The trial is based on a similar one introduced by agriculture extension agents of Lofa County being implemented in Wonegizi, which had positive initial reviews by farmers.

Poultry farming in Sierra Leone. Two farmer groups in Gola, Sierra Leone received training on best practices in chicken farming. VSLA Survey in Sierra Leone. VSLA Survey in Sierra Leone. Twenty Village Savings and Loans (VSLA) were established in the Gola Forest Landscape and the members trained on organizational and small business management skills. A comprehensive survey of the VSLAs within the Landscape has shown that the activity has improved the lives of approximately 2,000 forest- dependent Sierra Leoneans. These results came from the responses of 190 VSLA members (100 women, 60 men, and 30 with no gender recorded) who were interviewed about how they use money from the VSLA loans, share-outs and social funds. According to the survey, the most common ways individuals use VSLA funds is to buy food, pay medical bills, pay school fees, and fund new businesses (see graph). WA BiCC supported 74 groups (34 Malema, 12 Makpele, 5 Barri and 23 Tunkia). The amount of funds mobilized through July 2020 when the WA BiCC grant was closing was SLL 90,404,000, or USD $8,833 at current exchange rates.

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LOAN, SHARE OUT AND SOCIAL FUND USES

Loan Share Out Social Fund 56% 49% 48% 48% 47% 45% 43% 37% 34% 29% 27% 22% 21% 20% 15% 14% 13% 11% 10% 9% 6% 6% 5% 4% 4% 4% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 0%

Ecotourism in Côte d’Ivoire. In Taï, Côte d’Ivoire, ecotourism efforts continued. , and the ecotourism forest camp reported the visit of 82 people (48 men, 34 women), for a total revenue of 5,938,000 XOF/$9,927. A total of 30 people (19 men and 11 women) went to Gouléako village, generating 990,500 XOF/$1,653. The period considered for this result is October 2019 – March 2020 because the site had to close in March 2020 to secure the habituated primates from the COVID19 pandemic. During the prior year of WA BiCC support (October 2018 – September 2019), the site welcomed 143 tourists. A sum of 11,666,000 FCFA was generated during that period and 57 tourists chose to visit the Gouléako village, whose beneficiaries earned 1,747,000 FCFA. Projections were positive for 2020 prior to the corona virus pandemic. When the park closed in March 2020 there had already been 71 tourist visits October 2019 - March 2020) compared with the same period the previous year when 50 tourists had visited. The represented an upward trend of 64% prior to park closure. The ecotourism project is a way to support alternative revenues in the neighboring communities, and to help increase the support for conservation. The community developed a new pricing strategy that for the first time includes a cost-share with the host communities. Before this, all receipts were kept by the state. Three newsletters were produced and disseminated, and a meeting with a representative of the travel guidebook Le Petit Fûté was held. A delegation of Canadian ecotourism actors visited the project, and the Taï ecotourism project was featured in a brochure produced by the International Social Tourism Organization that showcased 20 responsible and fair tourism initiatives. Non-timber forest products in Sierra Leone. RSPB provided training and marketing support to strengthen rattan marketing in Gola and also conducted a study on the potential of ecotourism in the Gola landscape. Beekeeping in Liberia. FFI provided training and support to 190 people in beekeeping groups, building on the initial lessons and experiences with beekeeping projects around Grebo-Krahn, Gola and Sapo National Parks. The activity resulted in 82 additional beekeepers trained and the installation of 268 hives. Success depends on several factors including the availability and timing of flowering plants, the presence of ants or other pests, and incidence of bush fire. In the TGKS, WCF continued to support the community-led beekeeping program with Universal Outreach Foundation by training farmers in all key technical aspects of sustainable honey production. Altogether, 223 community members from 23 communities received training in beekeeping practices. Following the April and May harvests, beekeepers sold the honey through a partnership between the farmers and Liberia Pure Honey.

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Water hyacinth project in Ghana. Under the Fibers of Change initiative, grantee Global Mamas worked with the Akuse community in Ghana’s Lower Volta region to train community members in the sustainable harvesting, processing and composting of water hyacinth. This sustainable livelihood project targeted women and emphasized the linkages between biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources. The activity is helping to solve an environmental and economic challenge facing the Volta community, as water hyacinths are regarded as one of the worst aquatic invasive plants in the world. Thanks to the project, beneficiaries have established alternative revenue streams through handcrafting and selling high-quality accessories and home décor items, such as mats and table runners made from the plant. The local and international demand for water hyacinth products is growing, and many products are being marketed and sold to customers online, especially through social media channels, and through Global Mamas’ physical store in Accra, Ghana. Task 1.2: Monitor grant implementation OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD EMMP reports (Output) Exposure stories and other communications products (Output) Policy briefs on salient issues (Output) People trained on sustainable landscapes (Ind. 8) Institutions with improved capacity to address sustainable landscapes issues (Result. Ind. 9) Best practices and approaches identified, implemented, or adopted (Result/Ind. 22)

Harvesting honey and constructing beehives.

Technical monitoring visits. A technical monitoring visit to grantee the European Cooperative for Rural Development (EUCORD) in Kindia, Guinea was undertaken. The objective was to observe the progress of stakeholder engagement between government, the private sector and local farming communities. EUCORD, fruit marketing firm La Fruitiere de Daboya and local farmers are working under a private-public partnership (PPP) to produce pineapple and mango for export. Under the PPP, 12 trainers and four staff of the forestry services trained 88 lead farmers. The training promoted agroforestry, and partners supported the establishment of 50 hectares of diversified tree species and varieties of mango and pineapple. To ensure sustainability, communities were trained on maintaining tree diversity in an agroforestry mosaic while maintaining plant crops for food security and to sell at the local market. The initial training included seed collection and treatment, nursery techniques and land preparation. The agroforestry/restoration elements contribute to Guinea’s Bonn Challenge pledge to restore two million hectares of forest by 2030. More information can be found here. U.S. Embassy and USAID high level visits. Maria Brewer, the U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone, and eight Embassy and USAID officials visited Kenema, Sierra Leone, to see the work of WA

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BiCC and other U.S. Government implementing partners and meet with program beneficiaries. The field trip started with a visit to the main office of grantee Gola Rainforest Conservation where the director gave an overview of the organization’s work to conserve the Gola forest landscape. Visitors toured the cocoa warehouse established under the grant, where the manager described how the warehouse links cocoa farmers to markets. The Ambassador also visited Luke’s Commercial Secondary School and watched a performance of traditional dances and music by the school band. The Ambassador provided remarks, noting that the U.S. government will continue to support Sierra Leone on conservation and environmental programs, especially in the Gola Forest.

Ambassador Maria Brewer (2nd from the left) delivers speech during a high-level visit in Sierra Leone. A USAID delegation composed of the USAID’s WA BiCC Contracting Officer’s Representative, USAID/WA’s Regional Environment Officer, USAID/Liberia’s Natural Resource Officer and the Biodiversity Specialist from USAID/Washington visited Liberia’s Sapo National Park, a cornerstone of the TGKS Transboundary Forest Landscape, in February. The WA BiCC COP and several FFI grant management staff facilitated the visit, which provided the USAID officials with the opportunity to see and hear directly from community beneficiaries and FFI about biodiversity conservation and livelihood activities. The group spent the night at the Sapo Conservation Center, and the following morning there was a brief meeting with people from the Jalay’s Town community, which is adjacent to the park. Then the group hiked into the park and made camp for the night at Vera’s Camp. The group was divided into smaller groups to hike in the forest in the hopes of seeing some of Sapo’s unique biodiversity. Several species of monkeys, birds, chimpanzees, and the iconic zebra duiker were spotted. The following morning the group hiked to the edge of the park and used canoes to float down the Sinoe River to get a sense of how that resource could potentially be developed for ecotourism. After a final night at the Conservation Center, the group returned to Monrovia.

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Sapo Conservation Center (Top left); Sapo River (Middle top); USAID team crossing Sapo River in the SNP (Top right); Meeting with Jalay Community (Bottom left); Logging truck near SNP (middle bottom); USAID team in SNP (Bottom right).

Task 1.3: Conduct forest conservation and biomonitoring in the transboundary landscapes OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Biomonitoring analytical review – Fact sheet (Output) Biomonitoring data summaries and press releases (Output) People trained on biodiversity conservation (Results/Ind. 10) Number of hectares of biological significance and/or natural resources under improved natural resource management as a result of USG assistance (Results/Ind. 15)

Biomonitoring. Grantees conducted biomonitoring activities in all three transboundary forest landscapes: WCF in TGKS, FFI in TGKS and ZWW, and RSPB in Gola. All grantees are working with local NGOs and community partners to protect and monitor the rich biodiversity in these landscapes, which are home to various endangered and vulnerable species. The grantees are using different methods ad approaches in each of the landscapes, reflecting the protocols and methods used by their institutions. The grantees also provided training on these methods to government counterparts and shared the collected data (see Strategy 3C). Biomonitoring includes regular surveys of set transects, the setting and redeployment of camera traps, and rapid biological assessments. Teams monitor, retrieve and redeploy camera traps based on the need to cover wildlife hot spots. Data collected is analyzed and lists of species are compiled. Outreach and awareness-raising materials will be developed from videos and photos to help promote the conservation of these rich forest landscapes. To date, data has revealed many threatened species including the chimpanzee, elephant, giant pangolin, Diana monkey, leopard, Jentink’s duiker, zebra duiker, Brooke’s duiker and white-breasted guinea fowl. More are likely to be identified as the data analysis continues. Discovering biodiversity in the ZWW. FFI highlighted the findings from the April 2019 ZWW herpetological fauna (amphibians and reptiles) assessment in a blog before the formal report was published. The research revealed 48 species of amphibians and 16 reptiles on the Guinean side, and 32 species of amphibians and 11 reptiles on the Liberian side. Of these species, four on the Guinean side are conservation priorities and listed on IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. These are Arthroleptis langeri and Odontobatrachus ziama, Phrynobatrachus annulatus, and Cnemaspis occidentalis. In Liberia, two reptile species are currently conservation priorities: Osteolaemus tetraspis and Kinixys

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homeana. The identifications are ongoing with support of the Museum of Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany.

Threatened species in the WA BiCC forest landscapes captured on camera traps. Top row: Zebra duiker, Giant pangolin, Guinea fowl; Middle row: Forest Buffalo, Chimpanzee, Sooty Mangabey; Bottom row: Ogilby’s duiker, Elephant, African golden cat.

FFI also released the findings of a ZWW butterfly assessment from the same period on its blog. The assessment revealed approximately 428 species of butterflies across the ZWW transboundary forest landscape, many with a restricted range. Of note, the very rare lycaenid Neurellipes ferenczi was found for only the third time and is known only from specimens collected in Guinea. The local population of Neurellipes helpsi likely represents a never-before described taxon, which could be endemic to Ziama. This diversity of butterfly species along with the outstanding number of restricted-range species places Ziama at the top of biodiversity conservation priority areas alongside the Nimba Mountain range.

ZWW Landscape, home to at least 21 IUCN threatened tree species (far left); ZWW amphibians and reptiles (middle-top 4 photos); potential new mammal species (top-right 1 photos); ZWW butterflies (middle-bottom 3 photos); potential new mammal species (bottom-right 3 photos). The small mammals assessment from May/June 2019 also provided a big reveal for the conservation community. This assessment covered rodents, shrews, otter-shrews, and bats and employed various standard trapping methods, including Sherman live traps for rodents, pitfall traps for shrews, funnel traps for otter-shrews, and mist nets for bats. Samples focused on three sites in Wologizi and three sites in Ziama. A total of 15 species of rodents, eight species of shrew, one otter-shrew, and 27 species of bats were captured for identification. One of the rodents (Colomys goslingi) was recorded for the first time in the Upper Guinea forest zone and may represent a new species in the area. At

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 43 least one shrew species has yet to be identified. One of the bats is almost certainly a new species to science and a second bat may be as well. All the identified animals are awaiting further investigation, particularly molecular analysis. Several species are endemic to the region, and at least three bats (Miniopterus sp. nov., Neoromicia roseveari, Parahypsugo happoldorum) and one shrew (Crocidura nimbasilvanus) have only recently been described.

1.4 Task: Promote community learning within and across landscapes OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Models for community engagement to support biodiversity conservation objectives (Output) Number of radio programs broadcast on sustainable landscapes and on biodiversity conservation (Results/Ind. 24) Number of people participating in community mobilization campaigns conducted as a result of USG assistance (Results/Ind. 25) Networks addressing climate change (mitigation or adaptation) and/or biodiversity conservation officially installed or strengthened

Biodiversity in Tai National Park (l), Liberian Ministers of Tourism (middle), and learning exchange participants. Cross-border learning and ecotourism promotion. A cross-border visit to Côte d’Ivoire focused on ecotourism was organized in December. The purpose of the exchange was to address issues emerging from each participant’s ecotourism experience and to create a climate of collaboration and partnership where governmental, nongovernmental and private actors can work together on concrete ecotourism projects. The visit highlighted the benefits of ecotourism in and around the Taï National Park. Staff from the Ivorian Office of Parks and Reserves (OIPR), which is responsible for managing Taï National Park and Côte d’Ivoire Tourism, shared with the Liberian delegation information on the challenges they face and best practices they have applied while building and implementing a successful tourism strategy in Côte d’Ivoire. WCF in Grebo-Krahn NP. Grantee Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WFC) garnered recognition from other development partners for implementing grant activities in Liberia’s GKNP. WCF’s Country Director, Dr. Annika Hillers, received an award from the West Africa Media Network as the most outstanding NGO Country Director in Liberia’s forestry sector for 2019, edging out 19 other nominees. The selection criteria included contributions and impacts, effectiveness of collaboration, and the level of involvement of local communities. With Hillers’ assistance, WCF secured funding from the German Embassy in Monrovia to renovate a school in Clotetee near the GKNP that had been without a roof for the last four years. WCF has also generated co-funding for ecotourism training and basic local-style facilities at Liberia’s Sapo National Park.

MRU radio drama series. The Forest Blessings radio drama broadcast and call-in show was launched in June and broadcasted on eight radio stations reaching forest-edge communities in and

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around the Gola, ZWW and TGKS Transboundary Forest Landscapes. The objective of the radio program was to raise awareness of listeners and share relevant information to reduce deforestation, forest degradation and biodiversity loss. The radio show serves as a unique space for listeners to learn best practices so attitudes and behaviors can shift over time.

Before launching, the first five episodes were pretested in Mende, Krahn, Lorma, Krio and Liberian Simple English in 17 forest-edge communities across the Gola, ZWW, and TGKS Transboundary Forest Landscapes. The participants expressed satisfaction with the production of the radio drama and said it portrays the realities in their communities, with logging, shifting cultivation, and bush meat trafficking being the most prevalent issues. They also confirmed that the languages were used correctly, the names of the characters in the radio drama are familiar, and the diverse character types portrayed can be found in their communities.

During the months of June and July, the call-in segments on the eight radio stations broadcasting the series generated over 750 calls, with hunting and farming being the most discussed topics followed by human-wildlife conflict and mining. The radio show serves as a unique space for listeners to learn best practices so attitudes and behaviors can shift over time. The series ended in September.

The radio drama series can be heard on the WA BiCC YouTube page in English and French: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZYq1XWLmzb7E4dyZvw_JUg/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_ id=1&view_as=subscriber Success story booklet. Feature stories written by best-selling American author, David Goodman were published beginning in December 2019 on WA BiCC’s Exposure blog The stories resulting from Goodman’s visits to program landscapes and interviews with beneficiaries in several countries. Through the stories, readers get a first-hand account of how livelihood activities are improving lives while protecting animal and plant life. Published stories include: 1. Honey Money 2. Guardians of the Forest 3. The Hunter 4. Sierra Leone Chief: “Conservation is Everything to Us” 5. Gold Mining: The Environmental & Human Costs 6. Saving Liberia Through Drama & Laughter 7. Saving Money & the Rainforest in Sierra Leone

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8. “Saving Mangroves and Protecting People on Sierra Leone’s Coast” (featured on USAID’s Climatelinks blog) Task 1.5: Support biodiversity corridor agreement OUTPUTS and RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Fact sheet and map of proposed corridor (Output) Institutions with improved capacity to address sustainable landscapes issues (Results/Ind. 9) Laws, policies, regulations, or standards addressing sustainable landscapes formally proposed, adopted, or implemented (Results/Ind. 10) The Gola, TGKS and ZWW transboundary forest landscapes constitute the core of the remaining Upper Guinean Forest, and efforts are ongoing to save these rich, but fragmented blocks and promote forest landscape connectivity. Taï-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo Transboundary Landscape Complex. A plan to establish corridors between Taï NP (Côte d’Ivoire) and Grebo-Krahn NP (Liberia), and then connect the latter to Sapo National Park has been discussed. Socio-economic and biological assessments of potential corridors between Taï NP and GKNP were conducted, led by the German development agency GiZ and German state-owned development bank KfW. A 22-km long corridor along the River Hana was selected as the most suitable and feasible place for this purpose. People along the corridor who would be impacted have been identified and a compensation mechanism proposed. Similar studies have been carried out to select a viable corridor between GKNP and Sapo NP. This proposed corridor goes through a logging concession and negotiations between Liberia’s Forest Development Authority (FDA) and the logging company operating in the Forest Management Concession Number F are advancing with caution. This corridor is needed to ensure movement of wildlife from Sapo to Taï, and the long-term conservation of these forest blocks and the biodiversity they harbor. ZWW Transboundary Landscape Complex. The effort to ensure that wildlife can move freely between Ziama (Guinea) and Wonegizi and Wologizi (Liberia) is underway. FFI carried out a landscape-level assessment of viable wildlife corridors connecting these forests. Options have been recommended and discussions have started with both the Liberian and Guinean governments on next steps. Greater Gola Forest. Initial discussions have been held between various government agencies including Liberia’s FDA, conservation organizations like FFI and RSPB and development partners such as the World Bank through its Liberia Forest Sector Project, to explore the concept of a greater Gola forest landscape complex that would include the two national parks in addition to other important sites like Foya in Liberia and Kambui Hills and Tiwai in Sierra Leone. RSPB is advancing this work as part of the development of a management plan for the Tiwai Island Forest site.

Activity 2: Build capacity of key partners for sustainable forest management OUTPUTS AND RESULTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Institutional strengthening plan for sub grantee in TGK landscape (Output) Cocoa Farmers Union established in Gola, Sierra Leone. In Gola, Sierra Leone, 1,766 farmers from 82 communities and four chiefdoms volunteered to participate in a cocoa business development initiative. They self-organized into three associations: ● The Guara Cocoa Farmers Association (GACFA): 446 farmers from 13 communities of Gaura Chiefdom (22% women) ● The Tunkia-Koya Cocoa Farmers Association (TunKoCFA): 470 farmers from 34 communities of both Tunkia and Koya Chiefdoms (15% women) ● The Malema Cocoa Farmers Association (MACFA): 850 farmers from 35 communities of Malema Chiefdom (27% women)

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In addition, executive leaders were selected and trained to lead their respective associations. The three associations were further clustered into the Ngoleaorbu Cocoa Union (NGOCFA), headed by 10 leaders from the three associations. This governance structure is helping promote best practices and negotiate better prices for cocoa products. Transboundary Forest Landscapes and the COVID-19 pandemic. Communities located around the forest learning landscapes are going through difficult experiences to build their resilience and tackle low emissions development. Coming not long after the Ebola epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic has further limited the livelihood options for rural dwellers. In response to this challenge, grantees conducted COVID-19 prevention sensitization across the landscapes, educating people about the connections between health and conservation. During the campaigns, support materials were distributed, including over 150 buckets with taps, 300 tubes of hand soap and 1,082 facemasks.

COVID-19 education materials, hand buckets and food distributed in communities within the learning forest landscapes (co-funded). Learning exchange in Namibia. FFI facilitated a learning exchange visit for a Liberian delegation to Namibia in collaboration with the Namibian Association of Community-Based Natural Resource Management Support Organizations. The overarching objective of the exchange visit was to give senior-level policymakers from Liberia the opportunity to gain practical understanding into the benefits and potential of Community-based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) and transboundary conservation initiatives that deliver positive social and biological results for a country. A diverse delegation of 17 people from Liberia representing governmental and non-governmental institutions took part in the visit, which took place 28 September – 8 October 2019. Participants included three parliamentarians, four county superintendents, four members of the FDA’s senior management team, the head of the Liberian Land Authority, one representative each from WA BiCC, FFI and PADEV and an independent consultant hired to document the learning from the trip. The composition of the delegation deliberately included parliamentarians and civil servants from the TGKS and ZWW transboundary forest landscapes. The intent was to increase the involvement of members of the Liberian legislature and other high- level policymakers in conservation and natural resource management. Namibia was selected for the visit as it is well advanced in the areas of landscape-level conservation, transboundary collaboration

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and CBNRM initiatives and regularly hosts policymakers from across Africa. An additional objective was to improve collaboration and coordination efforts between the TGKS and ZWW transboundary forest landscapes and the visit offered the opportunity to see and discuss a working example of transboundary collaboration, a conservation corridor and the potential of CBNRM to deliver positive results for biodiversity. The exchange started it the Namibian capital Windhoek with visits to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the 'Standing Committee on Natural Resources & Economics’ of the Namibian Parliament. The team then headed to Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi Region and met with the Governor of Zambezi who gave an overview of conservation in the region, focusing on law enforcement to reduce cross-border poaching in a transboundary region that comprises five countries - Zambia, Botswana, Angola and Zimbabwe in addition to Namibia. The governor also presented the KAZA Trans-Frontier Agreement between the five countries. Participants also learned about Namibia’s conservancy models, conservation fund, law enforcement models, and various transboundary collaboration efforts between five countries with diverse cultures. Additional field visits included Bwabwata and Mudumu National Parks, the Kyaramacan Association, Mashi Conservancy and Mayuni Conservancy and the Mashi Craft Center.

