Technical Assistance to the coordination of the regional programme NaturAfricAO
Context
West Africa faces rapid demographic and economic growth, leading to intensified deforestation and fragmentation of protected areas, which now average less than 50,000 hectares each. This growth threatens biodiversity, especially large mammals, and outpaces the management capabilities of these conservation zones.
Despite the region’s robust GDP growth, protected areas suffer from inadequate funding, resources, and infrastructure, hindering proper management, tourism, and scientific research. Most financial support comes from external sources, and regional collaboration, as well as involvement from private sectors and local communities in managing these areas, remains limited.
Project description
NaturAfrica is a continent-wide initiative, supported by the EU’s MFF 2021-2027 and the NDICI – Global Europe instrument, aimed at the protection and enhancement of key conservation landscapes. Its West African component, NaturAfricAO, encompasses a diverse range of countries, including Francophone, Lusophone, and Anglophone nations.
NaturAfrica is a new approach developed by the EU with stakeholders in sub-Saharan Africa for the conservation of biodiversity and virtuous economic development in Africa, taking a people-centred approach. The initiative is a concrete response to the growing pressure on Africa’s natural ecosystems from population growth, climate change, conflicts over access to resources and the illegal exploitation of wildlife and forest products. It focusses on support for job creation, improved security, and sustainable livelihoods, while preserving the ecosystems and wildlife that are vital to all.
Together with consortium partner AGRECO GEIE, AMBERO Consulting will implement this project in West Africa, project locations being Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea Conakry, Mali, Niger, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
The project ensures a service provision that encompasses
- general coordination,
- assistance in formulating, and monitoring projects and contracts charged to the NaturAfricAO financing agreement,
- ensuring knowledge of ecosystems, and
- promoting and disseminating information about protected areas in West Africa.
This project serves EU Delegations, UEMOA, ECOWAS, National Authorities, Project Implementers, Local Communities near Protected Areas (Beneficiaries of the program).
Services
Efficient Monitoring of NaturAfricAO Financing Agreement.
- Development and provision of customized contracts that align with the financing agreement’s terms, program indicators, and are optimally timed.
- Implementation of a comprehensive monitoring and supervisory mechanism for contracts related to priority conservation landscapes.
- Establishment of international standard monitoring and management systems for each ecosystem in the NaturAfricAO program, ensuring they meet the specific needs of each protected area and adhere to the financing agreement’s indicators.
- Generation of detailed biannual reports that encapsulates the progress and activities of the project, structured in collaboration with the DUEs and the UEMOA.
Enhancement of Networking and Information Sharing in West African Protected Areas.
- Compilation and distribution of comprehensive reports and documents pertinent to the protected areas, ensuring availability for key stakeholders and authorities, tailored to meet the specific needs of each area.
- Strengthening of the involvement and capabilities of UEMOA services to enhance ongoing monitoring and sustainability of the protected areas across West Africa.
- Biannual steering committees and thematic meetings, rotating among involved capitals, to foster a dedicated network for the protected areas, facilitating vital exchange and collaboration.
Effective and efficient communication about the NaturAfricAO program.
- Establishment of a communication plan and its subsequent implementation and follow up.
Relevant SDGs: 13 “Climate Action, 15 “Life on Land”
Pictures taken from the EU Commission’s publication “NaturAfrica – The Green Deal approach for EU support to biodiversity in Africa”, © European Union, 2021.
Photographs by: 1) C. Aveling ; 2) Vivan Jebel/Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT)
Sustainable Development Goals
This project acts on implementing the following Sustainable Development Goals:
