GA0003 Gabon: Conservation and Protected Area Development in
North-East Gabon

Project Summary:
View Map
The forest block in the Minkébé region, located
in the north-east corner of Gabon, is considered one of the most
biologically rich in Africa, containing important populations
of elephant, chimpanzee, gorilla, giant forest hog, and
bongo (a forest antelope). The area is relatively undeveloped
(it falls outside the natural limit of "okoumé",
Gabon's primary export wood) and is therefore a good candidate
for protected status. This project involves the preparation and
implementation of a detailed landuse management plan for
north-east Gabon, including proposals to promote sustainable forest
industries, and to ensure that funds generated in the region are
reinvested in local conservation and development activities. Efforts
will be made to ensure that conservation measures are applied
to forestry, mining, agriculture, and hunting in the area. Public
awareness about tropical forest conservation will be promoted
via an environmental education programme.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 100 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 10 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 80 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
|
Sustainable Resource Use 10 |
| Treaties & Legislation 0 |
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
Gabon is part of one of the most biologically diverse regions
on the African continent, the GuineaCongolian regional centre
of endemism. It has had a stable, moist climate since the Pleistocene
period and has therefore become one of the last refuges for African
tropical forest species. As much as 85% of the land is covered
by tropical rainforests, which harbour an estimated 8,000 plant
species, and a rich fauna of over 150 mammals and 600 birds. Forest
elephants are found throughout Gabon, which is believed to have
the largest, and probably most stable, population of this species
in Africa. Gabon is also an important natural primate sanctuary,
with at least 20 species recorded.
In addition to its rich rainforest resources, Gabon has a low
population density and one of the highest living standards in
Africa, making it one of the few countries in the world with excellent
potential for conservation. It has also managed to escape the
kind of rapid, uncontrolled development which has caused environmental
problems in other developing countries. Gabon has no National
Parks, but there are five protected areas (PAs), including three
faunal reserves administered by the Wildlife Department. Logging
is taking place in all five protected areas and oil exploration
in one. Logging is highly selective; almost 90% of the trees cut
are from one endemic species, the "okoumé" (Aucoumea
klaineana), which produces a lightweight wood used to make plywood.
This highly selective logging has led to alteration of the habitat
through tree-felling and road construction, and has opened up
new areas for hunting and settlement.
Until now, little attention has been paid to conservation within
Gabon by either government or international conservation organizations.
But now the government has begun to make funds available for conservation
and has recognized that development should not take place at the
expense of the country's natural heritage. This represents an
important change in conservation awareness in Gabon. In 1985 the
Gabon government asked WWF and IUCN to review the protected area
system with the aim of promoting the establishment and effective
management of a network of National Parks and PAs to conserve
the biological diversity of the country's tropical forests. This
review (undertaken under WWF project GA0001) highlighted an urgent
need to prevent logging and poaching within existing reserves
in order to protect flora and fauna. It also included strong recommendations
for improving the management of existing reserves and for establishing
a new PA in the north-east. WWF has responded by supporting a
study of the effects of selective logging on tropical forest habitats
(GA0002), and by providing funds to the Wildlife Department for
the management of the Lopé Reserve (GA0006). An action
plan for conservation in Gabon has also been prepared.
View Map
This project involves the preparation and implementation of a
detailed landuse management plan for north-east Gabon. This
will include proposals to promote sustainable forest industries,
and to develop a system which ensures that funds generated in
the region are ploughed back into local conservation and development
activities. Efforts will also be made to ensure that conservation
measures are applied to forestry, mining, agriculture, and hunting
in the area. Another component will be an environmental education
programme to promote public awareness about tropical forest conservation.
Project Objectives:
1. To prepare and implement a detailed landuse management
plan for north-east Gabon.
2. To gazette a protected area in the project zone.
3. To integrate conservation measures into forestry, mining,
agriculture, and hunting activities in the area.
4. To establish sustainable forestbased industries.
5. To develop a system through which funds generated in the region
are ploughed back into local conservation and development activities.
6. To develop an environmental education programme for schools.
7. To help develop public awareness of tropical forest conservation.
GA0003.1: Conservation and Protected Area Development in
North-East Gabon (Feb. 89 - Jun. 00)
Activity Background:
During the first phase of the project, a team (including a team
leader, ecologist, and rural development specialist) will spend
six months collecting information on the region's biological assets,
demographic patterns, forestry, tourism, and mineral potential.
This information will be used to establish the actions needed
to create a protected area in the region, and the costs involved.
The project will be discussed throughout with the Gabonese authorities.