The following were the main observations from the study tour, as informed by a debriefing session at the end of the trip:

• The Namibian CBNRM model, particularly conservancies and community associations, are adaptable to Liberia, with community involvement and ownership of certain resources increasing protection, management and conservation efforts • Setting up a Conservancy requires a suite of different elements to succeed • CBNRM efforts must be based on a national policy where the roles and responsibilities of each party are clearly defined • An environmental investment fund should be established to raise adequate funding for conservation activities • The FDA and its partners should utilize the authority of traditional leaders, making them champions for biodiversity conservation • Intersectoral coordination is critical for CBNRM and transboundary conservation to succeed in Liberia

After the visit a Whatsapp platform was established to keep members of the group in touch, with the goal of utilizing the lessons from the exchange to establish a forum to advance actions based on lessons learned. Participants have used their interactions to collaborate to promote conservation initiatives. For example, the parliamentarian from Lofa County is now the sponsor of the bill for the gazettement of the Wonegizi proposed protected areas and the County Superintendent is actively engaged in building community support for conservation. Master theses in forestry, ecotourism development. WA BiCC supported two Liberian students to enroll in a master’s degree program so they could train future student researchers, particularly in biodiversity conservation. One of the graduate’s thesis is titled Challenges and Potential of Ecotourism Development: The Case of Lake Piso Multiple Use Reserve in Grand Cape Mount County, Western Liberia. The research is opportune given the strong interest in exploring the potential of ecotourism for biodiversity conservation and community development. This will be useful to FDA and private sector companies, like Libassa, that plan to further develop Lake Piso as a tourism site. The second thesis is titled Assessing the Roles of Local Communities in the Management of Protected Areas: The Case of Sapo National Park, Southeast Liberia. The thesis’ results show that communities have favorable attitudes towards the national park but experience limited avenues to improve their livelihoods in terms of job creation, healthcare and schools. The study notes the need to make the boundaries of protected areas more visible to reduce trespassing and poaching.

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Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) carbon calculator. Eight participants from AbC, IMPACTUM, WCF, and SODEFOR received training on the use of the USAID-supported AFOLU carbon calculator in January. Participants learned about the linkages between forest, climate change and carbon as well as basic carbon accounting. The training also highlighted WA BiCC’s land cover and carbon stock assessment work in transboundary forest and coastal mangrove landscapes. The trainees applied their knowledge to estimate carbon potential of the Fresco mangroves and the Port Gauthier, Okromoudou and Cavally Classified Forests. 3.3.2 STRATEGY 3B: IMPROVE POLICY AND ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR FOREST CONSERVATION Task 1.1: Support organization of bilateral meetings for transboundary landscapes OUTPUTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Transboundary Law Enforcement Committee established between Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia (Output)

Activity 1: Strengthen transboundary collaboration. Proposed corridor between Sapo and Grebo-Krahn National Parks. FFI conducted a corridor study in the TGKS Transboundary Forest Landscape between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. The draft report revealed that the landscape is under enormous pressure from commercial logging, mining, shifting cultivation, monoculture plantations, hunting, and pit-sawing. A portion of this area measuring 254,580 ha is under a forest management contract managed for timber production by the Euro Liberia Logging Company. Liberia’s Forestry Development Authority has expressed its desire to promote connectivity between the protected areas and a corridor of 83,570 ha has been proposed. This will enhance climate, biodiversity, and community benefits connecting the Sapo and Grebo-Krahn National Parks in Liberia.

Proposed corridor to link Sapo and Grebo Krahn National Parks in Liberia. Action Plan for the Tai-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo (TGKS). Liberian and Ivorian members of the Transboundary Law Enforcement Technical Committee reviewed and validated the five-year transboundary action plan and the proposed policy law enforcement agreement intended to enhance the protection of the TGKS landscape. The agreement defines a framework of collaboration for the effective application of natural resource management laws and will operate at several levels to facilitate transboundary exchanges. The agreement covers topics such as the establishment of a legal and institutional framework for natural resource management in the complex, and a framework for collaboration between the management agencies of protected areas in the two countries.

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Activity 2: Support approaches to address forest degradation Beekeeping and conservation in Liberia. A public-private partnership supporting beekeeping and agroforestry entered its third year in FY20. The first group of 24 beekeepers in the landscape around the Grebo-Krahn NP reported a harvest of 27.3 gallons (or xx Liters) of honey, and more than US$310 of additional revenue for local households. The PPP was launched in 2017, under an agreement between the Forestry Development Authority, grantee Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), Liberia Pure Honey, Universal Outreach Foundation, and 23 communities around the park. As a result of the partnership, 223 trained beekeepers are actively monitoring 421 beehives installed around the buffer of the park. Participants also ensure that intact forest remnants outside the park are protected, and increasingly appreciate the link between honey production and forest conservation. Many rural households now have honey for consumption and medicinal purposes. Task 2.1: Promote forest landscape restoration in transboundary forest landscapes OUTPUTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Maps of Restoration Opportunities in selected areas of West Africa (Output)

Establishing the Krahn-Bassa protected area. Liberia’s FDA Board of Directors requested WCF to assist in establishing a Protected Area (PA) in the Krahn-Bassa National Forest (KBNF). The PA is planned to connect to the TGKS. The addition would make TGKS-KBNF the largest transboundary forest block in West Africa with close to two million hectares. The enlarged PA would provide an ideal setting for biodiversity and habitat conservation and carbon sequestration, creating an enabling environment to enhance agroforestry productivity in the neighboring communities. The establishment of KBNF would also create a learning opportunity to strengthen wildlife assessments, monitoring, and transboundary collaboration as well as to explore the full potential of the corridor and engage the private sector on low emission development strategies.

Map depicting the proposed KBNF and TGKS. Assessing corridors of the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi (ZWW). FFI carried out a Landscape Level Assessment of viable wildlife corridors within ZWW. The assessment identifies viable corridors, which are currently being discussed by Liberian and Guinean authorities. The ZWW is home to many critically endangered species, including the western chimpanzee, slender-snouted crocodile, hooded vulture, Jentink’s duiker, white-bellied pangolin, and the forest elephant. These species and others need to move freely across the Ziama, Wonegizi, and Wologizi forests to ensure species population and minimize risk of inbreeding.

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This initiative forms part of the 2019 bilateral agreement signed by the Guinea and Liberia governments to enhance collaborative forest management and law enforcement, reduce deforestation, and restore degraded land. Part of the package to win the communities’ support for the establishment of wildlife corridors include the ongoing gazettement of the Wonegizi and Wologizi proposed protected areas—meaning they have been recognized under statutory civil law— the developing effective management plans and supporting alternative livelihoods.

ZWW Transboundary Forest between Guinea and Liberia and a picture of an elephant moving across the same border. Ghana forest restoration opportunity map. The revised Ghana Restoration Opportunity Assessment Methodology (ROAM) map developed in collaboration with the Government of Ghana, SERVIR and CERSGIS was finalized. The map identifies appropriate restoration options, information on costs and benefits for each option, key success factors for Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), and strategies for addressing major policy and institutional impediments that affect it. Stakeholders identified a range of opportunities, including agroforestry, planted forests/woodlots, natural regeneration, and silviculture to aid restoration. The map suggests that approximately 14 million hectares in Ghana have restoration potential. This number was determined by several factors including levels of deforestation and degradation, population density, and the landscape’s socio- ecological value. Landscapes with major ecological values like wildlife protected areas, water catchment areas, or those that have low population density were identified as areas that would benefit from FLR.

Maps showing restoration opportunity areas for agroforestry and planted forests/woodlands.

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3.3.3 STRATEGY 3C: IDENTIFY, DEVELOP, AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES FOR THREATENED SPECIES Several activities under Strategy 3C were undertaken in collaboration with Component 1 and are reported on there (see Component 1, Strategy 1A, Tasks 1.2 and 1.3). Task 1.1: Generate relevant information on policies and practices for effective biodiversity management within and outside of protected areas OUTPUTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Relevant information on policies and practices for effective biodiversity management within and outside of protected areas produced (Outputs)

Activity 1: Develop and Implement Regulatory Frameworks or Strategies for Threatened Species Protecting forest elephants. Two elephants made news in Liberia in early September 2020 when they crossed the Guinea-Liberia border by walking along a series of human footpaths into a village on the edge of the forest. Thanks to transboundary cooperation between the two countries, authorities were alerted, and the elephants were steered back into the forest instead of shot and killed. This event confirms wildlife movement is becoming safer in transboundary forests, and that bilateral agreements can be effective in wildlife management and community awareness building.

(Left) Forest managers from Liberia and Guinea meet at the border to collaborate on saving (Right) elephants moving across the border. Read about the elephants on here. When checked on two weeks later, the elephants were safe in the Nimba Forest, located near the borders of the three countries: Liberia, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. The elephant episode illustrates that as the four Member States of the Mano River Union (Liberia, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone) continue to build capacity in wildlife conservation, their governments are strengthening law enforcement in national parks and protected forests. New bat species in ZWW Transboundary Forest. A new genus and species of vesper bat—Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae—was identified in the ZWW landscape). A group of scientists from Bonn and Eswatini Universities named it Parahypsugo happoldorum. Under the new genus, four species have been reclassified, defining them for the first time by morphological and genetic characteristics. All the species are restricted to Parahypsugo happoldorum, a new genus and a new rainforests of West and Central Africa. species of vesper bat to science.

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Raising awareness on wildlife protection in a pandemic. RSPB worked in Sierra Leone’s Gola Rainforest National Park to craft messages promoting forestry and the protection of wildlife. RSPB developed t-shirts and posters with awareness-raising messaging and distributed materials among communities living around the Gola Rainforest NP. Community leaders were eager to hang the posters on community messaging boards and expressed the need for sustained awareness, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Messages on the t-shirts and posters featured pygmy hippos, chimpanzees, elephants, threatened monkey species, Jentink’s duiker and the African pangolin. Joint patrols in the Grebo-Krahn Forest Landscape. A joint interagency patrol comprised of staff from Liberia’s FDA, immigration, police and local authorities was carried out to improve collaboration between stakeholders and enhance the protection status of the Grebo-Krahn Forest Landscape. The authorities were divided into small teams that used vehicles, motorbikes, and foot patrols to crack down on illegal activities while strengthening the capacity of selected Transboundary Law Enforcement Technical Committee members to combat forest and wildlife crimes. The teams discovered and observed the following activities: ● Citizens and some town chiefs of Mantuah, Glarro Freetown, and Zroo often host or shelter illegal miners ● Dredge mining on the Cavally River poses a serious threat to

the park and women continue to build shelters in the park to sell goods to miners on the Liberian side ● Illegal logging is ongoing Garcinia afzelii trees are being ● Liberian authorities arrested illegal miners, harvesters of Garcina afzelii harvested and then taken for the toothpick trade, and tree sawing. downriver to the border towns along the Cavally River of Côte d’Ivoire ● Artisanal gold mining is going on ● Intimidation of FDA rangers by the Bilibo people, which discourages the rangers from performing their duties. The joint patrol teams burned all mining and hunting camps they found and confiscated dredge mining equipment on site. Six suspects were arrested for illegal artisanal gold mining, illegal logging, and the destruction of wildlife habitats. The detained individuals were taken to the Zwedru Magisterial Court for prosecution, highlighting the growing commitment of stakeholders to protect the GKNP and its rich biodiversity. The primary challenges to protecting and managing the forest

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More poachers are being arrested and more confiscations of wildlife products are occurring in Liberia as a result of greater awareness about wildlife crime among the country’s law enforcement officers. Wildlife regulations in Liberia. FFI and Heritage Partners and Associates assisted with the drafting of regulations for the revised 2016 National Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Law of Liberia.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR SNAPSHOTS A snapshot of progress as measured through the project performance indicators for Component III. Further details can be found in Annex 1, Performance Indicator Results.

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3.4 CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES POLICY AND PARTNERSHIPS The Policy and Partnerships Unit activities focus primarily on support to the three WA BiCC thematic components. Activities not captured in the component narratives are summarized below.

Activity 1: Improve West African natural resource management policy and legislation Task 1.1: Develop policy briefs, issue papers, advocacy, and analytical pieces Table 2: Policy outputs/outcomes and linkages to ECOWAS Forest Convergence Plan Priority Intervention Areas ECOWAS Priority WA BiCC Outputs & Status Intervention Areas Outcomes Policy/legislation Draft WASCWC sent to Virtual technical validation schedule and regulation Steering Committee for final finalized and shared with Steering framework review and approval. Committee for review and approval. Slight Technical validation on delay because of COVID-19, but technical regional level will follow. validation by regional CITES/wildlife authorities and Ministers achieved. Knowledge of Policy briefs and research Workshop organized for the CITES Forest ecosystem article and summary master’s graduates and compendium compilation of 26 CITES produced on the abstracts. master’s theses. Restoration Ghana’s restoration Ghana ROAM report finalized and available. opportunity map finalized. Application of ROAM in an initial transboundary forest landscape (Gola) done. Biodiversity Working with grantees and Continuous support to three main grantees conservation other partners on (FFI, RSPB and WCF). Ongoing work on biodiversity conservation (see mapping of biodiversity corridors, CWT Component summaries). and coastal and marine species (AAWP and West African Sea Turtle Conservation Network). Goods and AFOLU assessment of carbon Partners trained in the use of the AFOLU services potentials in landscapes. carbon calculator. Research Several Fresco and West Reports, final biomonitoring research African coastal landscape articles, published and available. studies and biomonitoring. Information, Materials to summarize and Completed Education, and promote AbC Protocols; Communication production of draft advocacy guides and four national roadmaps and action plans.

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Table 3: Policy outputs/outcomes and linkages to MRU Strategic Framework for Natural Resources Management MRU Strategic WA BiCC Outputs / Status Framework Outcomes Sustainable FFI, RSPB and WCF activities Grantee reports, training manuals, and ecosystem in the Gola, TKGS, and ZWW success stories produced. management landscapes. Livelihood Grantee support to Issues briefs and best practices briefs on improvements beekeeping, agroforestry (rice, livelihood activities published. cocoa, vegetables) and other agricultural activities with communities. Institutional Support for the revision of the MRU Strategy and Action Plan drafted and support and MRU Strategy and Action Plan validated. Implementation of an MRU program and for an improved accounting system that is recognized and coordination institutional accounting acceptable internationally. ISP and OPI of system. the 3 core partners assessed. Water resource Grantee and partner activities Support to the IUCN/MRU/GEF project management on the conservation of MRU and the initiation of the ROAM in the landscapes as watersheds to landscapes. the IUCN/MRU/ Global Environmental Facility (GEF) project. Sustainable Support for the revision of the The revised strategy and action plan took exploitation of MRU Strategy and Action into consideration sustainability of minerals minerals Plan. exploitation. Policy Support for the revision of the The revised strategy and action plan took Harmonization MRU Strategy and Action into consideration the need for policy Plan. harmonization.

Food Security and Grantee support for Issues briefs and best practices briefs on Research beekeeping, agroforestry, and livelihood/food security activities other agricultural activities published. with communities. Table 4: Policy outputs/outcomes and linkages to Abidjan Convention Protocols AbC Protocols Examples of WA BiCC Components Status Outputs/Outcomes Protocol on ICZM Inputs for the GCF proposal in Côte d’Ivoire Ongoing work with and ongoing work in the Fresco landscape, the Côte d’Ivoire including ICZM activities to inform national- government and other level ratification and domestication. partners on the GCF proposal and generating lessons on ICZM.

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Protocol on Economic analysis of mangroves, fact sheets Ongoing (to be Sustainable Mangrove on sea level rise, and thematic fact sheets finalized in FY21) Management – linking AbC Protocols to WA BiCC activities. Mangroves Ongoing work in the Fresco landscape, including sustainable mangrove management activities to inform national-level ratification and domestication. Protocol on Pollution Institutional support provided to AbC on the Completed from Land-Based four national roadmaps and action plans for all Sources and Activities protocols. Policy on Integrated Materials to summarize and promote AbC Completed Management of Protocols, and support for the Abidjan Oceans in the Abidjan Aquatic Partnerships. Convention Zone – IOM Protocol on Institutional support provided to AbC on the Completed Environmental four national roadmaps and action plans for all Standards and protocols. Guidelines for Offshore Oil and Gas Activities – Oil & Gas Information, Materials to summarize and promote AbC Completed Education, and Protocols; production of draft advocacy guides Communication and four national roadmaps and action plans. ECOWAS Environmental Action Plan (EAP). In a virtual meeting held during its Second Extraordinary Session 2020 in July, the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources/Energy and Mines of the ECOWAS Parliament considered the draft regulation on the adoption of the ECOWAS EAP and the accompanying Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (MEP) and referred them to the Parliament for opinion. In its conclusion, the Joint Committee recommended that the Plenary of Parliament deliver a favorable opinion for the adoption of the EAP/MEP by the Council of Ministers and the Authority of Heads of State and Government. Both documents were developed with technical and financial support from WA BiCC. Adoption by the Council of Ministers and the Heads of State Summit is the last stage in the process that accords the EAP/MEP a status of authority and therefore is binding with ECOWAS Member States for implementation.

Task 1.2: Provide technical and organizational support for learning events See Component sections. Task 1.3: Implement GESI and advocacy activities OUTPUTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD

GESI and advocacy training materials (Output)

Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) and Advocacy Training. Grantee WCF organized a 6- day GESI and advocacy training in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, Liberia. Fifty participants benefited from the training, including most of WCF’s staff. The training’s objectives include helping participants understand the general principles of GESI and how to integrate them into projects and activities. The sessions also provided an open forum to discuss and address GESI issues raised by the participants. Following the training , WCF established a committee to initiate the drafting of a GESI policy that suits the West African context.

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The advocacy training was conducted for a cross-section of WCF and partner staff. Participants were mainly program and field staff who continuously interact with community leaders and policy makers. The training increased awareness about the importance of advocacy, introduced new tools that can be used to influence policies and practices, and will assist organizations to define future advocacy best practices that can be immediately put into place by the participants in their respective activities. In June, the same training was organized for 17 staff from Ghanaian grantee Global Mamas in Accra. In-depth discussions and break-out sessions tailored for the staff covered topics like basic concepts of GESI, the relevance of analysis and mainstreaming gender in conservation work and leveraging tools and approaches towards seeking women’s active and meaningful participation at all levels. As part of close out WA BiCC documented and reflected on its overall experience with GESI advocacy. The analysis explains how the program was designed to engage and influence national and regional policies on gender equality and how the program mainstreamed advocacy in its three main components. The document also draws out the diverse advocacy tools and strategies used by WA BiCC.

Mary Tobbin-Osei, WA BICC’s GESI and Advocacy Specialist, leading trainings in GESI and advocacy.

Activity 2: Building Institutional Capacity Task 2.1: ECOWAS Directorate of Environment (DoE)

OUTPUTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Validated EAP (Output) Validated M&E Plan (Output)

Environmental Action Plan and Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. The DoE requested WA BiCC to provide technical backstopping support at the ECOWAS Environment Sector Ministerial meeting, held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in February, where the EAP and accompanying MEP were officially validated. The Senior Policy Specialist and DoE Advisor, who were involved in the development of the EAP, were on hand at the meeting to help address any technical or process detail that might have come up. The meeting provided crucial political support for the uptake and application of the revised EAP and MEP by the Member States. The endorsement of these two strategic documents shows the willingness of the Member States to ensure better environmental governance, one of the key objectives of the ECOWAS Commission and WA BiCC. The significance of the ministerial validation is profound because it gives statutory backing to the EAP and qualifies it for endorsement by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, which in turn makes it mandatory for the ECOWAS Commission and its Member States to implement. Prior to the meeting, technical and financial support were provided to the DoE for the review and revision of the regional EAP and the development of the MEP.

