From the 5 - 6 October 2009, the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), and the Great Apes Survival Project/United Nations Environment Programme (GRASP/UNEP), in collaboration with other partners, held a workshop in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire that aimed to initiate transboundary collaboration for the Taï-Sapo complex between Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia. The Taï-Sapo complex represents the largest remaining intact forest block of the Upper Guinean Forest Ecosystem. It is one of the world’s 25 biodiversity hotspots and vital for the conservation of endangered species, such as the Western chimpanzee, the red colobus and the endemic and endangered pygmy hippo. By creating landscape corridors between the protected areas of the complex, the region’s high levels of biodiversity and the livelihoods of the local communities that depend on the forest’s ecosystem services will be maintained.



Throughout the workshop, initiatives were brought forward to effectively develop the corridor mechanisms. The workshop’s results included a resolution on conflict prevention and resolution within the context of transboundary collaboration. The establishment of a corridor may create or exacerbate conflicts, such as those related to the lack of institutional coordination or community grievances regarding the lack of access to forest-derived benefits. Yet it may also offer peacebuilding opportunities by promoting dialogue and cooperation over the shared interests of development and biodiversity conservation at different levels. Parties and collaborators must devote resources towards identifying these risks and opportunities as well as employing conflict-sensitive approaches.



A steering committee composed of protected area managers, representatives from NGOs and donors from both countries will be responsible to monitor and supervise the work of technical committees. Recommendations for urgent actions and long term solutions will be proposed in a transboundary action plan, whose development and implementation will need further donor support.



The UNEP/GRASP Coordinator, Dr. Johannes Refisch, noted that "the active participation and commitment from delegates and government officials from both Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire is a very positive sign". He reiterated that "this represents only the first steps in a long term integrated approach for conservation in the region which could result in enhanced opportunities for biodiversity conservation, community development and peace building". (Ilka Herbinger, Wild Chimpanzee Foundation)



Detailed information on the workshop is available at the corridor website: www.tai-sapo.org

For additional information, please contact Dr. Ilka Herbinger, WCF-Africa at herbinger[at]aviso.ci or Dr. Johannes Refisch, GRASP/UNEP at Johannes.Refisch[at]unep.org

Published in: ECC-Newsletter, October 2009