A final report will be presented at a workshop involving all the
interested parties. The aim is to preserve the biological diversity
of the region while at the same time ensuring that there are benefits
for local communities living around the protected areas.
The second phase of the project is expected to involve support
for infrastructure development, boundary demarcation, agroforestry,
and the introduction of a scheme to ensure that funds generated
by the project go to the rural population living around the protected
area. If the project methods are approved by the government, they
could serve as a model for other protected areas in Gabon.
Activity Objectives:
1. To ensure conservation of the high endemism in this area of
Gabon.
2. To ensure gazetting of the Minkébé reserve.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Protected Area Establishment; Protected Area Management.
Activity Species:
Bongo (Tragelaphus euryceros); Dja river warbler (Bradypterus
grandis); Forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis); Gorilla
(Gorilla gorilla); Greynecked picathartes (Picathartes oreas).
GA0004 Gabon: Environmental Education Programme
Project Summary:
This project focuses on introducing environmental education into
the Gabonese school system, and developing a nonformal education
and public awareness programme for use in both rural and urban
areas to help promote conservation awareness. The underlying aim
is to support WWF's conservation programme in Gabon.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 25 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 25 |
| EE & Capacity Building 100 |
Oceans and Coasts 15 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 20 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 15 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
Tropical rainforests still cover up to 85% of Gabon, and more
than a third of the forest is undisturbed. The country also has
important populations of lowland gorilla, chimpanzee, and forest
elephant. Gabon has a low population density and is relatively
affluent due to its oil resources. These two factors, coupled
with the lack of access roads to the interior, have so far afforded
a natural protection to large areas of primary tropical forest.
In order to support the considerable effort that WWF is putting
into environmental protection in Gabon, it is essential that education
and public awareness programmes are developed in parallel with
the other activities which make up the WWF Country Programme for
Gabon. Until the start of this project, environmental education
was virtually absent from the school system, and no rural conservation
awareness projects had ever been undertaken. It is essential that
both decision-makers and the population as a whole are aware of
the dangers of overexploiting wildlife resources, and of the importance
of rational management of these resources. Begun in 1991, the
Education Programme has focused on developing materials for primary
and secondary schools, using the media to disseminate conservation
messages, aiding groups in the formation of nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs), and researching the possibility of starting
a rural public awareness campaign.
Project Objectives:
1. To continue introducing environmental education into the Gabonese
school system.
2. To develop nonformal education and public awareness
methods in both rural and urban areas of the country.
3. To promote conservation awareness and support local WWF actions
which are undertaken within the country plan.
GA0004.1: Environmental Education Programme (Aug. 90 - Jun.
99)
Activity Background:
Work carried out under this activity consists of developing materials
and training teachers to use these materials as a means of introducing
environmental education into Gabon's school system. The country's
media is fairly well developed and reaches a large portion of
the population. In an effort to tap into this resource the Education
Programme has developed, and continues to develop, materials for
use on television and in newspapers. As a result of this media
coverage, groups in the process of establishing NGOs (which are
a recent phenomenon in Gabon) have consulted WWF for advice on
defining their roles, focusing their activities, and coordinating
with other environmental bodies.
Activity Objectives:
1. To continue producing a cartoon book for secondary schools
on a quarterly basis; environmental clubs will be formed using
this publication as a focal point.
2. To begin conception of a second workbook for primary schools.
3. To continue producing television documentaries to be broadcast
on the national television station.
4. To coordinate and assist the production of a monthly "Environment
Page" in the national newspaper.
5. To continue working with environmental NGOs and associations
to better define their activities and role in society.
6. To finance and provide technical support to selected activities.
7. To organize a group meeting of all local NGOs and associations.
Activity Methods:
Communications; Education.
Activity Species:
African elephant (Loxodonta africana); Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).
GA0005 Gabon: WWF Programme Office, Gabon
Project Summary:
The WWF Gabon Programme Office, established in 1991, is responsible
for project development and coordination within the context of
the Gabon Country Programme. By opening an office, WWF Gabon can
better coordinate activities within the country, working with
various partners to identify, plan, and implement conservation
projects.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 70 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 10 |
| EE & Capacity Building 15 |
Oceans and Coasts 20 | |
Protected Areas 50 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 15 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 10 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 10
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
Gabon is a WWF focal country on account of its high degree of
biodiversity. Factors such as a small human population, high per
capita Gross National Product, and expanses of intact primary
forest make it an ideal country for conservation initiatives.
The WWF Gabon Programme Office, established in 1991, is primarily
responsible for developing projects, acting as a liaison between
government agencies, the private sector and international aid
agencies, and providing technical and logistical support to the
Department of Wildlife and Hunting.