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M&E Training. To ensure the efficient implementation of the DoE M&E strategy, a training was organized in November 2019 to finalize the MEP. WA BiCC COR and a representative from the ECOWAS Commission’s M&E Directorate, as well as the Agriculture Directorate’s M&E team, attended the training and shared their experiences and insights. The MEP will improve reporting on progress and achievements on the implementation of the revised ECOWAS EAP. Through proper and meticulous reporting systems defined under the MEP, ECOWAS is now able to measure the performance of the DoE as well as the Agricultural Directorate’s interventions at the regional level and show improved sustainability when environmental management and mitigation is integrated into activities. The MEP also provides data for more effective communication among Member States on the progress made toward fulfilling obligations related to international agreements. A short-term M&E officer was also recruited to assist with the initial implementation of the MEP. Implementation of DoE Communications Strategy. A short-term communications officer was recruited to facilitate the initial implementation of the DoE Communications Strategy, which was drafted in FY18, finalized in FY19 and implemented in FY20. The communications officer worked with WA BiCC’s Advisor to ECOWAS and designed a web-based archival system for the storage of the Directorate’s strategic documentation, which otherwise would have remained on the shelves or staff computers. An operational manual and training video for using the archival system were also developed. Resource Mobilization Strategy. The WA BiCC DoE Advisor supported the DoE to draft a resource mobilization strategy to help secure the long-term success of EAP implementation. The final draft was presented to the Directorate for inputs and endorsement in September 2020. DoE leadership shared the strategy with other Directorates within the Commission, including the Directorate of External Relations, which is responsible for resource mobilization in the office of the President. Stakeholder feedback was provided to the technical advisor for finalization of the strategy. Task 2.2: Support capacity development of MRU Secretariat

OUTPUTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Finalized accounting systems (Output)

Strategic and Action Plans. The revised 5-year Strategic Plan and Action Plan were finalized and validated by the MRU Member States. The revised plan provides the MRU Secretariat with specific targets to achieve during the five-year period and is centered on five thematic programs, including natural resources management and climate change for the first time. Development of the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (MEP). To complement the Strategic Plan an MEP is being finalized so that the MRU Secretariat can effectively track and report on the MRU’s progress against the Strategic and Action Plans. The MEP built on the experiences gained from designing MEPs for ECOWAS DoE and the AbC. The final plan is expected in December 2020. Communications and Resource Mobilization Strategies. During the validation of the revised Strategic and Action Plans it was recommended that WA BiCC also support the development of Communications and Resource Mobilization Strategies to support the effective implementation of the Plans. This is in line with prior support to ECOWAS and the AbC and will build on those experiences and lessons. Given that the MRU strategic plan revision process begin relatively late in WA BiCC implementation, these final supporting strategies, as with the MEP, will be finalized in December 2020. Improved Accounting System. An improved accounting system that meets the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) for the MRU as well as the requisite trainings for using the system was finalized. Additional support was provided to facilitate the migration of data from the old system to the new system and troubleshoot the rollout of initial reports. The adoption of IPSAS

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 59 has improved the quality and credibility of financial reporting by the MRU Secretariat. Key benefits of IPSAS for the MRU include: ● Enhanced transparency and accountability for donor funds: Enables the MRU to report on all its assets and liabilities and provide other useful financial and non-financial information. ● Better decision-making by management: Provides comprehensive information on financial performance to improve planning and decision-making. ● Consistent and comparable financial information: Delivers consistent financial information that facilitates comparison among organizations of a similar nature. ● Enhanced reputation and stakeholder confidence: Allows the MRU to better manage and account for its resources and obligations, resulting in increased confidence by both internal and external stakeholders. ● Harmonization of financial reporting across all sub offices: Enables the harmonization of processes and financial reporting across all sub-offices and the Secretariat. ● Sound financial management: Leads to improved financial management practices, ensuring that the MRU’s assets and liabilities are more effectively managed and accounted for. Task 2.3: Support capacity development of AbC Secretariat

OUTPUTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Final M&E Plan (Output) Resource Center Inventory (Output)

Resource Center. The AbC finalized the technical specifications of its resource center, including the objectives, scope and functionalities of the platform. The first prototype is intended to be ready by the end of November 2020. Support has been provided for the resource center to improve AbC’s capacity to improve data and knowledge management. The initiative was launched in December 2019 at the conference WACA Marketplace in Abidjan. The center received unanimous endorsement from several organizations as the ideal tool to upgrade the role of the AbC as a leading regional organization with regard to coastal and marine information. Additional resources from other partners have been secured to ensure the full development and deployment of the Resource Center including the validation of the Data Management Charter and a collaboration mechanism with the AbC partners and focal points. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (MEP). A short-term M&E officer was recruited to support the implementation of the AbC’s MEP. The officer collected and compiled information to develop the AbC project portfolio and to list and detail all projects in which the Secretariat is directly engaged, and reference sheets were developed detailing the scope and objectives of 20 agreed indicators. Data collection tools and methodologies were developed, and the first M&E data collection process involving the Secretariat, partners and focal points was undertaken. Sufficient information was collected to develop the first M&E report. Additional resources from partners were secured to prepare an initial M&E report for presentation to the Parties at CoP13. Mobile Data Collection Training. A training on mobile data collection for the Secretariat and Fresco grantee IMPACTUM was conducted in October 2019. The training’s objective was to share new technologies for monitoring activities and conducting surveys using online data collection tools. A questionnaire was developed and tested during the training to facilitate the AbC’s efforts in monitoring and reporting progress at the national level. These new tools were used to collect data at the national level and to prepare the first M&E and country reports CoP 13. Resource Mobilization. The AC Advisor coordinated the finalization of the Ivorian elements of the UN Habitat-funded Improved Resilience of Coastal Communities in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana proposal. The findings were then integrated into the final proposal, which will be submitted for consideration at the Adaptation Fund board meeting in February 2021. The project focuses on supporting coastal cities and communities to better adapt to climate change, enhance urban planning, and build resilience to coastal erosion and related climate change impacts and risks.

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Reviewing and updating ISPs and 2020 OPI. A review and update of the Institutional Strengthening Plans (ISPs) for the three core regional partners was completed. The ISPs review demonstrated the achievements showcased by the activities carried out over the course of WA BiCC implementation. The implementation of the ISPs generated the foundation for many of the results achieved with the core regional partners including the technical and ministerial validation and endorsements of the various strategic and policy documents such as the ECOWAS EAP and supporting documents, the revision of the MRU Strategic Plan and development of the revised accounting system and the development of the AbC MEP and communications strategy. The measurements of the performances of regional partners as per the Organizational Performance Index (OPI) revealed that the implementation of the ISPs strongly fostered the increase in organizational performance for the ECOWAS DoE and the MRU and AbC Secretariats. To ensure achievements are sustained by evidence, three OPIs were conducted—baseline, midline and end line OPI—which helped to gauge and demonstrate changes in the organizational performances throughout the ISPs.

Task 3.1: Engage the private sector to support forest landscape restoration efforts

OUTPUTS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD Engagement on public–private partnerships (Outcome)

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Global Mamas and 3M Catalyst Community Program. Grantee Global Mamas was selected to be a part of US industrial firm 3M’s Catalyst Community Program portfolio for 2020. WA BiCC facilitated the proposal process, which was headed up by public–private enterprise facilitation group Pyxera Ghana. In March 2020, 3M sent a team to Accra to work with Global Mamas and the Akuse community in Ghana’s Eastern Region on the sustainable transformation of the invasive water hyacinth plant into marketable products. The engagement led to the development of models of sustainability, product value chains, and an environmentally compatible business Global Mamas designer working on a new runner model that strengthens livelihoods while combining hyacinth and batik. reducing environmental degradation of the Volta River landscape. COMMUNICATIONS Communications activities are guided by a five-year communications strategy that ensures the program reaches its target audiences. Communications materials strive to encourage learning and/or behavior change and focus on knowledge generation to influence public policy and practices with relevant messaging in an effective, consistent, and coherent manner. Prioritized communications activities and outputs are reported under the relevant components, including the development of a three-part comic series (Component 1), continued broadcasting of the SLCLC radio drama series (Component 2) and the development of an MRU radio drama (Component 3) to name a few examples. The full table is below. Table 5: List of all communications stories, blog posts, and videos produced in FY20. # Product Name and Title Type Link (Website, Exposure, YouTube) 1. Shedding New Light on West Africa’s Blog https://www.wabicc.org/shedding-new-light-on- birds and butterflies west-africas-birds-and-butterflies/ 2. Trophy Hunt Ends In Victory for Blog https://www.wabicc.org/trophy-hunt-ends-in- Guinea’s Forest Elephants victory-for-guineas-forest-elephants/ 3. How Rangers and Local Communities Blog https://www.wabicc.org/how-rangers-and-local- Came Together to Protect Sapo National communities-came-together-to-protect-sapo- Park national-park/ 4. Improving Wildlife Law Enforcement: Blog https://www.wabicc.org/improving-wildlife-law- When the Trainee Becomes the Trainer enforcement-when-the-trainee-becomes-a-trainer/ 5. Behind the Scenes: Establishing Village Blog https://www.wabicc.org/behind-the-scenes- Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in establishing-village-savings-and-loan-associations- Coastal Sierra Leone vslas-in-coastal-sierra-leone/ 6. Training of Judges and Prosecutors on Blog https://www.wabicc.org/3553/ Wildlife Crime Issues 7. From Anomalure to Zebra Duiker – Blog https://www.wabicc.org/from-anomalure-to-zebra- Spotlight on West Africa’s Mammals duiker-spotlight-on-west-africas-mammals/ 8. Introducing Fibers of Change Blog https://www.wabicc.org/introducing-fibers-of- change/ 9. Guinea and Liberia Forge Historic Blog https://www.wabicc.org/guinea-and-liberia-forge- Partnership for the Conservation of the historic-partnership-for-the-conservation-of-the- ziama-wonegizi-wologizi-forest-landscape/

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Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi Forest Landscape 10. Creating Environmentally Friendly Blog https://www.wabicc.org/creating-environmentally- Livelihoods in Forest-buffer Communities friendly-livelihoods-in-forest-buffer-communities-in- in the Kindia Region of Guinea the-kindia-region-of-guinea/ 11. Mapping of the Sherbro River Estuary: A Blog https://www.wabicc.org/mapping-of-the-sherbro- Step Toward Biodiversity Protection in river-estuary-a-step-toward-biodiversity- Sierra Leone protection-in-sierra-leone/ 12. Stuck in the Mud: WA BiCC Driver Blog https://www.wabicc.org/stuck-in-the-mud-wa-bicc- Makes Impassable Roads Passable driver-makes-impassable-roads-passable/ 13. How a Community EcoGuard Program Blog https://www.wabicc.org/how-a-community- Helped One Woman Go from School ecoguard-program-helped-one-woman-go-from- Dropout to Breadwinner school-dropout-to-breadwinner/ 14. Fanged Frogs, Dwarf Crocodiles and Blog https://www.wabicc.org/3692/ Folding Tortoises? Welcome to West Africa 15. CITES Master’s Graduates Chart a Path Blog https://www.wabicc.org/cites-masters-graduates- Toward Regional Collaboration chart-a-path-toward-regional-collaboration/ 16. Newly Elected Co-Management Blog https://www.wabicc.org/newly-elected-co- Committee Pledge to Protect Sierra management-committee-pledge-to-protect-sierra- Leone’s Sherbro River Estuary leones-sherbro-river-estuary/ 17. Mano River Union Member States Blog https://www.wabicc.org/mano-river-union-member- Endorse Institution’s Five-Year Strategic states-endorse-institutions-five-year-strategic-plan/ Plan 18. Sierra Leone Commemorates World Blog https://www.wabicc.org/sierra-leone- Wetlands Day with Climate Change commemorates-world-wetlands-day-with-climate- Adaptation Plan change-adaptation-plan/ 19. ECOWAS Ministers Adopt Strategic Blog https://www.wabicc.org/ecowas-ministers-adopt- Documents for a Cleaner, Sustainable strategic-documents-for-a-cleaner-sustainable- Environment environment/ 20. Liberia and Sierra Leone Reaffirm Blog https://www.wabicc.org/liberia-and-sierra-leone- Commitment for the Conservation and reaffirm-commitment-for-the-conservation-and- Shared Management of Gola Forest shared-management-of-gola-forest/ 21. Sustainable Farming Method Brings New Blog https://www.wabicc.org/sustainable-farming- Hope for the Conservation of Gola method-brings-new-hope-for-the-conservation-of- Forest National Park gola-forest-national-park/ 22. WA BiCC and UNDP Scale Up Blog https://www.wabicc.org/wa-bicc-and-undp-scale-up- Entertainment-Education Efforts to entertainment-education-efforts-to-increase- Increase Coastal Resilience to Climate coastal-resilience-to-climate-change-in-sierra-leone/ Change in Sierra Leone 23. Climate Information Training Helps Sierra Blog https://www.wabicc.org/climate-information- Leone Better Tackle Climate Change training-helps-sierra-leone-better-tackle-climate- change/

24. Earth Day Ghana 2020 Video Contest Blog https://www.wabicc.org/earth-day-ghana-2020- video-contest/ 25. Women in the Wild: Meet the Female Exposure https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/women-in-the-wild Ecoguards Protecting Liberia’s Forests 26. Honey Money Exposure https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/honey-money

27. Guardians of the Forest Exposure https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/guardians-of-the- forest 28. The Hunter Exposure https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/the-hunter

29. Sierra Leone Chief: “Conservation is Exposure https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/sierra-leone-chief- Everything to Us” conservation-is-everything-to-us

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30. Gold Mining: The Environmental & Exposure https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/gold-mining Human Costs 31. Saving Liberia Through Drama & Exposure https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/saving-liberia- Laughter through-drama-laughter 32. Saving Money & the Rainforest in Sierra Exposure https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/saving-money-the- Leone rainforest-in-sierra-leone 33. Protecting the Shorelines of Kortimow & Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AcO2glFQ68 Momaya Islands in Coastal Sierra Leone &t=181s 34. Women in the Wild: Meet the Female Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLNwkuzmN0 Ecoguards Protecting Liberia’s Forests Q 35. Papermaking with Water Hyacinth: Eco Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MV65qs2c8Q Innovation in Ghana 36. Weaving with Water Hyacinth: Eco Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkGQxTeBzGk Innovation in Ghana 37. Watasay Ston Radio Drama Audio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d11qZclKyC4&l ist=PLMSXvgmBdWG9KnD9SsyjRxbqDmqzOlP_T 38. Sasraku: The Secret Within Comic https://www.wabicc.org/mdocs-posts/sasraku-the- book secret-within/ 39. Season 2 of Watasay Ston Radio Drama Blog https://www.wabicc.org/season-2-of-watasay-ston- Successfully Passes Another Phase radio-drama-successfully-passes-another-phase/ 40 Forest Blessings Radio Drama Launched Blog https://www.wabicc.org/forest-blessings-radio- Across the Mano River Union drama-launched-across-the-mano-river-union/ 41 Emerging Leaders Provide New Research Blog https://www.wabicc.org/emerging-leaders-provide- and Tools to Fight Illegal Wildlife new-research-and-tools-to-fight-illegal-wildlife- Trafficking trafficking/ 42 A Reflection on World Environment Day: Blog https://www.wabicc.org/a-reflection-on-world- Is There Really A Silver Lining for Nature environment-day-is-there-really-a-silver-lining-for- Amidst This Pandemic? nature-amidst-this-pandemic/ 43 Global Mamas’ Face Masks Protecting the Blog https://www.wabicc.org/global-mamas-face-masks- Public and Preserving Women’s protecting-the-public-and-preserving-womens- Livelihoods livelihoods/ 44 Improved Law Enforcement Blog https://www.wabicc.org/improved-law- Coordination Leads to Two Convictions enforcement-coordination-leads-to-two- for Illegal Poaching and Pet Trading in convictions-for-illegal-poaching-and-pet-trading-in- Liberia liberia/ 45 WA BiCC Training Positions Global Blog https://www.wabicc.org/wa-bicc-training-positions- Mamas Staff to Further Empower global-mamas-staff-to-further-empower-women- Women and Communities and-communities/ 46 Farmer Associations in Sierra Leone and Blog https://www.wabicc.org/farmers-associations-in- Liberia Leveraged to Improve Crop sierra-leone-and-liberia-leveraged-to-improve-crop- Production and Boost Incomes production-and-boost-incomes/ 47 Elephants Against Climate Change Blog https://www.wabicc.org/elephants-against-climate- change/ 48 Elephants’ “Road Trip” from Guinea to Blog https://www.wabicc.org/elephants-road-trip-from- Liberia Shows Promise of Transboundary guinea-to-liberia-shows-promise-of-transboundary- Agreements agreements/ 49 Saving People and Mangroves on Sierra Exposure https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/saving-people-and- Leone’s Coast mangroves-on-sierra-leones-coast 50 People Make the Park Exposure https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/people-make-the- park 51 Sweet Saviors of Biodiversity Exposure https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/sweet-saviors-of- biodiversity 52 Into the Jungle: A Rescue Mission in Comic https://www.wabicc.org/mdocs-posts/into-the- Kabiti book jungle-a-rescue-mission-in-kabiti/

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53 The Curse of the O’Wele Mangrove Comic To be published in October 2020 book 54 Forest Blessings Radio Drama Audio https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMSXvgmB dWG821467Dmj-otwQhSD4yv4Y 55 Building Capacity for Wildlife Law Video To be published in October 2020 Enforcement in West Africa (Part 3) 56 Biomonitoring in West the Forests of Video To be published in October 2020 West Africa

Table 6: Additional communications products like fact sheets, stories, technical briefs, posters, and magazines produced in FY20. TYPE PRODUCT NAME (Location: WA BiCC RESOURCE CENTER) https://www.wabicc.org/en/resource-center/ Factsheets Combating Wildlife Trafficking in Burkina Faso Combating Wildlife Trafficking in Ghana Combating Wildlife Trafficking in Guinea Combating Wildlife Trafficking in Liberia Combating Wildlife Trafficking in Nigeria Combating Wildlife Trafficking in Sierra Leone Combating Wildlife Trafficking in Togo A New Coastal Chiefdom Network Formed to Manage Coastal Sierra Leone’s Natural Resources Pointe-Noire Protocol: Integrated Coastal Zone Management Calabar Protocol: Sustainable Mangrove Management Sierra Leone’s Climate Change: A Briefing Note on Processes and Prospects for West Africa Pangolin Fact Sheet Report or Other WA BiCC‘s Contribution to the Abidjan Convention: Development, Adoption, and Initial Technical Document Implementation of the Convention’s Protocol on Sustainable Mangrove Management Enhancing Community Engagement for Sustainable Forest Management in the Mano River Union Graduates’ Theses Topics and Documents of the WA BiCC-Sponsored CITES Master’s Program Understanding Threats to West African Biodiversity and Linkages to Wildlife Trafficking: Liberia Field Assessment Report Understanding Threats to West African Biodiversity and Linkages to Wildlife Trafficking: Sierra Leone Field Assessment Report Understanding Threats to West African Biodiversity and Linkages to Wildlife Trafficking: Ghana Field Assessment Report Understanding Threats to West African Biodiversity and Linkages to Wildlife Trafficking: Burkina Faso Field Assessment Report Understanding Threats to West African Biodiversity and Linkages to Wildlife Trafficking: Guinea Field Assessment Report Understanding Threats to West African Biodiversity and Linkages to Wildlife Trafficking: Nigeria Field Assessment Report Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Guidelines Literature Review in Preparation of the Co-Management Plan for the Sherbro River Estuary Emerging Leaders Provide New Research and Tools to Fight Illegal Wildlife Trafficking Understanding Threats to West African Biodiversity and Linkages to Wildlife Trafficking: Togo Field Assessment Report

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Building Resilience to Climate Change in the Fresco Coastal Landscape: Analysis and Recommendations for Management of Port Gauthier and Okromoudou Classified Forests West Africa Marine Turtle Assessment Report: Current status, gaps, and opportunities for strengthening marine turtle conservation in West Africa Mapping West Africa’s Low Elevation Coastal Zones Intensive Training Camp on Permaculture Practices in Humid Tropical Areas and Creation of a Permaculture Farm School in Taï, Côte d’Ivoire Report on the Workshop on Climate Information for Adaptation Planning (Liberia) Climate Change Adaptation Plan Launch Report A Living Manual for Climate Information for Adaptation Planning Magazine Resilient West Africa: Forging a Sustainable Future in a Threatened Landscape

Poster Protected Animals of Liberia

Editor’s forum in Sierra Leone. An editor’s forum and field trip to Sierra Leone took place in November 2019 to better understand editorial perspectives and decision making for reporting on environmental issues and to exchange ideas with journalists on environmental and conservation challenges. The forum was a follow-up to a workshop for journalists held in Accra in May 2019. The forum included a field trip to the Sherbro River Estuary villages of Keiga, Momaya, and Gbomgboma, where WA BiCC has worked with communities to support mangrove restoration, coastal embankments, agroforestry and VSLAs. Forum participants had the opportunity to interview community members to write stories about conservation and WA BiCC. The forum and field trip resulted in three published newspaper stories, including one also published online: http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/wabicc-and-the-future-of-coastal-people-in-sierra- leone. Liberian journalists in Gola. As part of ongoing efforts to increase media engagement and boost journalists’ ability to report on environmental issues in West Africa, a field trip was organized in February 2020 for six Monrovia-based journalists to report on livelihood projects coordinated by grantee Society for the Conservation of Nature in Liberia (SCNL) in communities located near the Gola Forest National Park. There, journalists interviewed villagers involved in rice, cocoa, and groundnut farming, as well as those who have benefited from involvement in VSLAs. They also learned more about how these livelihood projects are key to helping communities refrain from practices that threaten the forest and its wildlife, including illegal hunting/poaching, artisanal mining, and deforestation.

Journalists are interviewed following WA Journalists team up to interview BiCC training on 98.2 FM community members impacts of rice and groundnut farming initiatives

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Following the field visit, participants published seven news stories in Liberian media outlets:

● Liberia: Illegal Mining Polluting Water in Grand Cape Mount County ● Tapping the Economic and Conservation Benefits of Bee Farming ● Sierra Leone: Liberia, Sierra Leone Sign Gola Transboundary Forest MOU ● Tapping the Economic and Conservation Benefits of Bee Farming ● Gola Nat’l Peace Park under Threat? ● USAID-Funded WA BiCC Project Impacts Behavior Change ● Sayon’s Report Comic book series launch. The first digital edition of the comic book series Sasraku was launched in March 2020, and it was viewed nearly 1,000 times in the first month. Saskru’s distribution plan and rollout, which includes selected schools across West Africa, was put on hold due to COVID-19 but continued virtually with some copies being distributed in September once travel restrictions were lifted. The comic book can now be downloaded as a PDF or viewed as a flipbook in English and French.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR SNAPSHOTS A snapshot of progress as measured through the project performance indicators for cross-cutting activities is depicted below. Details can be found in Annex 1, Performance Indicator Results.

3.5 MONITORING AND EVALUATION OUTPUTS and RESULTS FPR THE REPORTING PERIOD Data Quality Assessment (DQA) and capacity assessment reports (Output) Institutions with improved capacity to address sustainable landscapes issues (Result. Ind. 9)

In addition to the implementation of the M&E Plan, including monitoring of performance indicators (see Annex 1), the majority of M&E activities in FY20 are integrated into the component and cross- cutting activities section. The activities not captured under the component and cross-cutting activities include the following:

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Learning events. A learning event focused on lessons from community forestry experiences and links to other issues such as mining and GESI across West Africa was planned for Q2 but postponed due to the coronavirus and restrictions. The final learning event to showcase grantee learning and best practices from the transboundary landscapes was also planned in the period. Given continued restrictions, the program used remote and online platforms to ensure that the modified learning exchange events took place. An informal project performance review was conducted of two of the early closing grants, i.e. The Fibers of Change project implemented by Global Mamas and the ZWW grant implemented by FFI. This exercise involved an internal review by the technical team, sharing data with the grantee, and a virtual meeting with the grantee to reflect on findings. This exercise proved to be very useful learning for the grantees involved, but also emphasized points of focus for the management of the active grants. A final learning event to showcase grantee learning and best practices from the transboundary landscapes was incorporated into WA BiCC’s closeout events, alongside the two additional component webinars. In particular, the Component 3 webinar was designed along thematic areas, such that grantees were encouraged to work with each other to ensure that results presented reflected all landscapes. The process was mediated by the technical team through several pre- webinar sessions. The webinars are scheduled for November and December 2020. M&E training for grantees. To strengthen the capacity of grantees to monitor activities and to reinforce the reliability of data submitted to USAID, data quality assessments (DQA) were conducted to identify possible weaknesses in their M&E systems and check on the completeness of supporting documentation. The MEL team visited grantees working in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire to assess data quality and required documentation and to assist in preparing reports. DQAs were conducted for WCF, FFI, RSPB, IMPACTUM SCNL, Partners in Development (PADEV) and Notre Forêt, Notre Avenir. The M&E capacities of grantees were assessed using the M&E Capacity Assessment Tool (MECAT), which was designed by WA BiCC. The tool assesses six key M&E areas: resources; documentation; data management; data quality; evaluation and learning; and information use and dissemination. The assessment was then compared to the initial baseline conducted during the grantee selection process. The results revealed that all grantees have improved their M&E capacities during implementation. These improvements were measured and reported against indicators for institutional capacity improvement. The capacity building of landscapes partners was also monitored and assessed during the reporting period. Learning Agenda. Under a subcontract with MSI, four main learning questions were defined for partners and beneficiaries. Key informants were then interviewed in Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Nigeria, where the impacts of WA BiCC programming could be observed in the field. The four learning questions and anticipated products are summarized in the table below.

LEARNING RELATED FOCUS DELIVERABLE QUESTION TOC LQ1: How has WA BiCC Overarchin Show policy to practice Overall WA-BiCC influenced changes in g vertical loop (international, links to policy policies or legal regional, national, local, and infographics with 2- frameworks impacting vice versa). Framework is page synthesis brief regional bodies and how regional partner strategies 3-5-page report per have these flowed down and policy protocols component focused to national and local Comp 1: Focus on the on policy process entities? regional CWT strategy

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What examples of Comp 2: Focus on CCAP and Presentation slides disseminated models, NAP tools, or practices in the Comp 3: Focus on Sapo NP field have been integrated management structure into local, national, or regional entities? LQ2: Have climate change Comp 2 Focus on participants and 5-page report that vulnerability assessments organizations involved in the includes process map (CCVA) and related CCVA process (national and (including lessons actions led to policy regional level only). Analysis learned) focused on reform or improvements to focus on actions linked to Fresco experience in the enabling national or regional entities Vignette brief environment? and where is the most focused on process effective uptake. from CCVA to co- management plan Presentation slides

LQ3: What are the Comp 3 Are the drivers of 5-page report challenges in targeting and deforestation, degradation, Presentation slides engaging stakeholders in and wildlife depletion sustainable landscape understood by grantees and projects? community members? What mitigation activities or strategies were employed by grantees to address those drivers? LQ4: What have we Comp 3 Focus on common 5-page report learned from transboundary issues Vignette brief on transboundary identified by national collaboration related management approaches counterparts (building to transboundary (enforcement, consensus): issue governance, etc.)? Bilateral process ● Presentation slides Results ● Raw video footage ● Lessons learned challenges

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4.0 GRANTS MANAGEMENT

A total of 15 grants under contract were issued over the life of the project, with a total value of $11,353,817. This figure does not take into account the unspent funds under two grants that were closed out prior to completion for reasons described below. Total actual grant expenditures as of the end of September 2020 amounted to $10,976,691. As of September 30, 2020, there still are five active grants, eight have been closed out, and two were ended and closed out prematurely. Completed Grants During FY 2020, seven grants were fully closed out. Close out processes include ensuring final technical and financial reports are submitted and reviewed and approved, processing final payments for billable expenses incurred within the authorized grant implementation period, finalizing inventory and planning for its disposition (including completing necessary title transfer documentation), and completing and submitting a grant completion certificate. The list of grants fully closed out in FY20 is as follows: ● In-kind grant to Ivorian Forests Development Agency (SODEFOR) for one 4x4 vehicle to support fieldwork and monitoring. ● In-kind grant to Forest Development Authority of Liberia (FDA) for one 4x4 vehicle and three motorbikes to support field work and monitoring. ● In-kind grant to National Office of Parks and Reserves (OIPR) for one 4x4 vehicle to support field work and monitoring. ● Fauna and Flora International (FFI) ZWW grant to support Conserving and Connecting the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi Transboundary Forest Landscape between Guinea and Liberia. ● Global Mamas grant to support the Fibres of Change project. ● International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) CITES 2 to support a second cohort of ECOWAS Students’ CITES Research. ● United National University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (INU-INRA) to support a climate change vulnerability assessment in the Fresco Landscape in Côte d’Ivoire. Grantee Cost Extensions and Reductions Global Mamas. In April 2020, Global Mamas received a $30,000 cost extension to enable the production of nearly 22,000 non-medical facemasks in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus. This raised the ceiling of their grant to $237,307. The increase was in direct response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as it began to affect Ghana. A final amendment to the Global Mamas grant agreement was signed in May 2020, extending the end date of the grant to June 30, 2020. The additional scope of work—mask production and dissemination—was completed by June 30, and close out was completed by July 31, 2020. IMPACTUM. In May 2020, IMPACTUM received a $59,932 cost extension that enabled them to continue supporting livelihood activities in beneficiary communities in the Fresco coastal landscape and expand their work to include four additional activities to bolster results. The activities include: 1) a study on sustainable options for the management of the mouth of the lagoon and their impacts on the coastline, 2) designing an integrated local development plan for the Fresco landscape, 3) a land use study on the regenerated secondary forest on a hill near the mouth of the lagoon that includes relics from colonial occupation, and 4) conducting a workshop to validate the prior feasibility study regarding the restoration and durable management of classified forests in Port Gauthier and Okromoudou. The amendment raised the grant ceiling to $501,620 and extended the end date of the grant to July 31, 2020, and a further no-cost extension and amendment changed the end-date of their grant to October 31, 2020 as a result of a no-cost extension of WA BiCC through February 2021.

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EUCORD. In June 2020, IMPACTUM received a $14,801 cost extension that enabled them to cover additional costs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This raised the grant ceiling to $244,797. The additional funds enabled EUCORD to reorganize their approach and follow restrictions on social gatherings and social distancing measures imposed by the government in Guinea while delivering on community tree planting activities aimed at sensitizing communities on maintaining biodiversity through agroforestry. A final amendment to their grant agreement extended the end date of their grant to September 30 by which time all activities were complete. Final deliverables will be received in October when the grant will be officially closed out. Fauna Flora International in TGKS. In May 2020, FFI’s grant entitled Strengthening Multi- Stakeholder Management of the Taï-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo Transboundary Forest Landscape between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire received a $70,377 cost extension to enable them to continue implementing core activities through June 30, 2020 (a two-month extension). This raised the grant ceiling to $2,641,897. Fauna Flora International in ZWW. In January 2020, FFI’s grant to support Conserving and Connecting the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi Transboundary Forest Landscape between Guinea and Liberia was amended to reduce the overall grant ceiling by $38,160, to conduct a budget realignment, and to extend the end date of the grant to March 30, 2020. This reduced the grant ceiling to $2,061,840. In April 2020, the grant agreement was further amended to extend the end date of the grant activity to June 30, 2020 to enable FFI to review and finalize work contracted out to consultants, complete final technical and financial reports, and complete other close out documentation. The grant was officially closed out by September 30 and the close out certificate will be sent in October. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). In January 2020, RSPB’s grant entitled Community Landscape Management to Reduce Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss in the Gola Transboundary Forest Landscape was amended to reduce the overall grant ceiling by $52,931, realign the budget, and extend the end date of the grant to June 30, 2020. This reduced the grant ceiling of to $1,830,800. This reduction was done in view of under spending and concerns that they would not be able to spend enough to reach the ceiling. In June 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and interrupted field activities, the grant was amended to authorize spending on non-medical grade PPE needed to implement field activities in compliance with host country government-issued recommendations. The amendment also authorized spending on the production and dissemination of informational fliers, posters, and T-shirts focusing on the link between conservation and zoonotic diseases and appropriate hygiene and social distancing measures to ensure human health. This amendment also extended the end date of RSPB’s grant to August 31, 2020. Grants in Close-Out Phase. As of September 30th, the following grants are still in the process of being closed out. Extensions were considered and agreed as a result of a non-cost extension from USAID that modified WA BiCC’s end date from mid-December 2020 until the end of February 2021. Details on the status of their close out are as follows: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF). In May 2020, WCF received an amendment to their grant titled Strengthening Multi-Stakeholder management of the Tai-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo Transboundary Forest Landscape between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire to extend the end date to August 31, 2020. While field activities effectively ended on this date, WCF still had to finalize technical and financial reports, issue expense reports, complete title transfer documentation for inventory procured under the grant, and complete its grant close out certificate. These will be completed by November 2020. RSPB: As of September 30, 2020, the RSPB grant close-out processes are nearly complete. RSPB still must submit its final technical and expense report, signed close-out certificate, and outstanding financial tax reports for FY 2019 and 2020. RSPB is expected to complete this paperwork by November 2020. FFI TGKS: As of September 30, 2020, close out of FFI’s ZWW grant is nearly complete. FFI still must complete the final technical and financial reports, WA BiCC needs to pay FFI for the final expenses incurred and collect from FFI a signed close-out certificate and financial tax report for FY2020. The grantee is expected to complete the reports and paperwork by November 2020.

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IMPACTUM: In August 2020, IMPACTUM received an amendment to extend the end date of the grant to October 31, 2020, which will enable them to complete additional workshops and studies. As of September 30, 2020, a second title transfer document was signed to transfer durable equipment and materials procured since the previous title transfer was completed (prior to the cost extension). Going forward, WA BiCC will work with IMPACTUM to collect and approve the remaining close out documentation including the final technical and financial reports, financial tax report for FY 2020, and a signed grant completion certificate, expected to be completed by November 2020. EUCORD: EUCORD completed grant activities by September 30 as per the latest amendment to their grant agreement and are expected to submit their final two deliverables in early October. Thereafter, all that remains to be done in order to officially close out this grant is to pay EUCORD for the final two deliverables and collect a close out certificate from them, expected by mid-October. Grants Closed Prematurely. Two grants awarded in FY 2019 were terminated in FY 2020 for the following reasons: CERATH Development Organization (CDO): A grant titled Enhancing Coastal Resilience to Climate Change in the Western Region of Ghana totaling $199,023 was awarded to CDO on September 10, 2019 in order to enhance the coastal resilience of fishing communities and ecosystems within the Shama District of Ghana. In January 2020, the WA BiCC noted several irregularities in CDO’s financial reporting, ultimately leading to a stop-work order issued to CDO management on February 7, 2020. As per procedure, WA BiCC notified the USAID Inspector General, and WA BiCC’s COR and A/COR in Accra. Based on further internal investigations, a decision was made to terminate this grant prematurely. A grant termination letter was issued to CERATH on June 24, 2020. Agriculture and Climate Empowerment Center (ACEC) Sierra Leone: A grant titled Bio- Stove Project totaling $198,033 was awarded to ACEC on November 19, 2019 to reduce deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss in the Port Loko District by raising awareness of the importance of sustainable consumption of charcoal through the adoption of improved cook stoves. In January 2020, WA BiCC noted several irregularities in terms of the treatment of ACEC payroll and with respect to several receipts submitted to justify funds spent. This raised considerable concern regarding ACEC’s capacity to manage a USAID-funded activity. When these concerns were presented to ACEC, in an email dated March 4, 2020, along with options to build their capacity to be able to effectively manage USAID funds on a cost-reimbursement basis rather than an advanced- based arrangement, ACEC opted to withdraw from the grant. WA BiCC received ACEC’s letter of withdrawal from the grant on March 9, 2020. Subsequently, all grant closeout paperwork was completed, and the grant was officially closed out by June 25, 2020. Monitoring and Administration of Grants Monitoring. During the first half of FY 2020, one to two grant management monitoring visits were conducted to WCF, FFI, RSPB, IMPACTUM and Global Mamas. These routine visits were organized to verify the various grant management processes and procedures with respect to procurement, sub grant and subcontract management, financial management and reporting, human resources management, maintenance of filing systems, inventory, and other areas to ensure compliance with all relevant rules and regulations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in March 2020, planned additional field-based monitoring visits to WCF, FFI, RSPB, IMPACTUM were not undertaken. A field-based monitoring visit was, however, conducted with Global Mamas in March 2020 to verify the various grant management processes and procedures mentioned above. For other grantees, remote monitoring of these aspects was intense and continued throughout the remainder of FY20. Grantee operations. The large transboundary forest landscape grantees—WCF, FFI, and RSPB— hit peak performance during the first half of FY20 in terms of activity implementation and spending and began winding down and transitioning into close out mode in July-September 2020. For details on

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 72 technical performance, please see activities under Component Three and Annexes 2-7. The COVID-19 pandemic began affecting grant implementation in April-May 2020 as restrictions on the number of people allowed at social gatherings and social distancing protocols were adopted by West African countries. This led to the reorganization of some activities planned under various grants, and the cancellation of others. Since the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with the winding down of some of the larger grants, FFI ZWW and TGKS, and RSPB in particular, remaining activities mainly included report writing and the wrapping up of subcontracts. Consulting agreements that could be done remotely were largely unaffected. As detailed above, several of the grantees received extensions, and/or additional funds to continue implementing their original scope of work or to expand it in response to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A list of all grants, including the name of the grantee, a short description of the grant, the total amount and amount disbursed to date, and status as of September 30, 2020, is presented in the table below. References to select grantees’ Final (End of Project) Reports in this report’s annexes are also included in the table.

No. Grantee Grant Description and Link to Report Grant Amount Disbursed through Status September 2020 Support community landscape management to reduce deforestation and biodiversity loss in the Gola Transboundary Royal Society for Forest Landscape by supporting and empowering local WABiCC-G- the Protection of communities in the targeted forest corridor areas to become $1,830,800 $1,619,764 Ongoing RSPB-001 Birds active stewards of the natural resources, which underpin their livelihoods. See Annex 2 for a summary of the grantee’s SAR. Strengthen multi-stakeholder management of the Taï-Grebo- Krahn-Sapo transboundary forest landscape (TGKS) by WABiCC-G- Wild Chimpanzee supporting and empowering local communities in key forest $3,080,092 $3,068,728 Ongoing WCF-001 Foundation corridor areas to become active stewards of the natural resources, which underpin their livelihoods. See Annex 3 for a summary of the grantee’s SAR. Contribute to and help promote innovative multi-stakeholder management of the TGKS to strengthen forest and biodiversity WABiCC-G- Fauna-Flora conservation and management, enhance forest governance, $2,641,897 $2,566,038 Ongoing FFI-001 International explore sustainable funding through market-based mechanisms such as REDD+, and support community livelihoods. See Annex 4 for a summary of the grantee’s SAR. Promote innovative collaborative management of the Ziama- Wonegizi-Wologizi-Foya Transboundary Forest Landscape WABiCC-G- Fauna-Flora between Liberia and Guinea that strengthens forest conservation, $2,061,840 $2,061,840 Completed FFI-002 International protects biodiversity, ensures connectivity between sites, enhances forest governance, and improves the livelihoods of the people in the landscape. A final report of activities is currently

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being prepared summarizing FY20 activities. This project concluded in March 2020.

Conduct a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment in the WA BiCC-G- UNU Institute for Fresco Landscape in Côte d’Ivoire, conduct an options analysis, UNU-INRA- Natural Resources $109,054 $109,054 Completed and provide recommendations for follow on support from WA 001 in Africa BiCC and/or other stakeholders. Increase the current knowledge of CITES students and regional focal points and develop a broader regional pool of trained WABiCC-G- professionals working closely on CITES issues. This will be IUCN $150,836 $150,836 Completed IUCN-001 achieved by supporting students attending the CITES master’s program to complete their theses and share acquired knowledge and learning. Increase the current knowledge of CITES students and regional focal points and develop a broader regional pool of trained WABiCC-G- professionals working closely on CITES issues. This will be IUCN $204,378 $203,456 Completed IUCN-002 achieved by supporting students attending the CITES master’s program to complete their theses and share acquired knowledge and learning. WABiCC-G- In-kind grant to support field activities, community awareness OIPR $43,448 $43,766 Completed OIPR-001 building, and monitoring of protected areas (one 4x4 vehicle). WABICC-G- In-kind grant to support field activities, community awareness SODEFOR- SODEFOR $43,448 $43,766 Completed building, and monitoring of protected areas (one 4x4 vehicle). 001 In-kind grant to support field activities, community awareness WABICC-G- FDA building, and monitoring of protected areas (one 4x4 vehicle and $38,700 $38,700 Completed FDA-001 3 motorcycles). Promote the integration of climate change into sectorial policies and strategies and development planning and strengthen the WABICC-G- institutional and legal framework; improve national knowledge on IMPACTUM- IMPACTUM climate change; promote actions to mitigate greenhouse gas $501,620 $495,341 Ongoing 001 emissions; promote adaptation to climate change; and manage the risks of natural disasters. See Annex 5 for a summary of grantee SARs. WA BiCC-G- Global Mamas Protect and advance biodiversity in the degraded forest area Global along the Volta River near Akuse by creating sustainable Mamas-001 livelihoods and strengthening the management of community- $237,307 $237,307 Completed based conservation efforts and establishing alternative revenue streams through handcrafting and selling products that make sustainable use of natural resources. See Annex 6 for summary of

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grantee’s SAR.

WA BiCC-G- EUCORD Involve the private sector in sustainable and environmentally EUCORD-001 friendly livelihoods in forest-buffer communities in the Kindia region of Guinea. Activities focus on promoting sustainable $244,797 $172,497 Ongoing management practices for mango and pineapple production and planting forest tree species within the Kindia landscape. WA BiCC-G- CERATH (CDO) Stop Work CERATH-001 Work in partnership with private sector partner NA Energy Order issued Solutions (NA Energy) and the District Assembly of Shama in the Feb 2020, $199,023 $105,276 western region of Ghana to promote clean energy technologies Termination within the fish-smoking sector. letter June 2020 WA BiCC-G- ACEC Withdrew Reduce deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss in ACEC-001 from grant Port Loko District of Sierra Leone through raising awareness of $198,033 $60,322 March 2020; the importance of sustainable consumption of charcoal through Closed out increased adoption of improved cook stoves. June 2020 TOTAL $11,585,2731 $10,976,691

1 This total surpasses the total value of the WA BiCC grants budget of $11,367,533 because it includes the full value of the original ACEC and CERATH grants, which were closed out prematurely prior to reaching their ceiling and the total of the CITES 2 grant which ended under ceiling. Comparing the column showing funds disbursed through September 2020 to the total value of WA BiCC approved grant funds shows remaining grant funds of $390,842 as of September 30, 2020.

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5.0 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

5.1 Overview FY20, the final year of implementation, provided the program with valuable opportunities as well as extremely unique challenges. A significant opportunity was the time and cost extension awarded to the program in September 2019, prior to the end of FY19 and the beginning of FY20. The award extended the contract termination date from May 4, 2020 to December 16, 2020, approximately 7.5 months for the implementation or scaling up of ongoing activities and just under USD $4.75M in additional funds to invest in these activities. In line with the Request for Proposal (RFP) from USAID for the costed extension, activities focused on three core thematic areas that have been reported on in Section 3: Activities and Results. Major activities include:

● Continue the WA BiCC grants under contract (GUC) program in the terrestrial upper Guinea Forest system. As a result of the GUC program, USAID expected to have a new bench of local implementing partners to work with in the future. At the time of the RFP, the work of the grantees, then firmly established on the ground, had achieved significant results and momentum. The extension period provided the time and resources for grantees to implement activities over an entire agricultural cycle thus further consolidating capacities and skills while building additional capacities to ensure sustainability for conservation and livelihood outcomes. ● Strengthen the local governance structures for coastal mangrove ecosystem management producing results in carbon sequestration. The extension period allowed the program to further implement and consolidate activities that strengthen policy and governance systems for mangrove ecosystem conservation and management at national and local levels of government in Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire. As reported, additional results during the extension period included the finalization and validation of the Co- Management Plan in Sierra Leone’s Sherbro River Estuary and the training of local partner NGO and grantee IMPACTUM on the use of the AFOLU carbon calculator to ensure local capacity to monitor carbon storage and uptake in mangrove as well as upland watershed forest ecosystems. ● Technical assistance on policy harmonization and scaling up the training program on CWT. The extension period provided an opportunity to continue working with ECOWAS to complete the West Africa Strategy for Comba ting Wildlife Crime and for six ECOWAS Member States to complete their national Biodiversity/CWT Threats Assessments, bringing the total number of these national baseline documents to thirteen. The extension period also provided the opportunity to scale up trainings on CWT policies, investigations, prosecutions, CITES awareness, WildScan, and other topics relevant to CITES and law enforcement authorities across the region. Since the cost extension was awarded prior to FY20, WA BiCC was able to develop a full 12 month AWP for FY20, with grant and subcontract close- out beginning only towards the end (Q4) of the FY20 rather than at the beginning of FY20 Q2 as planned. As in previous years, all work plan activities, M&E plans, grants, subcontracts, and contracts were closely monitored and adapted on a quarterly basis, while maintaining a focus on knowledge and management learning (KML) in the final year and months. KML activities include the compliance and submission of all relevant and required documents on the Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC). There are no concerns with invoicing to USAID, and presently there is no need to realign any budget line items. In March 2020, the obligation amount was increased, and the program is now fully funded up to the revised ceiling amount in the September 2019 cost modification.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 76 5.2 Implementation During COVID-19 and No-Cost Extension The unique challenge of COVID-19 appeared about mid-way into the implementation of the FY20 AWP. In March 2020, WA BiCC management took steps to adapt the work plan to ensure that activities were adapted to ensure that the AWP could be completed as close to possible as initially agreed. Despite travel restrictions on the movement of WA BiCC and partner staff in West Africa and beyond, many of the grantees and staff working within national boundaries were able to continue with activities with fewer interruptions once the initial, strict lock-down periods were eased on a country-by-country basis. This includes the ongoing work in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. Certain training activities that were planned with external trainers and/or experts, particularly related to CWT, took longer to implement due to restrictions on local and global travel. These activities were eventually retooled to take place remotely, and what had been planned as sub- regional training activities were separated into national level activities. While this took more time, effort, and logistics, the net result was more people being trained in more countries. The restrictions on travel by WA BiCC staff and work from home protocols provided an increased opportunity for component and cross-cutting leads to invest additional time to focus on one of the program’s main FY20 objectives: advancing KML outputs and products, disseminating these to policy makers and practitioners, and uploading all relevant documents to the DEC. To a great degree, consultants were able to fulfill their contractual obligations, and grantees and subcontractors were able to readjust their timelines to achieve their objectives. However, to achieve the maximum results of the work plan and undertake as many planned activities as possible, WA BiCC management saw the need to request a short no-cost extension (NCE). USAID granted the request in August and the final end date for WA BiCC was modified from December 16, 2020 to February 28, 2021. This short extension will allow for additional training and field activities to continue through December and into FY21, with January and February reserved for final KML production, close-out of subcontracts and grants and final reporting. M&E reporting was adjusted as a consequence and the final report will include a short summary of those activities undertaken in FY21, the results of which will also be included in indicator reporting.

