Transboundary protected areas management: experiences from W-Arly-Pendjari parks in West Africa

Abstract

This paper presents the experiences of W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) parks in West Africa to improve conservation strategies with the support of partners within a transboundary management system. The W Regional Park and WAP complex conservation, funded respectively by the European Union and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) projects since 2001, has allowed the development of a technical basis for the transboundary approach and enhanced the effectiveness of protected areas management. This paper outlines the results of these projects including the harmonization of management strategies and the establishment of the regional patrol and biodiversity survey systems which have strengthened threat reduction. An important tool developed through the cooperative management is the establishment and implementation of a regional coordination system that brings together the three countries and all stakeholders involved in WAP protected areas management. A GEF small grant system was also implemented to support rural activities that contribute to biodiversity conservation and improve riparian communities' livelihoods in the WAP complex. The transboundary management of the complex is an experience which provides excellent lessons and deserves to be supported by natural resource funding to ensure the main management objective-the long-term conservation of biodiversity. are area dependent. In this regard, Blanc et al., (2003) reported that in West Africa, the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) transboundary complex shelters more than half of the West African elephant population and argued that the success of transboundary protected area management will increase the success of elephant species conservation.

Protection status and national socio‐economic context shape land conversion in and around a key transboundary protected area complex in West Africa

“…; Büscher ; Amahowé et al. ) and investigating TBPA effects on local communities (Wolmer ) or political structures (Duffy ; Büscher ), often using qualitative data. Admittedly, our analysis was limited by data availability, notably ground‐truthed land cover information across the time period considered here (2000–2013).…”

“…Described as the “largest and most important continuum of terrestrial, semi‐aquatic and aquatic ecosystems in the West African savannah belt” (Amahowé et al. ), the WAP complex is an important area for biodiversity, holding e.g. more than half of West African lions (Henschel et al.…”

“…On‐the‐ground management started in 2006 as part of the EU‐funded ECOPAS project (Amahowé et al. ) and has since been continued during successive projects (Fig. ).…”

“…Since the mid‐1990s, cotton cultivation has been replacing subsistence agriculture as the main economic activity of the area (UNDP‐GEF ), especially around riparian zones in Benin and Burkina Faso (Amahowé et al. ). Cropland extent has increased around protected areas in parts of Benin and Burkina Faso in recent decades (Ouedraogo , , ; Houessou et al.…”

“…In addition, pastoralists are increasingly compressed into smaller areas as a result of land shortage, and this has led to land degradation inside the protected areas (UNDP‐GEF ), even though many on‐the‐ground conservation activities in the WAP have been focused on limiting and controlling the movement of livestock through the complex (Amahowé et al. ).…”