Project Objectives:
1. To establish the WWF Gabon Programme Office.
2. To coordinate the Gabon Country Programme.
3. To serve as a contact point for private and public sector
entities interested in conservation issues.
4. To provide technical and financial support to the Ministry
of Water and Forests and more particularly the Department of Wildlife
and Hunting.
GA0005.1: WWF Programme Office, Gabon (Apr. 91 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
1. To provide logistical, technical, and administrative support
to field projects.
2. To develop new projects.
3. To coordinate activities among various donors and project
participants.
4. To serve as the contact point for conservation groups and
individuals residing outside Gabon.
5. To provide technical and logistical support to the Department
of Wildlife and Hunting.
Activity Methods:
Communications; Institutional Support and Development; Lobbying;
Programme / Project Development.
Activity Species:
African elephant (Loxodonta africana).
GA0006 Gabon: Support for the Gabonese Wildlife Department
Project Summary:
Timber exploitation to boost the country's economy is increasingly
threatening Gabon's tropical moist forests. This project provides
support to the Gabonese Wildlife and Hunting Department to promote
conservation issues.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 0 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 100 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 100
|
Project Background:
Gabon has tremendous potential for conservation of intact tropical
forest ecosystems due to its low human population density, relative
affluence (principally from offshore oil), and few access
routes to the interior. These features combined provide natural
protection to large areas of primary tropical forest. Forests
occupy 85% of the country's territory, of which it is estimated
that 32% remains undisturbed.
Falling oil prices hold dramatic consequences for Gabon's economy
- a fall in oil revenues of 50% can halve the national budget
- so pressure is now increasing to boost other sectors of the
economy, with timber becoming particularly important. As a result
of this loss of revenue, support for conservation has suffered
more than other sectors. This has been most acutely felt by government-supported
conservation projects, which in the past have not had to rely
on international funding. This project provides much needed support
to the Gabonese Wildlife and Hunting Department in an effort to
conserve Gabon's tropical moist forest.
Project Objectives:
1. To provide urgently required outside support to keep the government's
attention focused on conservation issues.
2. To enable the Wildlife and Hunting Department to continue
to expand its activities, and gain flexibility to respond to specific
conservation needs.
GA0006.1: Support for the Gabonese Wildlife and HuntingDepartment
(Dec. 87 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
Field staff at the Lopé Reserve in central Gabon, site
of a current WWF-supported gorilla and chimpanzee project, will
receive material support in the form of equipment. The Lopé
Reserve is the largest in the country, and the last to retain
extensive areas of primary forest. The reserve has been identified
for possible selective timber harvesting. WWF support for government
conservation activities in the reserve will send a strong signal
to the government regarding the importance of the Lopé
Reserve as an undisturbed tropical forest sanctuary.
Activity Objectives:
1. To continue vital patrolling of the reserve and surrounding
area.
2. To provide material support in the form of basic equipment,
including boots, tents, backpacks, canteens, binoculars, compasses,
etc., to the department to ensure that protected area management
activities continue.
Activity Biome
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Institutional Support and Development.
Activity Species:
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes); Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla).
GA0007 Gabon: Conservation Support to the Gamba Protected Area
Complex
Project Summary:
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The Gamba Protected Area Complex includes rich biological diversity
in terrestrial, freshwater, and coastal ecosystems. This project
seeks to safeguard these original and representative ecosystems
and maintain biodiversity in harmony with sustainable utilization.
Aconservation management plan will be designed and implemented,
addressing issues such as rural development, zoning, regulations,
management, education and public awareness, training, research,
and monitoring.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 80 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 10 |
| EE & Capacity Building 10 |
Oceans and Coasts 10 | |
Protected Areas 60 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 20 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 10
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
WWF began its activities in Gabon in 1986 with a countrywide evaluation
of problems, potential, and needs for those institutions responsible
for managing the country's natural resource base. This study included
preliminary recommendations for the Gamba region. Subsequently,
WWF established a Programme Office and recruited a Representative
in Libreville in 1991. The Programme Office continued the evaluation
and planning process which culminated in an integrated Country
Plan up to the year 2000. The plan emphasized the theme of "conservation
before the crisis", highlighting the remarkable opportunities
presented by Gabon compared to many other West and Central African
countries where forests have already been reduced to relatively
small pockets, or where political instability significantly impedes
effective conservation.
The Gamba Protected Area Complex is a priority project in the
WWF Gabon Programme and WWF sees this project as part of a long-term
involvment in conservation in the area. The Gamba Programme is
an integrated conservation and development project and incorporates
all three of the approaches in WWF's mission: preserving genetic,
species and ecosystem diversity; ensuring sustainable use of natural
resources; and the promotion of actions to reduce pollution and
wasteful exploitation of resources. The programme aims to ensure
that the rich biological diversity in the terrestrial, freshwater,
and coastal ecosystems of the Gamba Protected Area Complex is
conserved.