5.2 Staffing A closeout plan was developed for the phasing out of positions towards the end of the contract. In the first quarter of FY20, the following positions, considered effective for program implementation, management, and close-out, were filled: 1. Communications Manager – Ghana (local hire who had relocated to Accra for personal reasons. Formerly worked at U.S. Embassy Accra and Kingston) 2. Grants Specialist – Ghana (mainly to support the additional grants management related to the PPP grants that were awarded later in the Program and extended under the costed extension)

In spite of adjusting the NCE to specific COVID delays, the phase out plan for most technical staff positions was maintained. Under the NCE the following skeleton staff will be maintained to manage final activities, closeout, and reporting: - COP - DCOP/Operations - Finance Manager - M&E Specialist - Logistics, procurement and close-out support

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 77 5.3 Close Out Planning After receiving the no-cost extension in August 2020 modifying the end date to February 28, the close out process was adjusted accordingly and will be undertaken between Q4 and into Q1-2 FY21. The NCE did not impact the phase-out of staff positions as originally planned, with the bulk of all technical positions closing out by the end of October. To compensate for the phase-out of positions, the program engaged many technical staff members as short-term technical experts to contribute to the finalization of specific activities in their portfolios and to contribute to close out webinars and related activities. An equipment disposition plan was submitted and approved in July and the disposition of equipment to partners across the region continues.

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FY2020 Performance Indicator Results Performance TARGETS FY20 Results PERFORMANCE No Indicator LOP Target FY20 FY20 LOP FY20 TOTAL Number of people 1,835 303 305 1837 100.7% 100.1% trained on climate change adaptation 1 supported by USG assistance (USAID Indicator EG.11.1) Men 243 1345 Women 62 492 Comment: A total of 305 people (243 males and 62 females) were trained on issues relating to climate change adaptation. An inception training was organized for new grantee CERATH’s coastal adaptation activities to strengthen capacities of 6 people (3 males and 3 females) on gender, communication and advocacy, and 7 people (4 males and 3 females) were trained on M&E for adaptation reporting. Trainings on ‘The Effective Use of Climate Information for Adaptation Planning’ were held in Liberia for 16 people (14 males and 2 females), Sierra Leone for 26 people (24 males and 2 females), Côte d’Ivoire for 46 people (36males, 10 females) and Senegal for 19 people (12 males 7 females). A total of 9 people (4 males and 5 females) from the Abidjan Convention (AbC) and IMPACTUM were trained on electronic data collection to enhance their respective adaptation activities and 8 people (7 males and 1 female) from those same partner organizations received training on the AFOLU tool for carbon stock assessment. IMPACTUM also trained: 24 members (19 males, 5 females) of the local steering committee on effective management of the Fresco Lagoon; 22 (21 males and 1 female) local community members on the use of GPS for mapping, and; 53 local community on the construction of improved ovens for fish smoking. At the local level, 23 community members in the Sierra Leone coastal landscape were trained on Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methods related to adaptation. Also, 43 community leaders (35males and 8 females) belonging to the Sierra Leone Coastal Chiefs Natural Resource Management Network (CCNRMN) and Sherbro River Estuary Co-Management Committee (SRE CMC) were trained on proposal writing skills and resource mobilization for adaptation projects. Deviation: No deviation. Number of institutions with improved capacity to assess or address 2 120 68 76 128 111.8% 106.7% climate change risks supported by USG assistance (USAID Indicator EG.11.2)

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 79 National government 12 Sub-national 73 105 government Other 3 11 Comment: The capacities of core regional partners ECOWAS, MRU, the AbC, and local partner IMPACTUM to better assess or address climate change risks were reinforced in several ways. Fresco grantee IMPACTUM received continuous capacity building support especially on M&E systems. Organizational Capacity Assessments (OCA) conducted using the M&E Capacity Assessment Tool (MECAT) showed that IMPACTUM increased its capacities on M&E and are building strong M&E systems through staff training, developing new guides and tools, recruiting M&E staff, systematizing baseline surveys and evaluations to measure effectiveness and impact, developing learning activities and using the AFOLU calculator to conduct carbon stock assessments. The OCA Organizational Performance Index (OPI) for ECOWAS DoE showed increased capacity on issues relating to climate change adaptation. This increase is the result of the cumulative support received from WA BiCC over the LOP including for the design and implementation of a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, a Communications Strategy, staff trained on M&E, communications and language (English/French), and through the recruitment of a short term technical expert who provided hands on capacity building. The MRU’s OCA/OPI indicated increased capacity as a result of the development, procurement, and implementation of a new financial management and accounting system to increase performance, transparency, and accountability and the revision of its 5-year Strategic Plan and the development of an accompanying Action Plan. The OCA/OPI for the AbC showed increased capacity as a result of staff training on M&E, information technologies, and communication tools; the development, validation and implementation of a MEP and Communications Plan to measure progress on the formulation, domestication and implementation of new policies and strategies (e.g. domestication of the Protocols on Sustainable Mangrove Management and ICZM). The implementation of these different systems will allow the core regional partners to better share data and communicate information relating to climate change adaptation strategies, policies, and progress. To enhance the adaptive capacity of communities in the Sierra Leone Coastal Landscape, support was provided to establish and/or revamp 72 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). As local institutions the VSLAs contribute to building the capacity of their members by improving their financial capacity to adapt to climate change risks and impacts. A follow-up assessment showed that the 72 VSLAs increased their capacities as a result of training VSLA leaders on effective management of the VSLA model and supporting the development of constitutions as well as to formally register with the appropriate state institutions. Bookkeeping equipment and safes were also provided. Deviation: The over-achievement of the target by 11.8% is due to more VSLAs in the Sierra Leone coastal landscape showing improved capacity than anticipated due to increased local demand for support. Number of laws, 30 15 15 30 100.0% 100.0% policies, regulations, or standards addressing climate change adaptation 3 formally proposed, adopted or implemented as supported by USG assistance (USAID Indicator EG.11.3) Local 4 4 National 8 10 Regional 3 16

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 80

Proposed 1 2 Adopted 14 25 Implemented 3 Comment: Four national action plans and four accompanying roadmaps to advance the ratification and domestication of the Abidjan Convention (AbC) Protocols on ICZM and Sustainable Mangrove Management were developed in Liberia, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone. Support was also provided to finalize and validate the MRU Strategic Plan and accompanying Action Plan. Additionally, WA BiCC funded the development of a resource mobilization strategy for ECOWAS that includes mobilizing resources for climate change adaptation. At the local level, WA BiCC supported the validation of Sierra Leone’s Sherbro River Estuary Co-Management Plan and the Fresco Coastal Landscape grantee IMPACTUM supported the development of a Local Management Plan and the drafting of by-laws that prohibit the cutting of mangroves and ban the use of prohibited pesticides (chlordane and dieldrin) to preserve the water quality health in and around the lagoon and marine ecosystems. Deviation: No deviation. Number of countries that integrate coastal issues into their 4 6 5 5 6 100% 100% National Adaptation Plan (NAP) with USG assistance Comment: Significant progress was made to integrate coastal issues into NAP processes. A survey, conducted to inform the development of training materials for national trainings on the Effective Use of Climate Change Information for Adaptation Planning, showed that as a result of the two WA BiCC workshops in prior years, all 6 focal coastal NAP countries (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Guinea, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire) have integrated coastal issues explicitly into their NAPs. Sierra Leone was previously reported (FY19).

Deviation: No deviation. Amount of investment mobilized (in USD) for climate 5 6,500,000 3,700,000 12,337,830 15,388,712 333.5% 236.7% change adaptation as supported by USG assistance (EG.11.4)

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 81 Comment: A total of $12,337,830 was leveraged from other partners to support climate change adaptation. The AbC leveraged a grant of $495,000.00 from the FAO for the Coastal Fisheries Initiative, which includes Fresco as one of two target landscapes and further leveraged $135,280 from the European Commission-funded Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) project to implement the WA BiCC supported M&E Plan and activities defined in the Abidjan Aquatic Wildlife Partnership (AAWP). ECOWAS contributed $29,916 to complement United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and WA BiCC contributions towards ECOWAS’s Environmental Outlook workshop. An $11.6M grant to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and partner Wetlands International Africa was leveraged to build on, scale up, and implement climate change adaptation and biodiversity activities including mangrove conservation, management and restoration for West African coastal countries ranging from Senegal to Benin (excluding Côte d'Ivoire). The project proposal and supporting documentation contain language on strategies and activities taken directly from WA BiCC plans and documents. This leverage funding will build on and scale up WA BiCC activities and was not anticipated when the final LOP and FY20 targets were set. Deviation: The significant deviation was due to the $11.6mEU grant to IUCN, which was not anticipated. Indicator targets for LOP and FY20 were adjusted in May 2020 to reflect WA BiCC’s time and cost extension and anticipated effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on programming. The FY20 target was increased (from $300,000 to $3,700,000) whereas the Life of Project was reduced (from $9,000,000 to $6,500,000).

Number of people 7,425 2,300 2133 7,258 92.7% 97.8% supported by the 6 USG to adapt to the effects of climate change (EG 11.5) Men 1100 3322 Women 1033 3936 0 Local National 2133 7195 Regional 63 Comment: A total of 2,133 people (1,100 males and 1,033 females) were supported to adapt to the effect of Climate Change. This includes 23 local community animators (17males and 6 females) trained to conduct Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) on climate adaptation related issues and 33 people (27males and 6 females) trained on participatory mapping and basic GPS, all in the SLCLC. Following the latter training, the trainees worked with WA BiCC to map communities around the SRE as an input to the Co-Management Plan. Also, 568 people (235 males and 333 females) in the SLCLC’s VSLAs were supported to improve their financial capacities and skills to adapt to climate change risk and impacts. In the Fresco landscape, grantee IMPACTUM supported 1,509 (821 males and 688 females) to undertake various livelihood projects including cassava farming, processing and marketing and the buying, storing and marketing of fish.

Deviation: No significant deviation. Number of people 2,605 1,700 2,256 3161 132.7% 121.3% 7 using climate information or

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 82 implementing risk- reducing actions to improve resilience to climate change as supported by USG assistance (EG 11.6) Men 850 1322 Women 1406 1782 No Gender 0 57 disaggregation Comment: A total of 2,256 people (850 males and 1,406 females) received support to implement risk-reducing actions to improve resilience to climate change. Training in community mapping was provided to 33 community members (27 males and 6 females) from communities around the SRE. The training provided the skills needed to work with the WA BiCC landscape team to undertake community mapping for developing the SRE Co-Management Plan. Support to VSLAs in in the SLCLC resulted in 1,926 people (584 males and 1,342 females) being offered soft loans and capital through their VSLAs to engage in sustainable livelihood activities to enhance their financial resilience to climate change risks. An assessment of the VSLA activity showed that providing support to communities to finance alternative livelihoods activities, negative environmental practices such as cutting down mangroves and coastal sand mining were reduced. Fresco grantee IMPACTUM supported 297 people to engage in sustainable livelihood activities to enhance financial resilience to climate change risks.

Deviation: The FY20 target was exceeded by 32.7 % as more VSLA members engaged in risk reducing alternative livelihood activities to enhance financial resilience to climate change. The FY20 result contributed to the LOP target being exceeded by 21.3% Number of people 9,000 2,455 3,867 10,412 157.5% 115.7% trained on sustainable landscapes supported 8 by USG assistance (USAID Indicator EG.13.1) Men 2,117 6,401 Women 1,750 4,011 Comment: A total of 3,867 people (2,117 males and 1,750 females) were trained on sustainable landscapes. This includes: - Three (3) people (all male) from the ECOWAS DoE trained on the use of the newly agreed M&E indicators including those related to SL - Six (6) people (3 males and 3 females) from CERATH trained on gender, communications and advocacy and 7 people (4 males and 3 females) trained on M&E with a focus on the SL link to mangrove restoration and introducing fuel efficient cook stoves. - Nine (9) people (5 male and 4 female) from the AbC and IMPACTUM trained on electronic data collection and 8 people (7 male and 1 female) from these same partners trained on the use and application of the AFOLU Carbon Calculator. - Twenty-three (23) people (17 males and 6 females) trained as community animators to carry out participatory rural appraisals in the SLCLC, which has an SL component linked to mangrove conservation and restoration and contributes to the GHG baseline and end line for WA BiCC.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 83 - Two (2 male) Liberians received financial and logistics support to attend Njala University in Sierra Leone to pursue master’s degrees in Forestry, and Biodiversity Conservation and Ecotourism. The landscape grantees undertook the following SL trainings: - Global Mamas trained 150 people (32 males and 118 female) on the on the linkages between the sustainable harvesting of water hyacinth and conserving biodiversity in the Lower Volta River in Ghana. The management plan for the Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) being established with WA BiCC support includes forest management/SL activities including agroforestry and restoration. - FFI trained 537 people (326 males and 211 female) in the TGKS landscape including: 19 rangers (17 males and 2 females) in camera trap protocols for Sapo National Park; 33 people (28 males and 5 females) in the utilization of the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART); 196 people (84 males and 112 females) in beekeeping; 217 environmental education club members (150 males and 67 females) in conservation agriculture; 83 students (59 male and 24 female) from the University of Liberia, Department of Forestry on biodiversity conservation. - FFI trained 110 people (103 males and 7 females) in the ZWW landscape including: 10 officials (all males) of the Centre Forestier de N’Zérékoré, Guinea (CFZ) on camera trap use; 35 staff (34 males and 1 female) from the FDA and CFZ on SMART software for biomonitoring in Wonegizi and Ziama respectively, and; 63 law enforcement officials (57males and 6 females) from Liberia on Liberia’s Wildlife Law, including elements of forest conservation. - WCF trained 10 staff (8 males and 2 females) of local implementing partner Multi Agri-systems Promoters (MAP) in Liberia on environmental communication strategies including the importance of forest conservation including the role conservation plays in reducing GHG emissions. - RSPB, through its Farmer Field Schools, trained a total of 1,711people (926 males and 785 females) including: 596 people from communities around Gola (Sierra Leone) on small scale business management as a pathway to sustainable livelihoods to reduce deforestation around the Gola forest; 126 farmers from communities around Gola (Sierra Leone) on cocoa nursery establishment for agroforestry and restoration purposes; 891 farmers around Gola (Sierra Leone) on transplanting vegetable seedlings in degraded or lowland areas rather than clearing new areas of existing forests thus avoiding emissions, and; 51 community eco-guards from Gola (Liberia) on forest patrols to discourage deforestation and degradation. - In the Fresco landscape in Côte d’Ivoire, the grantee IMPACTUM trained: 99 people including 24 (19 males, 5 females) members of the Local Steering Committee on effective management of Fresco Lagoon including reducing mangrove degradation; 22 (21 males and 1 female) community members on the use GPS for mapping, and; 53 people (43males, 10 females) on the construction of improved ovens for fish smoking. Deviation: The time and cost extension allowed grantees, especially RSPB, to train more people in Sustainable Landscapes than expected, particularly the Farmer Field Schools that trained over 1,650 people resulting in the FY20 and LOP targets being surpassed by 57.5% and 15.7%, respectively. Number of 168 130 138 176 106.2% 104.8% institutions with improved capacity to address sustainable 9 landscapes issues supported by of USG assistance (USAID Indicator EG.13.2)

National government 3 9 Sub-national 132 145 government

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 84 Other 3 22 Comment: Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) for ECOWAS DoE demonstrated increased capacity as a result of cumulative support for several activities including the design and implementation of a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Communication Strategy, staff training on M&E, Communication and language (English/French) and through a short term technical expert who provided day to day capacity building. The MRU’s OPI/OCA demonstrated increased capacity due to the development and implementation of a new financial and accounting system to increase performance, transparency and accountability and also for the revision of its 5-year Strategic Plan and accompanying Action Plan. The OCA/OPI for the AbC demonstrated increased capacity due to the staff training on M&E and Communication, the development, validation and implementation of a MEP and Communications Plan to measure progress on the formulation, domestication and implementation of new policies and strategies related to sustainable landscapes and climate change mitigation. Capacity building support continued for grantees and their key implementing partners (FFI, PADEV, SCNL, GRC, CSSL, IMPACTUM, WCF, Global Mamas) in the area of M&E, finance, and administration to enhance SL outcomes. OCAs using the M&E Capacity Assessment Tool (MECAT) demonstrated increased capacities are building strong M&E systems through ongoing staff training, developing new guides and tools, recruiting M&E staff, and systematizing baseline surveys and evaluations to measure effectiveness and impact.

The capacity of 72 VSLAs in the Sierra Leone Coastal landscape was strengthened through the training of VSLA leaders on the effective management of the VSLA model and support to develop constitutions and formally register with the appropriate state institutions. Bookkeeping supplies, equipment, and safes were provided to the VSLAs to enhance effective management. An end line assessment of the VSLAs revealed that the WA BiCC supported VSLAs, as local institutions, contributed to sustainable landscapes through provision of alternative and more sustainable livelihoods for their members, thereby deterring them from engaging in harmful environment practices including destruction of mangroves.

Grantees supported the following partner institutions to increase SL capacities: Global Mamas supported the establishment of the Osudoku CREMA in Ghana; WCF strengthened the capacities of local implementing partner Multi Agri-systems Promoters (MAP) on environmental communication; FFI supported the CFZ in Guinea and Liberia’s FDA to start using camera traps and SMART software for biomonitoring; FFI supported the University of Liberia’s Department of Forestry to build student capacity in sustainable forest management; financial and logistical support was provided to two Liberian students to pursue master’s degrees in Forestry, Biodiversity Conservation, and Ecotourism (both students graduated and are currently working with the Department of General Forestry of the University of Liberia to augment the human resource capacity of the institution), and RSPB strengthened the capacity of 50 VSLAs through trainings and the provision of equipment to enhance effective management. The VSLAs, as local institutions, contribute to sustainable landscapes by providing alternative and a more sustainable livelihood options for their members, thereby deterring them from engaging in harmful environment practices including the destruction and/or degradation of forests and biodiversity.

Deviation: No significant deviation. Number of laws, 50 15 17 52 113.3% 104.0% policies, regulations, or standards addressing 10 sustainable landscapes formally proposed, adopted or implemented as a result of USG

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 85 assistance (USAID Indicator EG.13.3) Local 5 6 National 6 30 Regional 6 16

Proposed 2 6 Adopted 15 32 Implemented 14

Comment: Support was provided for the drafting, validation and/or implementation of 15 laws, strategies, and plans. - Global Mamas supported the validation of the Osudoku CREMA constitution in Akuse, Ghana. - FFI contributed to the validation of the bilateral agreement between Liberia and Guinea for protection of the ZWW landscape and the signing of the ZWW Operational MOU between the two countries as well as the revision of Liberia’s Wildlife Law and the validation of the Ziama Forest Management Plan. - Four national action plans and four accompanying roadmaps to advance the ratification and domestication of the Abidjan Convention (AbC) Protocols on Sustainable Mangrove Management and ICZM were developed and validated in Liberia, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone. - The MRU Strategic Plan was revised to include sustainable forest management for the first time, and the Strategic Plan and accompanying Action Plan were validated by MRU Member States. - A Resource Mobilization Strategy was developed with ECOWAS that includes strategies to mobilize resources for forest protection and sustainable landscapes. - Sierra Leone’s Sherbro River Estuary Co-Management Plan was developed and validated and includes activities for mangrove conservation, restoration, and management. - A local management plan for the Fresco, Côte d’Ivoire landscape was developed and validated and includes activities for both mangrove and upland forest conservation, restoration, and management. - Fresco grantee IMPACTUM supported the drafting of by-laws prohibiting the cutting of mangroves.

Deviation: No significant deviation.

Amount of investment mobilized (in USD) for 11 Sustainable 29,000,000 21,600,000 22,369,584 29,827,923 103.6% 102.9% Landscapes activities as supported by USG assistance (EG.13.4) Comment: A total of $22,369,584 was mobilized for sustainable landscapes linked to biodiversity conservation including: $48,811 leveraged from Pan-African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) to organize a Conference on the ‘Strategic Management and Conservation of Western Chimpanzees’ held in Conakry, Guinea; $17,116 from the Ghana Forestry

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 86 Commission (Wildlife Division), Kali Etch Foundation, Young Visionary Leaders Ghana, and others to organize awareness raising activities on World Wildlife Day events; a $495,000.00 grant to the AbC from the FAO for the Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI), which includes Fresco as one of two target landscapes. (The CFI focuses on the sustainable conservation, management and restoration of mangroves and planned activities were factored into the AFOLU calculation for the greater Fresco landscape), and; $29,916 leveraged from ECOWAS and UNEP to organize the ECOWAS workshop on Environmental Outlook. RSPB has been very successful in leveraging two additional grants to build on the WA BiCC grant. The first grant is the EU-funded PAPFor project ($3.7 million) over 3 years for forest protection in the Gola Landscape (both Sierra Leone and Liberia). Project components include land use planning, protected area management, and community forest management. The second is a Rainforest Trust-funded project ($615,512) over 5 years for conservation within community forests around the Gola Forest National Park, Liberia. Both activities include objectives to reduce deforestation and forest degradation resulting in, among other outcomes, reduced forest-based emissions. RSPB also secured a $1.6 million grant to strengthen law enforcement network to combat wildlife and forest crime in Liberia, and the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) secured a 1.6M Euro grant to continue with the protection of the Cavally Classified Forest in Côte d’Ivoire. WABICC also leveraged an $11.6M European Union grant to International Union for Conservation of Nature and Wetlands International Africa to build on and implement climate change adaptation and biodiversity activities including mangrove conservation, management and restoration for several West African coastal countries from Senegal to Benin (excluding Côte d'Ivoire). The project proposal and documents use language on strategies and activities directly from WA BiCC documentation.

