2016 ANNUAL REPORT - Portals.iucn

2016 Annual Report - IUCN-PACOAT THE THEMATIC LEVELThe regional thematic programs (RTPs) work onregional projects and programs while supportingcountry programs on aspects under their thematicscopes of action. They also intervene to supportIUCN Commissions and partners. This year, thespecific thrusts have included the following: In 2016, the regional thematic program (RTP)on Protected Areas (PA) ensured buildingthe capacity of some regional actors involved inbiodiversity conservation; notably through training,information and communication, strengtheningthe effectiveness of major regional conservationinitiatives through active participation in theirimplementation promotion of effective workpackages and tools, including ecological andcommunity data capitalization, processing;and application within and around PAs (notablywithin the framework of the BIOPAMA).Some students on arrival at Nazinga RanchAfrica (RAMPAO), the Network of CentralAfrica’s Protected Areas (RAPAC) and the WestAfrica Littoral Observation Mission (MOLOA). The Water and Wetlands Program (PREZOH) haspursued their partnership with ECOWAS, BasinAgencies (Niger, Volta, Mono, Mano Rivers, LakeChad, etc.), Government institutions in charge ofwater and civil society organizations concernedwith the water-related issues. Actions wereundertaken towards promoting water policies,legislations and mainstreaming of civil societyperspectives on water resources planning andmanagement. The program further contributed tothe building of a program dedicated to the issuesof «law, policy and governance» within PACO. The Marine and Coastal program (MACO)focused on supporting sub-regional institutionsand organizations notably those active inmarine and coastal resource management: the West Africa Regional Coastal and MarineArea Conservation Partnership (PRCM), theNetwork of Marine Protected Areas of West Working essentially on governance andforest restoration issues, the Forest programhas promoted large scale approaches andcomprehensive concepts for: the restoration ofdegraded forests and landscapes (DRC, Burundi,Republic of Congo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire), implementation of REDD options in Ghana, facilitation of the Congo Basin partnership(PFBC), implementation of the COMIFACConvergence plan and operationalization ofthe ECOWAS convergence plan. Moreover, thePACO Forest Program laid-down and adoptedan integrated approach going forward to buildconsistency and internal synergies throughan exchange and planning workshop bringingtogether all other PACO technical units.Explanation around a water point of Nazinga Ranch, Burkina Faso8

2016 Annual Report - IUCN-PACOAT COUNTRY LEVELThe country programs are more or less successfullystrengthening concerted planning with the Membersand building partnerships for action.The following main approaches were noted this year: Almost all country programs have endeavoredto improve access to GEF financing for thecountries in the region (Chad, Mauritania,Senegal, Mano River Union, Volta Basin Authority,etc.) and to the Green Climate Fund (Senegal,Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Guinea-Bissauand Burkina Faso); these, through conceptsthat were submitted by States to internationalorganizations devoted to these issues. A partnership was actually started with theGlobal Mechanism (GM] of the United NationsConvention to Combat Desertification. In additionto the financing received from the EuropeanUnion for a collaborative project on the GreatGreen Wall, IUCN was also entrusted with thecoordination of the implementation of partsFish research boat - Rias do Sul Project, Guinea Bissauof the components by the GM, based on aMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) definingthe roles and responsibilities of each party IUCN is thus supporting 11 nationalpartner organizations in Burkina Faso,Mali, Niger, Senegal and Chad. In Burkina Faso, the Support Project for ForestDependent Populations (PAPF) financed bythe World Bank with implementation involvingnumerous partners including several IUCNMember Organizations was officially launched. In Guinea-Bissau, the partnership with UEMOAon fish resource co-management was maintained,making it possible to develop the capacities ofthe national agencies and NGOs involved (IBAP,directorate of fisheries, fish research, etc.); itfurther facilitates the participation of NGOs in theimplementation of relevant national policies andbiodiversity conservation in target ecosystems.

2016 Annual Report - IUCN-PACOWORK PROGRAM AND MAINACHIEVEMENTSBIODIVERSITY CONSERVATIONAND SUSTAINABLE VALUATIONThis includes the results of promoting the adoption and enhancement of standards, tools and knowledgerequired for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity leading to effective biodiversity managementmeasures in Central and West Africa.Biodiversity knowledgegenerationEfforts deployed towards knowledge generationwere focused on beekeeping, the miningconcessions conflicts and the status of CentralAfrica’s Management of Protected Areas.A study was thus commissioned on the experiencesof five NGOs (AFAUDEB, AE2D, ADT, NORTHCODEand N’Tabet Apicole) on the implementationconditions of beekeeping in environmental settingsof Burkina Faso, Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire;the findings of the study were used to strengthenthe productivity of beehives and enable therevival and better structuring of the sector.Beekeeping training in the peripheral area of Mole National Park, GhanaInformation, sensitization andcapacity building of actorsLike in the previous years, IUCN has facilitateddiploma level trainings. In Mauritania, IUCN hassupported the graduation of a new batch of14 students of the regional Master’s Course onextractive industry from 06 West and Central Africancountries (Mauritania, Senegal, Chad, Burkina Faso,Cameroon, and Guinea-Bissau). The 12th editionof the academic diploma course involved 20 PAmanagement students from public, Para-state andprivate sectors as well as NGO and associationsfrom 7 West African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso,Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Togo.The Regional Environmental Education Program(REEP) continued the training of trainers in the7 PRCM countries as well as the production ofteaching aids. These supportive efforts havebeen acknowledged and mentioned in theGambia’s Education Sector Policy Statement.GAED graduates with the Coordinator of the Master degree course10

2016 Annual Report - IUCN-PACOHigh table at the graduation ceremony of GAED 2016 batchA wide range of capacity building activities werealso conducted including the following: Dissemination of a new integrated protectedarea Management Effectiveness Tool (IMET)to 70 PA professional officers in 27 sitesdistributed among 9 countries in the region. Training in the use of the RestorationOpportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM)in Côte d’Ivoire for 38 civil servants, university,research, nature conservation structures andcertain financial and civil society partners. Certificate Training on ROAM co-developedand supported by IUCN and YALE ELTI forover 15 participants from Burundi, Cameroon,Cote d’Ivoire, the DRC and Rwanda To internally meet effectiveness requirements, sixIUCN PACO staff members were trained on theprocedures and standards to be applied at thevarious stages of the project cycle implementationwithin IUCN. The aim was to ensure that IUCNprocedures are consistent with those of theGlobal Environmental Facility and Green ClimateFund, which would make implementation easierfor IUCN as an agency of these two Facilities.The option evaluation framework was appliedinvolving Ghanaian actors, helping to identifyappropriate REDD benefit sharing mechanisms inWassa Amenfi district in the Western Ghana region.Production of planning andmanagement toolsIUCN has supported diverse institutions in acquiringtools that could strategically guide their actions:As part of the Environmental Governance PartnershipProject (PAGE), IUCN has supported the communitiesin Moudéry area in Senegal, for the flora survey inthe Gandé forest and drafting of its developmentand management plan. This development andmanagement effort will make it possible to curbmultiple encroachments, notably by humans onthis forest to ensure that it can sustainably renderessential services to the communities in terms offuel wood, timber, non-timber forest products,etc. In a context of property rights tensions; andthe development and management plan will alsohelp to maintain the traditional extensive livestockhusbandry system prevailing in the zone.In collaboration with the ECOWAS Centrefor Water Resource Coordination (CCRE), astrategic plan was thus developed for the Manoriver Basin Authority (MBA) and a platform ofcivil society organizations was put in place.In Mali, a participatory process resulted intoa critical analysis of environmental strategiesand policies and clarification of the majorenvironmental challenges facing the country, whiledetermining the priority intervention areas.11

2016 Annual Report - IUCN-PACOof actors involved. A Steering Committee withstatutes and rules and regulations has been set upin partnership with the DRC Man and Biosphere(MAB) National Committee to coordinate the actualimplementation of the GMP among other duties.In Senegal, the Program provided technicalsupport to the Foundiougne district Council byhelping them to develop a three year action plan(2016-2018), articulated around 5 priority areas: strengthening of the institutional frameworkfor risk reduction and disaster management, setting up of a risk monitoring, evaluation andsurveillance system, mainstreaming of disasterrisk reduction in the education, training andpublic awareness raising system, incorporationof disaster risks in development and povertyreduction strategies and capacity buildingfor emergency preparedness and response.Controlling crime against faunaIn the Sena Oura National Park, the Program hasfacilitated the radio-tagging of two elephants toenable the identification of migration corridors ofthese pachyderms and sensitization of actors on theneed to protect them. This approach is being usedwithin the framework of the efforts made by IUCNand its partners to combat crime against fauna; andthe implementation of the cross border collaborationAgreement signed between Chad and Cameroon.This strengthens the management of the BoubaNdjida (Cameroon) and Sena Oura (Chad) (BSBYamoussa) trans-border protected area complex.Furthermore, this action is the outcome of effectivecollaboration between IUCN, African Parks Networks(APN); the Government of the Republic of Chad,the Chad Elephant Strategy Coordination, the NorthCarolina Zoo and other diverse actors in the site.In DRC, the Program has facilitated the finalization,validation and dissemination of the GeneralManagement Plan (GMP) of the Yangambi BiosphereReserve, using a participatory process. This GMPdefines the intervention thrusts and priorities aimedat rehabilitating the Reserve over a period of fiveyears. It also costs such interventions and defines theroles and responsibilities of each of the categoriesRestoration and rehabilitationof degraded wetlandsAs part of the Lake Guiers (Senegal) Ecologicaland Economic Function Restoration Project(PREFELAG), IUCN has commissioned baselinestudies on a rapid scientific, socio-economic andinstitutional assessment for the development,restoration and refilling of the Ndiaël reserve in viewof its withdrawal from the Montreux Record. In linewith this, a roadmap including among other thingsthe finalization of development works, preparationof a management plan of the reserve, capacitybuilding of actors, implementation of communication,awareness creation and advocacy was adopted.Floristic inventory of Gandé forest, field team12

2016 Annual Report - IUCN-PACONATURAL RESOURCEGOVERNANCESeveral actions were undertaken to develop and further strengthen institutional provisions for good governanceof natural resources and biodiversity in 25 sites and for 4 types of natural resources including transboundarynatural resources.The extractive industry andpromotion of good governanceof natural resourcesTo support actions towards the governance ofnatural resources and biodiversity in Cameroon,IUCN has reviewed the state of extractive enterprisesoperating in the Lobéké National Park area; theircurrent and potential impacts on wildlife in general,and great apes in particular. This assessment wasshared with the local actors in the form of acheck-list of extractive companies operating inthe Lobeke region based on the typology of theiractivities (logging, sport hunting and mining) ; and a summary evaluation report on the impacts ofextractive activities on the population dynamics oflarge primates. The assessment specifically focuseson the potential detrimental impacts of extractiveactivities and presents trends in the populationof great apes in the face of such activities.Exchange visit by community leaders to a mining site in BoeStill in the area of extractive industries, the GuineaBissau Program has undertaken actions towardsknowledge generation, negotiation and reflectioncapacity-building of 18 community leaders in thepotential mining sites; namely Varela, Farim, Bubaqueand Boe, through an exchange visit facilitated by the«Bauxite Angola Company» and government officials.At the same time, education and communicationsessions with the population through cinemadebate sessions covered 3,000 persons in 4 sites,to develop their negotiation knowledge and skills invarious topics such as potential adverse impacts ofthe extractive industry, the 25% tax revenue for localcommunities, transparency requirement in publishingthe payments made by enterprises, best extractionpractices, economic evaluation of ecosystem services,the roles of Government and enterprises, equitablebenefit sharing, landscape restoration after extraction,equitable compensation for potentially displacedor affected families and conflict management.Map of human-great ape interactionsin the Lobéké National Park13

2016 Annual Report - IUCN-PACOConcerted landscape levelnatural resource managementplanningPromoting best environmentalmanagement practicesThe military have been known for contributing toenvironmental degradation in Guinea-Bissau throughunsustainable forest exploitation. The IUCN Programhas therefore promoted the ownership of a socalled « 10 million trees » project on the occasionof educational sessions on reforestation and localdevelopment in 20 military barracks. About 4 000soldiers participated in the activities and even built30 improved cooking stove prototypes in eachbarrack so as to contribute to the reduction ofdeforestation and CO2 emissions through reductionin use of fuel wood energy in traditional stoves.In the surrounding areas of the DRC MangroveMarine Park (MMP) and in collaboration with theCongolese Institute for Nature Conservation, IUCNhas undertaken to promote dialogue among thestakeholders by setting-up consultation platformsas governance tools of the site. These platformswere given a manual of administrative and financialprocedures that enable local actors to familiarizethemselves with project design and submissionstandards, governance and procurement concepts;they have also received ‘best practice’ guidelinefor the preservation of the biological diversity ofecosystems and sustainable tourism in the MMP.3 Type de foyer amélioré4 Type de foyer amélioréHippos in Rusizi’s National Park16

2016 Annual Report - IUCN-PACOThe capitalization on conservational managementof land and governance experiences derived frominitiatives conducted on intervention sites wasdistributed among actors in; Burkina Faso (2 sites),Niger (1 site), Benin (1 site), Togo (1 site) andGhana (2 sites). This has led to the identificationand reflection on points and avenues for enhancinggovernance, decentralization and skills transferfor natural resource management. An advocacytraining workshop was organized to build thecapacities of the actors of these sites so thatthey can convey the experiences acquired topolicymakers of the five countries concerned.Strengthening management andgovernance in environmentalpolicy processesIUCN has assisted ECOWAS, River Basin Authoritiesand States in promoting water resource managementpolicies. Thus, the West Africa regional water resourcepolicy has been circulated to State and non-Stateactors , in Senegal, Togo and Mali. The Water Codeof Mali was revised so as to update the general legalframework and basic principles of integrated waterresources management. Furthermore, an analysisof land management in the Sélingué irrigated areaof Mali has revealed that the formal documents(specifications, contracts) are not known/compliedwith or relevant to the local realities of family farms;and that, the general framework for the governanceof

FEM/GEF: Global Environment Facility FGEF: French Global Environment Facility FNRAA: National Fund for Agricultural and Agri-Food Research GAED: Extractive Activity Master Degree Course German International Co-operation Development Agency GM: Global Mechanism GMP: General Management Plan GPPPAM: Global Partnership for Managers