Project Objectives:
1. To clearly define management zones within the complex.
2. To refine and strengthen internal regulations in accordance
with the proposed zoning.
3. To establish management and protection systems.
4. To define and initiate applied management-oriented research.
5. To design and institutionalize an environmental education
and public awareness programme.
6. To promote rural development alternatives that contribute
to the conservation of the Gamba Protected Area Complex.
GA0007.1: Conservation Support to the Gamba Protected Area
Complex (Aug. 90 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
View Map
The Petit Loango Reserve is where most of WWF's recent activities
have been focused. A team of Forest and Water Ministry agents
is based at the reserve headquarters. A WWF project executant
arrived in January 1994 to begin work in collaboration with these
agents. The basic infrastructure has been completed, consisting
of four houses and an office building.
Activity Objectives:
1. To work with Ministry of Forests and Water personnel to begin
conservation and inventory activities in the Petit Loango Reserve
and surrounding lands.
2. To continue to develop the infrastructure both at reserve
headquarters and within the reserve; to include building a boat
dock, storage facilities, housing for workers and visitors, and
a communal kitchen for headquarters personnel; to renovate camps
located within the reserve; and to study the possible use of alternative
energy sources.
3. To provide technical and logistical support to personnel based
at reserve headquarters.
4. To recruit and train the project leader.
5. To develop and implement a training plan for reserve personnel.
6. To participate in developing an integrated conservation and
development plan for the complex.
Activity Biomes:
Littoral Zones; Mangrove; Marshes/Swamps; Tropical Grasslands
and Savannas; Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Community Conservation; Ecotourism Development; Protected Area
Management.
Activity Species:
African elephant (Loxodonta africana); Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla);
Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea); West african manatee
(Trichechus senegalensis).
GA0012 Gabon: The Impact of Elephants and other Wildlife on
Agriculture in Gabon
Project Summary:
This project aims to address the problem of cropraiding
fauna, in particular elephants, through extensive research of
the problem, with the aim of devising control methods.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 100 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 100 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
Cropraiding by elephants and other fauna is a major problem
in rural Gabon. Earlier in this century, when rural communities
were scattered throughout the forest, the destruction of fields
by elephants was severe. Today, wildlife continues to raid village
fields, particularly during the night. It is very difficult to
provide alternative protection for fields given that they are
temporary (2 to 3 years), and are often located several kilometres
from a village. Elephants can devastate fields in minutes, destroying
months of work and future food supplies. Only by fully understanding
the problem can lasting solutions be found.
Project Objectives:
1. To develop the capacity of the Department of Wildlife and
Hunting to monitor, assess, and respond to crop damage problems.
2. To better understand the phenomenon of crop-raiding from the
point of view of the people most directly affected.
3. To determine if other species of wildlife are affecting agricultural
activity in Gabon.
4. To investigate traditional and new methods of deterring crop-raiders.
5. To find and test solutions to the problem of crop-raiding
using an adaptive management approach.
GA0012.1: The Impact of Elephants and other Wildlife on
Agriculture in Gabon (Jul. 93 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
Since the establishment of the WWF Country Office in Gabon, a
problem often cited by government officials, as well as villagers,
is the destruction caused to fields by elephants and other wildlife.
Recognizing the severity of the problem, WWF and the Department
of Wildlife and Hunting are working in collaboration to devise
appropriate methods of deterrence at the village level.
Activity Objectives:
1. To survey crop-raiding problems in all nine provinces.
2. To identify severe problem areas and begin testing various
techniques of deterrence.
3. To train Wildlife and Hunting Department personnel in methods
of assessing and controlling wildlife damage, as well as establishing
a collaborative relationship with villagers.
4. To work with the Ministries of Agriculture and Public Education
to improve agricultural systems, thereby limiting the impact of
elephants on fields.
5. To initiate regional discussion on how problems in neighbouring
countries (e.g. poaching) may be affecting Gabon's elephant population.
Activity Methods:
Natural Resource Economics.
Activity Species:
African elephant (Loxodonta africana).
GA0012.2: Monitoring and Mitigating the Impact of Elephants
and Wildlife on Agric. in Gab. (Mar. 95 - Aug. 96)
Activity Background:
A nationwide survey identified major crop-raiding species in rural
Gabon and gave early indications on spatial and temporal aspects
of crop-raiding by elephants throughout the country. The study
now focuses on Moukalaba region, where over 200 fields are monitored.