Deviation: No significant deviation. Number of people 7,000 2,702 6,964 11,262 257.7% 160.9% receiving livelihood co-benefits (monetary or non- monetary) associated 12 with the implementation of USG supported sustainable landscapes activities (EG 13.5) Men 3,164 5,316 Women 3,800 5,946 Comment: A total of 6,964 people (3,164 males and 3,800 females) received various types of support to generate monetary or non-monetary benefits from sustainable landscapes activities. In the TGKS forest landscape (Liberia), FFI provided training, equipment, and inputs for increased vegetable production; trained or otherwise engaged 879 people (448 males and 430 females) in bee keeping; and engaged 374 people (191 males and 183 females) in cassava farming. In the ZWW forest landscape FFI supported 874 (417 males and 457 females) to engage in coffee farming. In Akuse, Ghana Global Mamas supported 272 beneficiaries (133 males and 139 females) to organize into harvesting cooperatives and provided skills development and marketing training to increase income generation and livelihoods for the production and marketing of handicrafts. In the Fresco landscape, grantee IMPACTUM supported 1,485 (802 males and 683 females) to undertake various livelihood projects including cassava farming, processing, and marketing; and the buying, storing, and marketing of fish.

Deviation: The significant deviation is due to additional and scaling up of livelihood support activities in FY20 as a result of the time and cost extension, notably in the SLCLC and Fresco landscapes. More results than anticipated were obtained from VSLA group members in the SLCLC who are engaged in alternative and sustainable livelihood activities

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 87 through VSLA loans. Several livelihood activities were undertaken in the Fresco coastal landscape under the IMPACTUM grant, which also contributed to the deviation. The overachieving of the FY20 target resulted in a net 60.9% overage in the LOP target. Greenhouse gas emissions estimated in metric tons CO2 equivalent, reduced or sequestered 13 8,800,000 8,800,000 8,761,047 8,761,047 99.6% 99.6% and/or avoided as a result of USG assistance (USAID GCC 4.8-7) [OUTCOME] Comment: The application of the AFOLU calculator resulted in identifying the total greenhouse gas emissions reduced or sequestered was estimated at 8,761,047. This is the result of efforts from WA BiCC and its grantees to maintain and/or manage protected or other forest areas (Gola, TGKS, ZWW, Cavally, Port Gauthier, Okromoudou and mangrove forests within the 2 coastal landscapes) and ensure sustainable use of resources through policies, practices and locally appropriate strategies.

Deviation: No significant deviation. (Note that the LOP target was set in FY20.) Number of hectares 1,404,000 1,404,000.00 1,543,994 1,543,994 110% 110% of biologically significant areas under improved 14 natural resource management as a result of USG assistance (EG. 10.2-2) Coastal marine 0 Terrestrial-freshwater - 0 Wildlife trafficking 1,543,994 1,543,994 Illegal logging & assoc. 1,543,994 1,543,994 trade Illegal, unreported & 0 0 unregulated fishing Comment: The biologically significant areas under improved natural resource management include the ZWW, TGKS, and Gola transboundary forest landscapes including those areas formally designated as protected, the mangrove forests in the two coastal landscapes and the Cavally, Okromoudou, and Port Gauthier Classified Forests in Côte d’Ivoire. Grantees or WA BiCC staff supported improved management of these biologically significant areas through the development and/or revision of management plans, carrying out of biomonitoring, and enforcement supporting patrols, training community, ecoguards and other measures in these areas.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 88 Deviation: No significant deviation. Number of people trained in sustainable natural resources management and/or biodiversity 15 10,100 2,800 3,917 11,229 139.9% 111.2% conservation as a result of USG assistance (USAID Indicator EG. 10.2- 4) Men 2160 6463 Women 1757 4029 No Gender 0 737 disaggregation

Wildlife trafficking 3,917 11229 Illegal logging & assoc. 3,917 11229 trade Illegal, unreported & 0 0 unregulated fishing Comment: A total of 3,917 people (2,160 males and 1,756 females) received training on biodiversity conservation. This includes: CITES training for 20 (14males and 6 females) wildlife division officers, customs officers, and exporters from the Accra/Kotoka International Airport; 25 (23 males and 2 females) judges and prosecutors from francophone West Africa, 22 judges and prosecutors (15 males and 7 females) from Ghana; 19 (15 males and 4 females) from Nigeria trained on Combating Wildlife Trafficking to improve the understanding of CITES and national legal frameworks to increase the effectiveness of CWT prosecutions; 10 customs officers (8 males and 2 females) from Ghana, Guinea Bissau, and Cap Verde trained on CWT. Financial and logistical support was provided to two Liberia students (both male) to attend Njala University in Sierra Leone to pursue master’s degrees in Forestry and in Biodiversity Conservation and Ecotourism.

The following trainings related to biodiversity conservation and sustainable landscapes were organized by grantees: Global Mamas trained 150 people (32 males and 118 female) on the on the linkages between the sustainable harvesting of water hyacinth and conserving biodiversity in the Lower Volta River in Ghana. The related management plan for the CREMA includes forest management activities including agroforestry and restoration. FFI trained 537 people (326 males and 211 female) in the TGKS landscape (Liberia side) including: 19 rangers (17 males and 2 females) in camera trap protocols for Sapo National Park; 33 persons (28 males and 5 females) in the utilization of the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART); 196 persons (84males males and 112 females) in beekeeping; 217 environmental education club members (150 males and 67 females) in conservation agriculture, and; 83 Students (59 male and 24 female) from the University of Liberia, Department of Forestry on Biodiversity Conservation;

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 89 FFI trained 110 people (103 males and 7 females) in the ZWW landscape including: 10 staff (all male) of the Centre Forestier de N’Zérékoré, Guinea (CFZ) on camera trap use; 35 staff (34 males and 1 female) from the FDA and CFZ on SMART software for biomonitoring in Wonegizi and Ziama, respectively, and; 63 law enforcement officials (57 males and 6 females) on Liberia’s revised Wildlife Law, including forest conservation. WCF trained 10 staff (8 males and 2 females) of local implementing partner Multi Agri-systems Promoters (MAP) in Liberia on environmental communication strategies, including the importance of forest conservation. RSPB, through its Farmer Field Schools, trained a total of 1,711people (926 males and 785 females) including: 596 people from communities around Gola (Sierra Leone) on small scale business management as a way of providing sustainable livelihoods in communities around Gola Forest to reduce deforestation; 126 farmers from communities around Gola (Sierra Leone) on cocoa nursery establishment for agroforestry and restoration; 891 farmers around Gola (Sierra Leone) on transplanting vegetable seedlings in degraded or lowland areas rather than clearing new areas of existing forests thus improving habitat and forest function (and avoiding emissions), and; 51 community eco-guards from Gola (Liberia) trained on forest patrols to discourage deforestation and degradation. In the Fresco landscape in Côte d’Ivoire grantee IMPACTUM trained 99 people including 24 (19 males, 5 females) members of the Local Steering Committee on effective management of Fresco Lagoon; 22 (21 males and 1 female) local community members on the use GPS for mapping, and 53 community members on the construction of improved ovens for fish smoking. Deviation: The FY20 and LOP targets were surpassed by 40% and 11%, respectively. The deviation is mainly a result of several CWT trainings, intended to be regional in scope, that were broken down into national trainings to adapt to COVID restrictions, resulting in more overall trainings and an increase in the number of people trained. Number of 184 140 138 182 98.6% 98.9% institutions with improved capacity to address Biodiversity 16 Conservation issues supported by USG assistance (Custom Indicator) National government 3 20 Sub-national 132 137 government Other 3 25 Comment: A total of 120 institutions received capacity development support to address Biodiversity Conservation including the 3 core regional partners ECOWAS DoE, the MRU, and the Abidjan Convention as well as 13 local and national institutions. The OCA/OPI for the ECOWAS DoE demonstrated increased capacity as a result of cumulative support for several activities including the design and implementation of a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Communication Strategy, training of staff on M&E, communications, and language (English/French) and through the provision of a short term technical expert staff to provide day to day capacity building. The MRU’s OPI/OCA demonstrated increased capacity as a result of support for activities including the implementation of a new financial and accounting system to increase performance transparency and accountability and the revision and validation of its 5-year Strategic Plan and an accompanying Action Plan. The OCA/OPI for the AbC demonstrated increased capacity due to the development, validation, and implementation of a MEP and a communications strategy to measure progress on the formulation, domestication and implementation of new

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 90 policies and strategies related to biodiversity conservation and the staff on these new tools. Capacity building support continued for grantees and their key implementing partners (FFI, PADEV, SCNL, GRC, CSSL, IMPACTUM, WCF, Global Mamas) in the area of M&E, finance and administration to enhance biodiversity conservation outcomes. OCAs, using the MECAT, demonstrated that partner institutions increased their capacities on M&E and are building strong M&E system through staff training, developing new guides and tools, recruiting M&E staff and systematizing baseline surveys and evaluations to measure effectiveness and impact. Capacity building support was provided to Ghanaian NGO Sea Turtles Conservation (STC) to formally register as an NGO and to engage officially with the Wildlife Division to allow for it to work on conservation activities in the Keita Lagoon Ramsar site.

The capacities of 72 VSLAs in the Sierra Coastal landscape were strengthened by training VSLA leaders on effective management of the VSLA method and supporting the VSLAs to develop constitutions and to formally register with the appropriate state institutions. Bookkeeping equipment and safes were also provided to enhance effective management and security. An end line assessment of the VSLAs revealed that the VSLAs, as local institutions, contributed to biodiversity conservation by providing alternative and more sustainable livelihood options for their members, thereby deterring them from engaging in harmful environment practices including destruction of mangroves and associated biodiversity.

Global Mamas supported the establishment of the Osudoku CREMA in Ghana. WCF supported local implementing partner Multi Agri-systems Promoters (MAP) to develop environmental communication strategies. FFI increased the capacities of staff from the Centre Forestiere de N’Zérékoré (CFZ), Guinea, and Liberia’s FDA on the use of camera traps and SMART software for biomonitoring. FFI continued capacity building support to the Department of General Forestry of the University of Liberia for select students to enroll in a Biodiversity Conservation course. WA BiCC also supported two Liberian students to pursue and complete master’s degrees in Forestry, Biodiversity Conservation, and Ecotourism and both are currently working with the Department of General Forestry of the University of Liberia, augmenting the capacity of the institution to provide capacity building on biodiversity conservation.

RSPB strengthened the capacity of 50 VSLAs through trainings and the provision of equipment to enhance effective management. As local institutions these VSLAs contribute to biodiversity conservation by providing sustainable livelihood options for their members, thereby deterring them from engaging in harmful environment practices including destruction of forests and biodiversity.

Deviation: No significant deviation. Number of laws, 60 22 22 60 100.0% 100.0% policies, or regulations that address biodiversity conservation and/or other environmental 17 themes officially proposed, adopted or implemented as a result of USG assistance (USAID Indicator EG. 10.2- 5)

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 91 Number proposed 2 8 Number adopted 20 37 Number implemented 0 15

Wildlife trafficking 10 48 Illegal logging & assoc. 11 49 trade Illegal, unreported & 2 2 unregulated fishing

Comment: Support was provided for the drafting, validation, and/or implementation of 20 laws, strategies, and plans including: the validation and adoption of the West Africa Strategy on Combatting Wildlife Crime; the validation of the Osudoku CREMA constitution in Akuse Ghana with Global Mamas; the development and signing of the Bilateral Framework agreement and operational MoU between Liberia and Guinea for the joint protection of the ZWW forest landscape facilitated by FFI; the development and validation of the Ziama Management Plan and the revision of Liberia’s Wildlife Law, also facilitated by FFI; the formal submission of the AAWP Action Plan to the Abidjan Convention for discussion and debate at the Abidjan Convention CoP (now scheduled for March 2021,post-WA BiCC); and the development and validation by the MRU Members States of the revised MRU Strategic Plan and accompanying Action Plan, which now makes biodiversity conservation explicit in the MRU’s work plan. Four national action plans and four accompanying roadmaps to advance the ratification and domestication of the AbC Protocols on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and Sustainable Mangrove Management were developed in Liberia, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone. Additionally, a Resource Mobilization Strategy was developed for ECOWAS that includes strategies to mobilize resources for biodiversity conservation. Sierra Leone’s Sherbro River Estuary Co-Management Plan was developed and validated as was a Local Management Plan for the Fresco, Côte d’Ivoire coastal landscape complex, both of which includes protection of aquatic biodiversity, mangroves, and increased and more sustainable management of upland community forests. Fresco grantee IMPACTUM also supported the drafting of by-laws prohibiting the cutting of mangroves in Fresco and prohibiting the use of prohibited pesticides (chlordane and dieldrin) to protect human health and the quality of the Fresco lagoon. Deviation: No significant deviation. Number of people 150 24 86 212 358.3% 141.3% that apply improved conservation law enforcement practices, as a result of USG assistance 18 (EG 10.2-6)

Male 85 85

Female 1 1

Wildlife trafficking 86 86 Illegal logging and 86 86 associated trade

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 92 Illegal, unreported - - and unregulated fishing Comment: In Liberia, 86 rangers undertook improved law enforcement patrols in Ziama and Wonegizi forests as a result of training on improved patrol techniques, use of SMART technology and logistical support received from FFI through the grant.

The following trainings were conducted to prepare participants to apply improved conservation law enforcement practices: the CITES training for 20 (16 males and 4 females) wildlife division officers, customs officers, and exporters from the Accra/Kotoka International Airport; 25 judges and prosecutors (23 males and 2 females) from francophone West Africa on Combating Wildlife Trafficking to improve the understanding of CITES and national legal frameworks to increase the effectiveness of CWT prosecutions, and; a training of trainers for 12 customs officers (10 males and 2 females) from Ghana, Guinea Bissau and Cap Verde on CWT. WA BiCC is monitoring the participants to document how they are applying knowledge from these training to improve enforcement of laws on conservation and the result on these will be captured in the final report. Deviation: The FY20 and LOP targets were surpassed by 258.3% and 41.3%, respectively. The significant deviation is due to more rangers trained on improved patrol techniques, use of Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Too (SMART) than anticipated, which was facilitated by additional logistical support received from FFI leading to improved law enforcement patrols in Ziama and Wonegizi forests landscapes. Amount of investment mobilized (in USD) for Biodiversity 19 29,400,000 21,600,000 22,504,864 30,352,896 104.19% 103.24% Conservation as supported by USG assistance (Custom Indicator) Comment: A total of $22,504,864 was mobilized for biodiversity conservation including: $48,811 leveraged form Pan-African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) to organize a Conference on the ‘Strategic Management and Conservation of Western Chimpanzees’ held in Conakry, Guinea.; $17,116 from the Ghana Forestry Commission (Wildlife Division), Kali Etch Foundation, Young Visionary Leaders Ghana and others to organize awareness raising activities on World Wildlife Day; a $495,000.00 grant to the AbC from the FAO for the Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI), which includes Fresco as one of two target landscapes (the CFI focuses on the sustainable conservation, management and restoration of mangroves and planned activities under the CFI were factored into to the AFOLU calculation for the greater Fresco landscape), and; $29,916 leveraged from ECOWAS and UNEP to organize the ECOWAS workshop on Environmental Outlook. RSPB was very successful in leveraging two additional grants to build on results achieved under the WA BiCC grant. A grant from the EU-funded PAPFor project ($3.7 million) over 3 years targets forest protection in the Gola Landscape (both Sierra Leone and Liberia). Other project components include land use planning, protected area management and community forest management. The second is a Rainforest Trust-funded project ($615,512) over 5 years for conservation within community forests around the Gola Forest National Park, Liberia. Both activities include objectives to enhance biodiversity conservation. RSPB also secured a $1.6 million grant to strengthen law enforcement networks to combat wildlife and forest crime in Liberia, and Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) secured a1.6M Euro grant to continue with the protection of the Cavally Classified Forest in Côte d’Ivoire. WA BiCC leveraged an $11.6M grant from European Union grant to IUCN and Wetlands International Africa to build on and implement climate change adaptation and biodiversity activities, including mangrove conservation, management and restoration for several West African coastal countries from Senegal to Benin (excluding Côte d'Ivoire). The project proposal and documents use language on strategies and activities directly from WA BiCC work plans and strategies.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 93 Deviation: No significant deviation. Number of new 4 3 3 4 100% 100% USG-supported public-private 20 partnerships (PPPs) formed (USAID PPP5) [OUTPUT] Comment: A total of three (3) PPP agreements were signed between local, government, and private organizations to promote biodiversity conservation and/or reduce climate change through emissions avoided and/or carbon uptake and storage. These are: Global Mamas that teamed with Ghana’s Nature Conservation Research Centre (NCRC) and the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly to establish a Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) in Akuse under the ‘Fibers of Change’ project. NCRC is a local NGO that pioneered the CREMA model – an internationally recognized co-management model where communities actively manage their natural and economic resources; Global Mamas leveraged WA BiCC to develop a partnership with 3M to explore new product lines and improve capacity on how to more effectively market products; grantee EUCORD, an international non-profit organization, and La Fruitiere de Daboya (CFD), a local dried fruit private sector company in Guinea, signed a PPP; and EUCORD and the local branch of the Guinean Government’s Water and Forestry Department (DPEF) signed a PPP to create sustainable and environmentally friendly livelihoods in forest buffer communities in the Kindia Prefecture in Guinea. Deviation: No deviation. Number of tools, 88 30 28 86 93.3% 97.7% databases, monitoring systems developed or adapted to analyze, 21 organize, manage or share data on climate change and biodiversity (Custom Indicator) [OUTPUT] Local 3 23 National 19 30 Regional 6 34 Comment: A total of 28 tools, databases and/or monitoring systems were developed or adapted. To aid in CWT including: biodiversity/CWT threats assessments for Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Benin, Burkina, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Togo, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire; a manual for training customs officers in CWT in English and Portuguese (French version completed in a prior FY); a training manual for judges and prosecutors in French and English; a training package (in English) for the training of airport staff on CITES and CWT; and upgrading the Wildscan tool and training of customs officers on how to apply the tool to identify CITES species. To aid in developing a climate change adaptation strategy for Fresco, Côte d’Ivoire, a database for Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA) was developed. The following tools were also developed to enhance sustainable landscapes and biodiversity conservation: Water Hyacinth Harvesting and Processing Manual; Water Hyacinth Composting Manual; a biomonitoring protocol for Sapo National Park; a

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 94 capacity needs assessment tool for conservation professionals; Pygmy Hippo conservation protocols; biomonitoring handbook for GKNP; Sapo National Park SMART data model, and; the Sherbro River Estuary Co-management Plan.

Deviation: No significant deviation. Number of best practices and approaches identified, implemented, and/or adopted as a result 22 of USG assistance to 26 12 13 27 108.3% 103.8% improve climate change adaption, biodiversity conservation and sustainable landscape outcomes. Comment: A total of 13 best practices were identified and implemented: These include: biomonitoring, using camera traps by distance sampling in combination with line transects developed by FFI; the application of the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM) in Ghana and the finalization of the restoration opportunity maps and final report; application of Wildscan tool for the identification of CITES species; application of the best practice for coastal adaptation in the Sierra Leone and Fresco coastal landscapes; application of transboundary approaches for the management of biodiversity and sustainable landscapes; harvesting and processing of water hyacinth; composting of water hyacinth residue; climate smart agricultural approaches for cocoa, groundnut, and rice farming promoted by RSPB. Deviation: No significant deviation. Number of networks recognized at a regional and national level and addressing climate change (mitigation or 23 adaptation) and/or 28 4 5 29 125% 104% biodiversity conservation officially established and/or strengthened as a result of USG assistance (Custom

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 95 Indicator) [OUTPUT] Local 2 8 National 2 10 Regional 0 10 Comment: A total of 5 networks were established/strengthened during the year. This includes the species of working group of Liberia, Law enforcement sub-committee of Liberia, Sierra Leone Sherbro River Estuary Co-management plan Committee, Local Steering Committee for Fresco and the West Africa Network for Chimpanzee Conservation. Deviation: the FY20 result shows a 25% deviation, but since this is the result of the relatively low target, a single additional result shows a relatively significant deviation. No signification deviation in the LOP result. Number of audio- visual programs produced and broadcast on climate change adaptation, sustainable 24 470 332 522 660 157.2% 140.4% landscapes and/or biodiversity conservation with the support of the project. (Custom indicator) Comment: A total of 522 audiovisual materials on climate change adaptation, sustainable landscapes and/or biodiversity conservation were produced and broadcast. This includes 42 episodes of the radio drama and call-in series “Watasay Ston” produced in various languages and broadcast on 5 radio stations across the Sierra Leone Coastal Landscape Complex. The English version of the radio dramas were also broadcast on WA BiCC’s YouTube page. WA BiCC collaborated with UNDP/SL for the production and broadcast of Season 2 of the radio drama program in the Sierra Leone Coastal Landscape Complex and a total of 40 radio drama programs of Season 2 were broadcast in 4 local languages including Krio, Mende, Temne and Sherbro. The “Watasay Ston” radio drama series covered a variety of themes including conservation and restoration of mangroves, practices that help build coastal resilience to climate change shocks, negative impact of bad environmental practices, disaster preparedness among others. The drama series was aimed at increasing knowledge of target audiences (local communities and traditional authorities) on the impacts of climate change and human activities on the environment and to increase local communities’ understanding of the connectivity between the coastal ecosystem’s sustainability and livelihoods whilst promoting the benefits of conservation

The second radio drama series “Forest Blessings” was produced in 5 local languages (Liberia Simple English, Mende, Lorma, Krahn and Krio, targeting the upland forest landscapes in Côte D’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. A total of 384 radio drama programs were broadcast in the four countries. The radio drama and call-in show series was also produced in French and Standard English, which can be accessed on the WA BiCC YouTube page. The “Forest Blessings” radio drama series covered a variety of themes including the role of communities in conservation, the destructive practices on the forest and their effect on human lives and alternative livelihoods, among others.

