Strengthening Multi-Stakeholder Management of the Taï-Grebo-Krahn- Sapo Transboundary Forest Landscape The Taï-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo Forest Landscape (TGKS) between Liberia and Côte D’Ivoire is a global biodiversity hotspot and the largest tract of contiguous forest left in the entire Upper Guinea ecosystem. Established in 1983, Sapo National Park (SNP), located entirely
Sinoe River, Sapo National Park within the Upper Guinea Forest Ecosystem, is Liberia’s oldest and largest protected area with a size of 180,365 hectares (1,804 KM2) of mostly old-growth tropical rainforest. This Project Focus: Management of the Taï-Grebo- forest contains extremely diverse ecological communities, Krahn-Sapo Forest Landscape distinctive flora and fauna, and a mosaic of forest types that Life of Project: Dec. 2017 – Jan. 2020 provide refuge to a number of endemic species. Species of conservation interest include the critically endangered West Project Location: Sapo National Park, Liberia African chimpanzees, the endangered pygmy hippopotamus, the Implementing Partner: Fauna and Flora vulnerable African Forest elephant, the vulnerable zebra duiker, International (FFI) and many plant species. Award Type: Grant under Contract Like much of the Upper Guinean forest system, the SNP and transboundary landscape are threatened by forest degradation and habitat loss that result from agricultural encroachment, illegal bush meat hunting, and expansion for subsistence and commercial purposes (e.g. artisanal mining and commercial logging). Liberia ranks 177th (out of 188) on the world’s poverty index and is facing rising food insecurity while still recovering from the 2014 Ebola outbreak. In this context, already poor and remote households are being hit with ever increasing pressures. All of these issues occur against a backdrop of improving but still weak government and local institutions. The SNP is located in three counties and surrounded by approximately 70 villages.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES In response to the threats to the TGKS landscape, ongoing support is needed to identify, implement, and sustain best conservation and livelihood practices. There is a need to develop and test innovative biodiversity and livelihood Wildlife found in the Sapo National Park: pygmy management models that benefit and empower local people. hippopotamus and chimpanzee The development of these models must also address the sustainability of these models, and manage community expectations, and mitigate potential conflict arising from its implementation. The project’s overall goal through WA BiCC’s support is to promote innovative collaborative management of the SNP and the TGKS Transboundary Forest Landscape between Liberia and Côte D’Ivoire that strengthens forest conservation, protects biodiversity, and ensures connectivity between sites, enhances forest governance, improves the livelihoods of the people in the landscape, and empowers local stakeholders to effectively manage their resources. FFI and local partners will focus their work in the SNP and surrounding landscape, while WCF and local partners will focus their work in Côte D’Ivoire and the Grebo-Krahn National Park Through implementation of the program, WABiCC and partners aim 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. • Support innovative policies and forest governance systems that empower key institutional partners to effectively implement transboundary conservation within the TGKS landscape. • Promote sustainable livelihood activities that contribute to the improved wellbeing of communities within the TGKS landscape, thereby reducing any adverse impacts on the forest • Promote learning and sharing of inspiring knowledge, attitudes, and best practices that strengthen local interventions and/or enhance national and regional policies.
ABOUT WA BICC The West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC) program is a five-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that aims to improve conservation and climate-resilient, low-emissions growth across West Africa. Although regional in scope and design, WA BiCC focuses on targeted geographical areas within the region to improve governance and policy over critical natural and human systems. By working through the core regional partners, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mano River Union (MRU) and the Abidjan Convention, and with targeted national and sub-national institutions, WA BiCC increases the capacity of institutions at all levels to address the three core WA BiCC components. These are 1) Combatting wildlife trafficking; 2) Increasing coastal resilience to climate change and 3) Reducing deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss.
West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Program (WA BiCC) Off: +233(0)302 788 600 | Mobile: +233(0)207 960 905 Email: [email protected] Website: www.wabicc.org Facebook: wabiccnews Twitter: @wabiccnews
USAID.GOV PROMOTING CONSERVATION IN GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY LANDSCAPE 2