Other audiovisual materials were broadcast on various media such as radio, Facebook, YouTube and the WA BiCC website. These include the following videos ● Protecting the Shorelines of Kortimoh & Momaya Islands in Coastal Sierra Leone

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 96 ● Women in the Wild: Meet the female eco-guards protecting Liberia’s forests ● Alamein Kannah, Paramount Chief of the Koya Chiefdom in Sierra Leone, speaking on the importance of conservation ● Water weeds: Creating an economic value for women in Akuse weaving with water hyacinth ● Eco-Friendly Paper with Water Hyacinth ● World Wildlife Day awareness raising video. Deviation: The FY20 and LOP targets were surpassed by 57.2% and 40.4%, respectively. This was due to higher than expected interest generated from the radio drama series broadcast in the upland forest landscapes in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. WA BiCC’s initial plan was to do the broadcast in one language in each of the selected radio stations but due to high interest from the listening public and the radio stations, the radio stations agreed to do the broadcast in multiple languages without additional cost. This resulted in the radio stations doing 384 broadcasts instead of the 168 initially planned. Number of people 65,700 5,700 10,776 70,852 189.1% 107.8% reached through community 25 mobilization and advocacy campaigns as a result of USG assistance Male 6578 22122 Female 2544 11921 No gender 1,654 36809 disaggregation

Comment: A total of 10,776 people (6,578 males, 2,544 females, and 1,654 non-gender disaggregated) were mobilized through sensitization and advocacy campaigns directly conducted by WA BiCC staff and/or grantees. Awareness raising and advocacy activities conducted include: 29 people (20 males and 9 females) reached through the CITES Learning Event in Accra; 62 people (44 males and18 females) mobilized for advocacy at the Pan African Sanctuary Chimpanzee workshop in Conakry; 7 journalists (4 males and 3 females) mobilized during the Engaging Environmental Journalists roundtable and field visit in Liberia; 23 people (19 males and 4 females) mobilized as part of the SLCLC Radio drama reflection workshop; 23 people (19 males and 4 females) mobilized for the MRU’s Strategic and Action Plans validation workshop; 84 participants (61 males and 23 females) mobilized for the Establishing and Strengthening the SRE Co-Management Committee workshop; 500 people mobilized for the World Wildlife Day event held in Shai Hills, Ghana, and; 150 people (50 males and 100 females) mobilized for the World Wildlife Day interscholastic debate held in Accra, at which 100 copies of the comic book Sasraku were disseminated. Global Mama's mobilized 73 people (28 males and 45 females) for the Fibers of Change grant in Ghana including 51 people during the CREMA election meetings, 55 people for harvesting of water hyacinth, and 150 people for biodiversity & natural resource management. FFI in TGKS mobilized 2,806 people (1624 males and 1186 females) through eco-champions outreach and awareness activities in communities around Sapo National Park. FFI in ZWW mobilized 399 people (172 males and 27 females) through awareness campaigns during the World Wildlife Day celebration in Liberia and Community meetings to explain the Ziama Management Plan

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 97 WCF reached 4,483 people (3,659 males and 8,24 females) including 634 (386 males and 248 females) people sensitized through Community Eco guard awareness raising activities in communities around Grebo Krahn National Park; 3,542 (3,078 males and 464 females) community members around Tai and Cavally forests sensitized by WCF and SODEFOR and 256 (171 males and 85 females) people sensitized during World Wildlife Day awareness raising campaign activities in Liberia. RSPB reached 2,137 people (882 males, 301 females and 954 no gender disaggregation) including 910 people during the Tangains Festival in Sierra Leone; 115 people during community consultations on sustainable NTFP harvesting, 578 reached through community consultations for the establishment of the community forest; 122 people reached during world wildlife week in Liberia; and 136 people mobilized during community consultations on the promotion of cocoa farming and value added processing. Deviation: The FY20 target was surpassed by 89.1% as a result of more people mobilized by the grantee RSPB during the Tangains Festival in Sierra Leone beyond what was expected and huge number of people sensitized by WCF and SEDOFOR in communities around Tai and Cavally forests. There was no significant deviation in the LOP target.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 98 ANNEX 2: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE TAÏ-GREBO-KRAHN-SAPO TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE (FFI)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This grant, implemented by Fauna and Flora International, complements the work of WCF in the Taï-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo (TGKS) Transboundary Forest Landscape between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. FFI’s approach sets out to promote and support effective interventions that strengthen forest conservation, protect the biodiversity of the TGKS landscape, secure connectivity, and build stakeholder capacity for transboundary biodiversity conservation; innovative policies and forest governance systems that empower key institutional partners to effectively implement transboundary conservation; support sustainable livelihood activities that contribute to the improved wellbeing of communities, thereby reducing any adverse impacts on the forest; and facilitate learning and sharing of inspiring knowledge, attitudes, and best practices that strengthen local interventions or enhance national and regional policies. Activities under this grant began in February 2018. A summary of accomplishments organized around the four technical program objectives is presented in the narrative below. A copy of the grantee’s final report will be linked to the WA BiCC Final Report and uploaded to the Development Experience Clearinghouse in FY 2021. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS Objective 1: To promote effective interventions that strengthen forest conservation, protect the biodiversity of the TGKS landscape, secure connectivity, and build stakeholder capacity for transboundary biodiversity conservation. ● Strengthening forest governance. Through continuous engagement with communities and local level authorities in Sinoe, Grand Gedeh, and River Gee Counties, FFI was able to increase institutional and community support for the FDA’s mandate to protect SNP. This assisted in efforts to minimize encroachment into Sapo National Park (SNP) by illegal miners. ● Building the capacity of Liberia’s Forest Development Authority, FDA. A capacity needs assessment of the 69 staff of the FDA and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assigned in the Sapo Landscape was undertaken using IUCN competence guide for protected area management. Results from the assessment informed training and mentoring efforts. Training included introduction to the spatial monitoring and reporting tool (SMART) for patrol planning, data collection and analysis tool for law enforcement in SNP. The subsequent adoption of SMART was enhanced by the successful completion of a SMART training by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) for FDA and FFI technical staffs and interns. ● Socio-economic data collection and application. Informed by gaps identified during the compilation of baseline socio-economic data for the landscape, FFI completed three rapid assessments on forest governance, gender and social inclusion to inform the implementation and design of community outreach and other project activities. ● Biomonitoring. A line transect biomonitoring survey protocol was updated and applied as part of the five-year biomonitoring plan that was developed to cover 2019 through 2024. The protocol included specific guidance for camera trapping and includes a community sensitization framework to support awareness-raising in communities. The biomonitoring activities which involved line transects and camera trapping surveys across the three zones of SNP, provided critical information about the distribution and status of key indicator species. ● Research. Research was conducted on human-wildlife coexistence (HWC) in SNP fringe communities with 404 persons reached in 41 communities. The analysis of the resulting data will provide information that will feed into the development of a future mitigation strategy for affected communities.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 99 ● Biodiversity management by the community. To support community capacity building, FFI provided a seven-series training on ecological survey methods for 15 Community Biomonitoring Auxiliaries supporting biological research across SNP and formed and supported activities of the eco champions, an all-female group raising awareness on biodiversity conservation across the park. The so-called eco champions were effective community advocates reaching more than 4,000 people over the duration of the project. FFI also conducted the first community focused regional validation of the SNP management plan and supported the formation of a community advisory board for the management of SNP. ● Pygmy Hippo Strategy. To support conservation and protection efforts for the endangered pygmy hippo, FFI spearheaded the development of a ten year (2020 – 2030) Pygmy Hippopotamus regional conservation strategy. ● National Species Working Group. As a leading conservation organization in Liberia, FFI facilitated, participated in and enhanced the activities of the national species working group of Liberia and associated sub-committees of law enforcement, biomonitoring, plant, and animal. Objective 2: To support innovative policies and forest governance systems that empower key institutional partners to effectively implement transboundary conservation within the TGKS landscape ● Study tours. Study tour to Ghana and Namibia exposed participants to models of community based natural resources management (CBNRM). In Ghana, 11 representatives of park fringe communities, two representatives from the FDA, two representatives from local implementing partners PADEV, and four representatives of FFI learned first-hand about the Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) approach in Ghana while three members of parliament, superintendents of four counties, heads of two government agencies, plus technicians from FDA and NGOs working on biodiversity conservation learned about southern Africa transboundary conservation and CBNRM models in Namibia. Both visits provided insights into possible approaches to enhance collaboration and coordination within the TGKS transboundary landscape. ● Community institutional strengthening. FFI supported the formation of nine membership- based community governance institutions in clusters of Sapo National Park (SNP) fringe communities. These organizations now serve as one of the primary platform of engagement between the FDA and communities. To strengthen these nascent organizations, FFI provided targeted training so that the 63 members of the community-level forest governance institutions could better understand biodiversity conservation and could function more effectively as an organization. ● Capacity building of future conservationists. 512 students in the Department of Forestry at the University of Liberia participated in two conservation biology courses over 5 academic semesters. In addition to theoretical lectures students received instructions in experimental design and research and participate in group projects. Fifteen Liberian students were also trained in ecological methods through their participation in a residential field course at the Sapo Conservation Centre (SCC) while eight interns received training and mentoring as part of a structured residential internship program based at the SCC. ● Management planning. FFI completed a consultation process to validate the management plan for Sapo National Park and operationalization of the community advisory board (CAB). This is the first time in history the park has a functioning management plan in place. In addition, the SNP law enforcement patrol field manual was revised with updated data sheets, standardized templates for patrol monthly reports that will facilitate the timely and consistent collection of data for management. Strengthening enabling environment. FFI supported the drafting of Regulations for the 2016 National Wildlife Conservation and Protected Areas Management Law of Liberia. Objective 3: To promote sustainable livelihood activities that contribute to the improved wellbeing of communities within the TGKS landscape, thereby reducing any adverse impacts on the forest

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 100 ● Livelihood support. In total, FFI implemented livelihood interventions in SNP fringe communities with 527 direct beneficiaries and 3162 indirect2 beneficiaries. This included the delivery of training and provision of technical and logistical support to 250 residents of SNP fringe communities in vegetable production using conservation agriculture and integrated pest management, training and logistical support to 81 residents in cassava production and technical support to 196 residents in beekeeping. Training materials were also developed and used to support small-scale businesses. ● Ecotourism. The Avitourism Feasibility Report and training manual for the formation of bird watching community guides were developed as a means to explore the feasibility of avitourism in the transboundary forest. Objective 4: To promote learning and sharing of inspiring knowledge, attitudes, and best practices that strengthen local interventions and/or enhance national and regional policies. ● Raising awareness. FFI actively participated in a number of venues to support transboundary management. The Project Manager participated in the fifth Meeting of the Bilateral Steering Committee for Transboundary Cooperation in the Tai-Grebo-Sapo Forest Complex (TGS) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and presented project activities; and the Technical Specialist of Protected Area Management participated in the 2nd and 3rd meetings of the Transboundary Law Enforcement Technical Committee (TLETC) for transboundary collaboration in the TGKS Forest Complex and in the 4th Capacity Building for Conservation (CBC) Conference in London, UK in which the work in SNP was presented. Community members also represented the project with a Law Enforcement Ranger from SNP participating in the 9th World Rangers Congress in Nepal. ● Communications strategy. FFI developed a comprehensive communications strategy focused on behavior change in SNP fringe communities. The strategy involved the use of community eco- champions, and a wide range of materials including radio messaging, drama, theatre performance, billboards messaging, town hall meetings, one-on-one interactions with project staff, events informed by project communication strategy, and the results of a matrix for change workshop. As a result of these efforts, conservation/environmental knowledge increased in more than 25,000 residents of TGKS Landscape. Specific efforts included eco-champion awareness events that reach 4,000 people, and community theatre troupes that reached 2,000 viewers. Within the local schools, environmental knowledge increased in 600 students and 58 school administrators in 24 schools through their involvement with environmental education (EE) clubs established as part of the project. Camera trap community sensitization efforts which aimed to preserve the cameras in situ, and increase biodiversity knowledge, reached 1,526 persons in 45 SNP fringe communities as a result of camera trap community sensitization.

2 The number of indirect beneficiaries is calculated based on the average household size of 6 persons.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 101

ANNEX 3: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE ZIAMA-WONEGIZI-WOLOGIZI (ZWW)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Fauna & Flora International (FFI)’s grant from the USAID WA BiCC program was used to promote innovative collaborative management of the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi (ZWW) Transboundary Forest Landscape between Liberia and Guinea. The ZWW forest landscape comprises the Wonegizi proposed protected area (WPPA) in Liberia, which is two kilometers from the Wologizi forest block (also a PPA) and contiguous with the Massif du Ziama Man and Biosphere (MAB) Reserve in Guinea (Barca, 2018). It holds some of the largest remnants of forests within the Upper Guinean forest ecosystem, a widely recognized global biodiversity hotspot home to more than 25% of Africa’s mammals (Myers et al., 2000). Due to people and wildlife’s close intersection in this landscape, human wildlife conflict (HWC) and the threat of zoonotic disease are chronic issues. Secondary threats to the landscape include commercial logging, commercial mining in Wonegizi, and intermittent in- migration. Figure 1. Map of the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi landscape (S. Gregory, 2019)

The project’s overall goal is to promote innovative collaborative management of the ZWW Transboundary Forest Landscape between Liberia and Guinea that strengthens forest conservation,

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 102 protects biodiversity, ensures connectivity between sites, enhances forest governance, and improves the livelihood of people in the landscape. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS Objective 1: Strengthening forest and biodiversity conservation of the ZWW Transboundary Forest Landscape. ● Data collection. Socio-economic and biodiversity baseline information and data gathering took place throughout the landscape and included socio-economic surveys in Ziama and Wonegizi; and high conservation value (HCV) surveys HCV 1–IV (biological/ecological values), V (community needs) and VI (cultural values) – and mapping in Wonegizi which was co-funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD); biodiversity and HCV assessments of the importance and value of cocoa farms to biodiversity, with a focus on birds in the Wonegizi proposed protected area (WPPA).

The rapid assessment survey of large mammals in Wonegizi and Wologizi found fifteen mammal species of global conservation concern i.e., listed either as critically endangered (1 species, the Western chimpanzee), endangered (3 species, the red colobus, pygmy hippo and Jentink’s duiker) or vulnerable (11 species, the forest elephant, king colobus, olive colobus, Diana monkey, leopard, African golden cat, zebra duiker, Ogilby’s duiker, giant ground pangolin, black- bellied pangolin and white-bellied pangolin), while the remaining species are considered near threatened (5 species) or of least concern (8 species) (IUCN, 2018). The rapid assessment survey of birds (also in Wologizi and Wonegizi) recorded 205 species, including seven of global conservation concern including: white-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) CE, Timneh parrot (Psittacus timneh) EN, white-breasted guineafowl (Agelastes meleagrides) VU, rufous fishing owl (Scotopelia ussheri) VU, yellow-casqued hornbill (Ceratogymna elata) VU, yellow-bearded greenbul (Criniger olivaceus) VU and green-tailed bristlebill (Bleda eximius) NT. ● Trainings. Seventeen trainings conducted for staff of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and Centre Forestière de N’Zerekore, Guinee (CFZ), community auxiliaries and students in Wonegizi and Ziama, including: ecological sampling, law enforcement, rapid assessment methodologies (large mammals, small mammals, herpetiles and plants), health and safety, general biomonitoring, computer skills (co-funded by NORAD), pygmy hippo survey, camera trapping techniques, environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, communications, statistical analysis, ArcGIS, ground-truthing for the landscape level assessment (LLA), spatial monitoring and reporting tool (SMART) (funded by the Illegal Wildlife Trade grant) and wildlife law training. ● Biomonitoring. Biomonitoring protocols inclusive of camera trapping were established in Wonegizi and biomonitoring continued (including camera trapping and elephant monitoring) in Ziama. ● Support for Species Working Groups. Species working group (SWG) and sub-committee meetings were held to promote coordination on management of keystone species. FFI hosted the Regional Species Action Planning Workshop for the Pygmy Hippopotamus, supported the National Chimpanzee Action Planning Workshop and the National Strategy Development Workshop for Combatting Wildlife Crime. ● Exchange visits. FFI supported three transboundary conservation learning exchange visits, including a study tour for policy makers in Liberia to Namibia, CFZ (Guinea) visit to Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, and Wonegizi FDA staff visit to Gola Rainforest National Park (GRNP) in Sierra Leone. Objective 2: Support creation of an enabling environment that facilitates forest governance and related law enforcement within the ZWW Landscape. ● Transboundary coordination. FFI supported the development, validation and signing of a bilateral framework agreement and operational memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Guinea and Liberia (October 24, 2019) for the conservation and sustainable management of the ZWW landscape and developed a terms of reference (ToR) for the ZWW Transboundary Landscape Steering Committee to support its implementation.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 103 ● Law enforcement. The program established and facilitated monthly law enforcement and biomonitoring patrols in Wonegizi and continued on-going patrols in Ziama. Training needs assessments informed the development of additional training under Objective 1 for rangers and Protected Area managers. Support was given to the FDA and CFZ to increase understanding and collaboration with enforcement agencies (e.g., police and Ministry of Justice [MOJ]) to address wildlife crime more effectively. ● Gazettement. FFI supported the development of a draft gazettement protocol to guide future gazettement of the recently created Wonegizi Protected Area. ● Regulatory strengthening. Regulations under the revised National Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Management Law of Liberia were strengthened. Objective 3: Promote sustainable livelihood activities that contribute to the improved wellbeing of people within the ZWW Landscape and reduce unsustainable forest dependency while striving to identify sustainable forest management approaches. ● Farmer Field Schools. One hundred eighty farmers were interviewed across three communities to design a curriculum for the farmer field schools (FFS) in Ziama. FFS, market gardens, and agro-forestry (coffee) nurseries were established in three Ziama communities, with a total of 75 registered members and 800 indirect beneficiaries ● Training of trainers. Participatory market system development (PMSD) training of trainers (TOT) was conducted for implementing partners and FFI staff in Liberia and Guinea, and biopesticides training given to farmers in three communities in Ziama. ● Internships and research. Five internships were completed in support of program objectives. This included four PMSD research projects on sustainable production and markets, and one research project to assess the impact of PAs on non-timber forest product conservation. Objective 4: Encourage learning and sharing of inspiring knowledge, responsible attitudes and best practices that strengthen local interventions and enhance national or regional policy initiatives. ● Outreach and awareness. In Guinea, Les Elephants de Ziama football team was established and raised awareness around wildlife issues. The team played six football matches that were enthusiastically attended. Production of a public games show on the consequences of deforestation were produced and presented in Ziama, and awareness of the ban on use of pesticides in the reserve was promoted using signboards posted in and around the Ziama MAB. FFI also supported local-level celebrations in Guinea on elephants, held on World Elephant Day.

In Liberia, FFI developed high profile protected species billboard in Monrovia and commissioned murals that are on display in Monrovia and Gbarnga. Other activities at the national level included awareness raising activities on the International Day of Forests (IDF), International Day for Biological Diversity (IDBD) and World Chimpanzee Day.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 104 ANNEX 4: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE GOLA FOREST LANDSCAPE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This grant was implemented by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) with sub- grantees Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), Gola Rainforest Conservation (GRC) and Society for the Conservation of Nature Liberia (SCNL). The grant supported the efforts of government and partner organizations in both Sierra Leone and Liberia to protect the unique Gola Forest Landscape, which includes forest blocks and corridors that straddle the Sierra Leone and Liberia border. Past efforts to protect the Gola Forest Landscape in Sierra Leone focused primarily on protecting each forest block of the Gola Rainforest National Park (GRNP), delivering livelihoods and REDD project commitments, but not on forest connectivity. This grant pioneered new ground in Sierra Leone by developing and testing new community-based approaches to forest and landscape management that are rooted in livelihoods development. In Liberia, the approach was based on the 2009 Community Rights Law with Respect to Forest Lands and on the experience of the previous GolaMA project. In both Sierra Leone and Liberia, the efforts focused on strategic forest corridors that can contribute to improved connectivity. In both countries, the project built capacity of grassroots and government decision makers through targeted training, outreach, and awareness as well as policy reviews and sharing lessons learned. A copy of the grantee’s final report will be linked to the WA BiCC Final Report and uploaded to the Development Experience Clearinghouse in FY 2021. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS Objective 1: Enhanced agricultural production and other sustainable livelihood activities contribute to the improved wellbeing of populations within two model sites. The overarching aims of agricultural livelihood activities supported by the Gola WA BiCC Project were to promote conservation through the intensification of agriculture and the adoption of rainforest friendly agricultural crops and practices as well as to increase the wellbeing of communities. Participants in the livelihood activities reported direct benefits from the training and materials and a broader positive impact on their lives, particularly increased incomes that they used to invest in other parts of their lives. In Liberia, the Vainga Agriculture Development and Management Consultancy (VADEMCO) trained 756 community members on the intensification and improved sustainability of cocoa, rice and groundnut farming resulting in positive impacts on 3,870 people in nine communities. Training was provided on a range of best practices aimed to increase production and increase income and Farmer Associations were formed to provide peer support, knowledge sharing, and to provide a means to aggregate purchases and sales. In Sierra Leone, the Gola Rainforest Conservation LG (GRC LG) trained 3,847 people on more intensive cocoa, rice, groundnut, and vegetable production and processing. Training involved technical and business support, as well as leadership support for Master Farmers and cacao associations with a deliberate focus on women leaders. Assessments were also conducted to support certification of cocoa as a means to add value. These efforts had a positive impact on a total of 21,543 people, while Rory’s Well trained 162 people on beekeeping. In both countries, a small loan program was designed and implemented to support women and increase household income. In Liberia, the fund was also used to generate income for the Community Forest Organizing Committee (CFOC) to manage the Community Forest. Other activities with some initial indications of success include beekeeping, and in Sierra Leone, sustainable NTFP harvesting and processing of cane is being monitored.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 105 Objective 2: Two model sites demonstrate effective community forest management that supports habitat connectivity across different tenures and international boundaries. A prohibition on the establishment of new community forests in Liberia deterred development of an official community forests in Liberia. However, RSPB was still able to prepare two communities for the time when the moratorium is lifted and, in the meantime, supported the community to claim land rights under the recently enacted Land Rights Act. In Sierra Leone, where there is not a well- developed legal framework for community forestry, a road map for the establishment of community forests was developed as part of an initial CF training for GRC LG and CSSL staff, which built on the community forestry experience in Liberia and resulted in the establishment of five new sites. In addition to community forest sites, RSPB supported improvements to management in the landscape. In Sierra Leone, the Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA) carried out community consultations and developed a management plan for the Tiwai Island Wildlife Reserve, encompassing 1,200 hectares, and in Liberia, the Gola WABiCC project supported the validation of the management plan of the Gola Forest National Park in Liberia. Important also was the signing of an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone committing to joint management of the Trans-boundary Peace Park consisting of the Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone (71,070 ha) and the Gola Forest National Park (88,000) in Liberia. Objective 3: Community forest management bodies (CFMBs), community members, regional FDA/FD and other local government staff, and staff of GRC LG, CSSL and SCNL have increased capacity to develop and implement community land use and community forest management plans. Staff from 212 institutions received capacity building support from the Gola WABiCC project, including government departments, loan groups, farmers associations, project partners. Scores of technical trainings were held during the life of project in support of program objectives. These topics included leadership, gender and management training; conservation management related topics including biomonitoring, GPS training, electronic data collection species identification, and patrolling; communications workshops including specialized training in radio, film and photography; and training on development and support for community forestry. Objective 4: Knowledge and learning about best practice at the model sites is generated and increases engagement and support of local and national stakeholders in conservation. Knowledge and learning on the project were informed by the grantee’s communication plan, strategy for environmental education, and monitoring activities to capture best practices. At the community level, a total of 7,735 people participated in conservation communications activities (6,723 in Sierra Leone and 1,012 in Liberia) and 161 government staff participated in conservation communications activities on a range of topics, including community forestry, project management and planning, cocoa, mining and the national parks. Communication activities ranged from celebrations to commemorate World Wildlife Week, participation in festivals, trade fairs, field trips, road shows, airing of videos and dissemination of outreach materials. At the national level, RSPB organized and participated in several fora that contributed to transboundary learning and dissemination of best practices. Of note in Liberia, was the Discussion Forum on Artisanal Mining and Conservation which was designed to bring stakeholders together from these two sectors to explore ways to manage the threat to biodiversity and Protected Areas posed by artisanal mining. 14 of the 50 participants eventually became members of the Small Scale and Artisanal Mining Working Group which is co-chaired by sub-grantee SCNL and was established to advise the Ministry of Mines and Energy on issues related to small scale and artisanal mining. In Sierra Leone, Conferences for the 7 Paramount Chiefs around the Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone provided lesson and knowledge sharing opportunities and increased support for conservation. These conferences also resulted in the commitment of four Chiefdoms to establish community forests in support of conservation.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 106 At the transnational level, a final learning event involving community leaders, government officials, and staff of project partners took part in end-of-project workshops to share learning from the project and ensure that the lessons learned are applied in future conservation work. The Gola WABiCC partners were able to leverage the learning from WA BiCC activities to secure a total of $3,861,979 in 7 new grants to support on-going activities in the landscape. Objective 5: Lessons learned from transboundary collaboration and coordination contribute to the improvement of national policy and practice, and international best practice. Relationships between conservation partners from Liberia and Sierra Leone were strengthened through 13 trans-boundary meetings, workshops and exchange visits. Of great significance, and with RSPB support, the Gola Forest Bilateral Coordination Committee developed new terms of reference, established technical working groups and developed a new action plan in recognition of the potential for collaboration in the landscape. The document provides agreement for cooperation in management, research, protection and conservation of the Greater Gola landscape across the two countries and aims to guarantee the long-term protection of ecosystems and their services and to share and pool together expertise and experience between the National Protected Area Authority in Sierra Leone and the Forestry Development Authority in Liberia.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 107 ANNEX 5: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE TAÏ-GREBO-KRAHN-SAPO TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE (WCF)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The grant to Wildlife Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) supported improved Multi-Stakeholder Management of the Tai-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo (TGKS) Transboundary Forest Landscape between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. WCF’s approach involved targeted field presence, an efficient monitoring system, local partner capacity building, awareness campaign development and implementation and support to local communities through livelihood diversification. WCF was supported by several local subcontractors that implemented various aspects of their work in the field such as village theatre events, radio programming and activities aimed at improving and diversifying livelihoods within targeted communities. These efforts contributed to improvements in connectivity between the forest blocks in each country and between the two countries. A copy of the grantee’s final report will be linked to the WA BiCC Final Report and uploaded to the Development Experience Clearinghouse in FY 2021. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS Objective 1: To promote effective interventions that strengthen forest conservation, protect the biodiversity of the TGKS landscape, secure connectivity, and build stakeholder capacity for transboundary biodiversity conservation The program enhanced biodiversity monitoring in the Taï National Park (TNP) through the installation of cameras set up in 285 spots across the park. These cameras recorded 58,524 videos that were analyzed by enumerators, generating a total of 74,828 observations between the start of field missions in early March 2019, and their end in late March 2020. As a result, and with the exception of two monkey species (which were observed during field operations), all major mammal species living in the TNP have been recorded. Based on these outcomes in Côte d’Ivoire, WCF initiated discussion in Liberia regarding ways to harmonize the management of the databases of the two countries. Across the border in Liberia, a biomonitoring survey was conducted at GKNP using the new camera trap survey methodology developed at TNP in combination with line transects. While analysis of data is ongoing, to date there have been confirmed observation of 39 mammal species from line transects, including 14 threatened species (36%), and 41 mammal species from camera traps, including 13 threatened species (31%). In Cavally Classified Forest (CCF), the WA BiCC grant allowed WCF to expand their Community Ecoguard program resulting in increased patrols, enhanced biomonitoring protocols, and increased community awareness around conservation and biodiversity. In Liberia, ecoguards were introduced through grant support. In addition to receiving training on SMART, the ecoguards undertook 86 forest missions and made 13,105 observations of human activities and 1,174 wildlife observations. Several success stories about the community ecoguard program and a film were published on the WA BiCC website: https://www.wabicc.org/the-training-of-female-community-ecoguards-boostsprotection-of-liberias- national-parks/ https://wabiccnews.wabicc.org/women-in-the-wild In Liberia, WCF coordinated the Biomonitoring and Law Enforcement Working Group national level meetings for the Law Enforcement Sub-Committee and Biomonitoring Sub-Committee. In the three years of the project, WCF organized and participated in 28 meetings: the law enforcement sub-

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 108 committee gathered 20 times, the biomonitoring sub-committee members met on 5 occasions, and 3 meetings were held for the species working group, which is the umbrella for the two sub- committees. Major accomplishments for the law enforcement sub-committee including updating the list of protected species for Liberia for consistency with the CITES Red List; launch of the Wildlife Confiscation Unit; and creation of a Wildlife Crime Task Force and WhatsApp group. To identify potential biodiversity corridors within the TGKS landscape, baselines biodiversity, demographic and socio-economic surveys were conducted and enhanced with a camera trap study to better understand the movement of wildlife in the corridor. Protected Area management was further strengthened through participation in quarterly meetings for TNP, the establishment of a management committee for CCF, and capacity building and training of FDA and ecoguards in Liberia. Objective 2: To support innovative policies and forest governance systems that empower key institutional partners to effectively implement transboundary conservation within the TGKS landscape Under the grant, WCF helped to establish the Transboundary Law Enforcement Technical Committee (TLETC) as a means to increase cross-boundary cooperation. Two focal areas were identified for cooperation: awareness raising related to forest encroachment, and the development of joint patrols. In addition, a comparative study of the environmental laws of both countries which included recommendations on how to harmonize legislation in both countries to strengthen transboundary enforcement efforts was developed. In Liberia, through the Law Enforcement Sub-Committee (see Objective 1), WCF developed and presented training to law enforcement agents and the judiciary in Liberia on wildlife law, species recognition, and relevant regulations. In Côte d’Ivoire, training was provided to enforcement agents and the judiciary on legal procedures related to forest infractions and cross-border regulations. Objective 3: To promote sustainable livelihood activities that contribute to the improved wellbeing of communities within the TGKS landscape, thereby reducing any adverse impacts on the forest The community-led beekeeping program with Universal Outreach Foundation (UOF) supported 223 community members from 23 communities in Liberia to construct and establish 421 beehives. In Côte d’Ivoire, activities focused on reforestation and the support of women group initiatives with limited and varying results suggesting that livelihoods activities benefit from longer periods for planning and implantation, and more specialized inputs from NGOs and private sector service providers with specialized expertise. WCF also supported eco-tourism initiatives in TNP through communications support. WCF participated in the Salon International du Tourisme d’Abidjan (SITA), the International Tourism Fair of Abidjan in 2018 and 2019, to promote the Taï ecotourism project, and partnered with France Volontaires for the organization of the International Volunteers Day at the French Institute in Abidjan on 20 October 2019. For the occasion, a photograph contest was held and the first prize was a two-day trip to TNP. The website of the ecotourism project was updated to improve its content (texts and pictures) and the page rank and translated into English in order to reach more international visitors (http://www.ecotourismetai.com/en/). Dedicated Facebook and TripAdvisor pages were created to increase the visit of the website coming from social media, and several agreements were made to have the ecotourism project referenced on the websites of several travel agencies. In addition, a bi- monthly ecotourism newsletter began in August 2019. WCF also met with the representative for

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 109 West Africa of Le Petit Fûté, one of the most famous travel guidebooks published in France, to have the ecotourism project referenced in the 2020 new printed and web editions. These efforts allowed the ecotourism project to apply to the SKAL Awards for Sustainable Tourism and ranked in third position in 2018 and second position in 2019. The ecotourism project was also featured in the International Social Tourism Organization, ISTO, brochure of 20 responsible and fair tourism initiatives. Objective 4: To promote learning and sharing of inspiring knowledge, attitudes, and best practices that strengthen local interventions or enhance national and regional policies WA BiCC supported WCF to develop monitoring and evaluation protocols to assess the impact of the project on communities’ knowledge, attitudes and behavior, and to inform the development of more effective programming. These methodologies were applied to outreach and awareness campaigns, as well as bush meat studies. Throughout the life of project, WCF developed and implemented media campaigns in both Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire that involved theatre and radio drama with impressive impacts observed in target audiences. Transboundary workshops between women leaders, community ecoguards and local NGOs enhanced cross-border cooperation and coordination and facilitated learning on an array of issues related to livelihoods, leadership, biomonitoring and patrolling. A summary of notable achievements is presented below. ● Biomonitoring and law enforcement were organized in three protected areas across the two countries (Grebo-Krahn National Parks in Liberia, Cavally Classified Forest and Taï National Park in Côte d’Ivoire), covering a grand total of 699,612 ha. ● The Grebo-Krahn National Park Multi-Stakeholder Conference in Liberia was held, and a resolution was developed and signed by all stakeholders, outlining priorities, responsibilities and timelines for the newly established national park. ● Three national networks are coordinated in Liberia (Law Enforcement and Biomonitoring sub- committees of the Liberia Species Working Group, Wildlife Crime Task Force). ● Eight laws or policies were officially proposed, adopted, or implemented (i.e. national policies, management plans, etc.). ● 114,761.99 ha of forest were patrolled: 18,808 ha in Cavally Classified Forest (CCF), and 95,953.99 ha in Grebo-Krahn National Park. In Liberia, five teams of community ecoguards (20 community members and five FDA team leaders) were funded completely or in part and in Côte d’Ivoire one community ecoguard team of ten persons was supported. ● Two biomonitoring studies through camera traps were realized in both countries in cooperation with local authorities (Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves (OIPR). Each of them was the first systematic biomonitoring study with camera traps to be implemented in TNP and GKNP. ● One ecotourism project was supported to improve communications resulting in 168 tourists hosted annually, which is an increase of 361%, not to mention an increase in revenue of 200%. The project directly employs 12 people from local communities, and 15 people from the traditional villages are involved and benefit directly. ● Eight partner institutions were supported (state agencies and local NGOs) and had their capacity built and/or strengthened. ● Seven community development projects were launched in Côte d’Ivoire, and one training in permaculture and best agricultural practices was organized for people to produce their own vegetables. This benefited 732 people. ● Eight conservation-friendly, agricultural livelihood projects were implemented in Liberia, benefitting 80 persons (79 women and 1 man) from 10 communities.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 110 ● One beekeeping project was implemented in 23 communities in Liberia, directly benefitting 223 trained beekeepers. ● 6,110 persons received livelihood co-benefits (monetary or non-monetary) associated with the implementation of USG supported sustainable landscapes activities. ● 46,956 people were sensitized about the importance of forest, wildlife, and conservation activities, through theatre performances and proximity awareness. ● Six transboundary experience-sharing workshops were organized, and mostly involved representatives of local communities. The six workshops dealt with income-generating activities, ecotourism, conservation NGOs, and ecoguards. ● 28 audio-visual programs were produced and broadcasted, including five short films to present each of the theatre plays, as well as the reactions from the audience, and camera trap movies from Liberia, and uploaded online. 13 radio broadcasts were also produced and aired. ● Implementation of an internship program in Liberia, which benefitted 38 students from Liberian academic institutions, in particular the Forestry Training Institute.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 111 ANNEX 6: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR SUPPORTING CITES MASTER STUDENTS (IUCN)

The WA BiCC CITES 2 - Supporting ECOWAS students' CITES Research 2 grant consisted of providing technical and financial support to students from administrations of ECOWAS member countries during their enrolment in the CITES master program of the International University of Andalusia (UNIA), which deals with the protection and conservation of wild species subjected to trade. The sponsoring of national wildlife specialists aims to improve the implementation of the CITES in the region by enhancing institutional knowledge and competence at the national level. IUCN, with support from WA BiCC, played a pivotal role in this by facilitating and supervising the participation of those wildlife specialists in the CITES Master program of the International University of Andalusia.

The project covered the period between July 2018 and March 2020. International Union for the Conservation of Nature, known as IUCN, worked closely with the 14 selected students and the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía to develop and refine their thesis topics. Apart from the supervision effort provided by the project coordinator and the M&E coordinator, the expertise of two consultants—Dr Robert Yougbare and Dr Etotépé Sogbohossou—was mobilized to examine the consistency of the research projects with national priorities and coherence with regional CITES policies. The list of the thesis topics is as follow. Country Thesis Topic No . 1 Benin Evaluation des espèces CITES de faune élevées en captivité au Benin Burkina Stratégies de conservation et de valorisation Eco Touristique d’une population 2 Faso d’éléphants (Loxodonta Africana) à risque à l’ouest du Burkina Faso. Cape Évaluation du cadre juridique existant au Cap-Vert, dans le domaine de la 3 Verde conservation de la faune et flore menacée. Côte Etude diagnostique et perspectives d’amélioration du système de contrôle des 4 d'Ivoire espèces protégées par la CITES dans les ports et aéroports de Côte d’Ivoire Evaluation of CITES Compliance for The Trade in Pterocarpus erinaceus in The 5 Gambia Gambia. 6 Ghana Assessing the level of awareness of relevant CITES stakeholders in Ghana. Elaboration d’une stratégie de renforcement des capacités d’intervention des 7 Guinea acteurs de la CITES en Guinée The administrative challenges in the implementation of CITES Law enforcement 8 Liberia in Sapo National Park in Liberia Etude sur l’internalisation de la convention CITES au niveau des acteurs locaux 9 Niger 1 au Niger : Cas de la région de Niamey. Etude des stratégies de mise en œuvre effective de la CITES dans le biome 10 Niger 2 saharien du Niger : Cas de la Réserve de Biosphère de Gadabédji. Assessing awareness creation amongst critical stakeholders on the 11 Nigeria implementation of CITES in Nigeria. Identification et analyse des flux commerciaux liés aux produits fauniques au 12 Senegal Sénégal. Sierra Assessment of Gaps, Challenges and Priorities for Effective Implementation of 13 Leone CITES in Sierra Leone

Contribution à la connaissance du commerce international de Pterocarpus 14 Togo erinaceus Poir (Fabaceae) au Togo, espèce végétale inscrite aux Annexes de CITES

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 112 Phase 2: Work Plan Development Next, IUCN assisted the 14 students to develop detailed work plans that considered data collection protocols, research methodologies, and detailed budget and risk assessments for their respective projects. In August 2018, a project kick-off workshop was organized in Accra to bring all of the 14 students enrolled in the phase 2 of the CITES Master program together with three former trainees (Phase 1), the supervisors of the students, and key actors engaged in CITES implementation in the sub-region to share their experiences. This was an opportunity for each student to present his research project and budget for in-depth analyses and improvement. This workshop was also a place for learning and knowledge sharing on the state of CITES implementation in the sub-region. Following in-person attendance at the International University of Andalucía, students undertook field research work. IUCN ensured the transfer of funds to the students and follow-up supervision of their fieldwork, both in-person and via Skype until March 2019, the final month of fieldwork. As students began to draft their theses, a team composed of IUCN and two consultants provided substantial support to trainees regarding the elaboration of their theses in order to ensure quality and adequacy in line with the required criteria for final submission. The recommendations and comments were compiled and transmitted to each student for consideration prior to final submission.

As a result of this support, the 14 students supervised by IUCN have all successfully completed their CITES Master’s program, thus making available a pool of 14 CITES experts to the region of West African. In January 2020, the project's closing workshop was held in Accra and brought together graduates of the CITES Master’s program, CITES authorities of ECOWAS Member States, academic institutions, financial and technical partners, and the media. The workshop highlighted the substantial contribution of the CITES Master Program in improving both the operational capacities of the trainees as well as their capacity to influence national policies. Many of those trainees have seen their careers evolve, and in most of the countries, they have provided a better knowledge of the CITES Convention and its requirements.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 113 ANNEX 7: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORT FOR FIBERS OF CHANGE (GLOBAL MAMAS)

The overall goal of the Fibers of Change program was to protect and advance biodiversity in the degraded forest area along the Volta River near Akuse by creating sustainable livelihoods that strengthen the management of community-based conservation efforts and establish alternative revenue streams through handcrafting and selling products that make sustainable use of the invasive water hyacinth. The primary target audience for this activity includes local stakeholders from 5 riparian communities along the Lower Volta River in the Akuse area. These communities, Akordum, Atsavanya, Dormeliam, Kadjanya and Tenya, were organized under a Community Resources Management Area (CREMA) to allow them to manage their natural resources in a sustainable manner and improve efforts towards biodiversity conservation. During the Fibres of Change Project, 200 community members were engaged in project activities and 64 sustainable livelihoods were created for direct beneficiaries, majority of whom are women. Activities under this grant began in July 2019 and concluded on June 30, 2020. A summary of accomplishments organized around the five technical program objectives is presented in the narrative below. A copy of the grantee’s final report will be linked to the WA BiCC Final Report and uploaded to the Development Experience Clearinghouse in FY 2021. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS Objective 1: Establish the foundation for a financially secure CREMA that actively manages its natural resources. Global Mamas worked with the Ghana Forestry Commission’s Wildlife Division (WD) to establish CREMA Resource Management Committees (CRMCs) to represent all beneficiary communities on project activities. In total, 22 community members were elected into the CRMCs creating a representative entity to manage the community’s natural resources. Organizational strengthening and support was provided through mentoring, coaching, and support for drafting and validation of the CREMA constitution and by-laws. The CREMA and the formal organization of the community enable the community to effectively and legally manage their natural resources. During this process several sensitization meetings were held with the WD at their Shai Hills conservation center and the WD team visited the Akuse production site three times and sent a representative to attend a training in linkages between sustainable natural resources management, biodiversity and the CREMA. The WD also invited Global Mamas to display water hyacinth weaving during 2020 World Wildlife Day festivities at Shai Hills. Objective 2: Train Stakeholders in the linkages between biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources for income generation. Global Mamas provided targeted training to the community members to strengthen awareness and understanding of the linkages between biodiversity, sustainable resource use, and income generation. Over the course of the one-year grant, Global Mamas trained 55 members of beneficiary communities in the sustainable harvesting of water hyacinth and preparation of the fibers to support income generation activities. Training was also conducted for 34 beneficiaries in the production of paper products and high-quality accessories and home décor items made from the water hyacinth. This training was done at the Product Development and Training Centre in Akuse, and included sessions in weaving, sewing, and papermaking. Finally, a total of 150 people including members of beneficiary communities were trained in the linkages between conservation of the biodiversity in the Lower Volta River and sustainable harvesting of water hyacinth for income generation.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 114 Objective 3: Establish environmentally sustainable, zero-waste methods to produce products made from water hyacinth. Global Mamas developed sustainable processes to support income generation. Specifically, an environmentally sustainable papermaking process was established to utilize smaller pieces of wet hyacinth. This paper is made out of a combination of freshwater hyacinth as well as recycled paper. This is a zero-waste method of making paper where even scraps left over from finished products can be turned back into paper. Several recipes (i.e. combinations of hyacinth to waste paper ratios) were also developed and tested to produce consistent paper products. Loom weaving techniques were also developed to make high quality products such as table runners, which have been added to the water hyacinth collection. Finally, the making of botanical inks was also introduced to the trainees to ensure that screen printing on paper is environmentally sustainable. Some of these products were featured in the New York Now fashion show. A harvesting training manual was developed to highlight the best practices for harvesting and preparing water hyacinth fibers and the manual was distributed to the beneficiary communities as a learning tool. Objective 4: Establish eco-friendly production of water hyacinth products that is able to meet growing customer demand. New products were developed combining traditional Global Mamas materials, such as batik fabric or recycled glass beads with water hyacinth. In total, five products in three colors were brought to the marketplace and have been received well by new and existing customers. In addition to the new products, composting trainings were carried out for 29 beneficiaries in all beneficiary communities to ensure zero-waste from the harvesting and processing of water hyacinth fibers. A composting manual was also developed for the beneficiaries as a learning tool. Objective 5: Improve households and community livelihoods from the sales of new, water- hyacinth-based products in local and export markets. In total, 34 women were trained in the Product Development and Training Center to create finished products from water hyacinth. Training included weaving, sewing and papermaking. These individuals received livelihood co-benefits from the harvesting, processing, and sale of water hyacinth fibers. Products were launched and available in the Global Mamas store in Accra, online wholesale, and online retail from these entrepreneurs and orders for name tag ID’s (lanyards) were received from several organizations e.g. World Bank, USAID, 3M and Fair Trade Federation during this period to support project activities. Finally, it is notable that Global Mamas received a cost extension with a $30,000 increase in the ceiling of the grant that enabled GM to produce masks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 19,860 protective masks were produced and distributed to Global Mamas’ staff, CREMA beneficiary communities, high-risk health facilities dealing with the pandemic, and prisons.

WA BiCC: YEAR FIVE ANNUAL REPORT (OCTOBER 2019–SEPTEMBER 2020) | 115