The level of crop-raiding is quantified, as well as its impact
on household economy, while methods of deterrence are developed
using tests, trials, and experiments.
Activity Objectives:
1. To reduce the conflict between man and mammals, thereby protecting
important species such as the African elephant while contributing
to the food security of rural communities.
2. To work with the Ministries of Water and Forests, Posts, Telecommunication,
and the Environment; Communication, Culture, Popular Education
and Human Rights; and Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Rural
Development, to improve agricultural systems to limit the impact
of elephants and other wildlife on village fields. The concept
of sustainable forest management should guide changes in agriculutural
systems, and innnovative solutions are likely to come through
interdisciplinary approaches.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Species Management.
Activity Species:
African elephant (Loxodonta africana); Forest elephant (Loxodonta
africana cyclotis).
GA0013 Gabon: GEF Wildlife Trade and Conservation Project
Project Summary:
The goal of this project is to create a mechanism to sustainably
manage wildlife trade in Gabon and to reinforce government and
local community capacity to ensure longterm sustainable
management and conservation of biodiversity.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 0 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 20 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 50 |
Non-Biome Specific 100 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 15 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 15
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
In 1992 WWF was asked by UNDP to participate in the preparation
of a preliminary GEF proposal for Gabon, Cameroon, and the Central
African Republic. The original proposal was to create a regional
office responsible for overseeing all issues related to trade
in both fauna and flora, but the scope of this proposal was found
to be too wide. The proposal has been redrafted and this project
now concentrates solely on regulating trade in fauna within Gabon,
with the possibility of replicating the project in other Central
African countries at a later date. The project document was officially
signed by the government of Gabon and UNDP in July 1994.
Project Objectives:
1. To improve knowledge and implementation of national legislation
and international treaties through training of personnel.
2. To secure amendments to national legislation on management
and trade of wildlife, to incorporate the socioeconomic
reality in Gabon and CITES requirements.
3. To develop a framework for longterm monitoring of wildlife
use and trade, and its impact on biological diversity.
4. To develop strategies to implement legislation and management
polices on wildlife trade, and link these with biological diversity
conservation.
5. To institutionalize longterm maintenance of the directorate
charged with wildlife conservation and management and the continuation
of monitoring activities.
GA0013.1: GEF Wildlife Trade and Conservation Project (Jul.
95- Jun. 98)
Activity Background:
This project will create the structures needed to better regulate
wildlife trade, as well as bolster the ability of the Gabonese
to manage their natural resources sustainably. To start a dialogue,
the WWF Gabon Programme Office, in its role as implementing agent,
will recruit personnel and plan sessions with the different groups
involved in the project.
Activity Objectives:
1. To employ a project coordinator, administrator, and other
personnel as required.
2. To organize a meeting to share information with other groups
affected by the project.
3. To train personnel in order to improve knowledge and the implementation
of national legislation and international treaties.
4. To adapt national legislation on management and trade of wildlife
to the socioeconomic reality in Gabon and to CITES requirements.
5. To devise methodologies for monitoring exploitation of, and
commerce in, wildlife by both rural communities and official authorities
and to develop a system to regulate changes in wildlife populations.
6. To develop strategies to implement legislation and management
policies on wildlife trade, and link these with biological diversity
conservation.
7. To institutionalize longterm maintenance of the directorate
charged with wildlife conservation and management and the continuation
of monitoring activities.
Activity Methods:
Institutional Support and Development; Research and Monitoring;
Training; Treaties; Wildlife Trade Monitoring.
Activity Species:
Lion (Panthera leo); African elephant (Loxodonta africana); Gorilla
(Gorilla gorilla); Giant armadillo (Priodontes giganteus); West
african manatee (Trichechus senegalensis); Sacred ibis (Threskiornis
aethiopicus): Bushpig (Potamochoerus porcus); Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus
amphibius); Nubian bustard (Neotis nuba); Giant pangolin (Manis
gigantea); Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx); West african chimpanzee
(Pan troglodytes verus); Bongo (Tragelaphus euryceros).
(Concept) GA0014 Gabon: Institutional Support and Training
for the Department of Wildlife and Hunting
Project Summary:
The goal of this project is to improve the institutional capacity
of the Department of Wildlife and Hunting (known in French as
the "Direction de la Faune et de la Chasse", or DFC)
and its brigades to manage Gabon's wildlife. Financial support
will be provided to ensure the Department's ability to respond
to unexpected costs deemed urgent. Technical support will be multifaceted
and include goal and objective setting, how to prepare project
funding proposals, training, and lobbying techniques.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 0 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 100 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 100 | |
|
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| Treaties & Legislation 0 |
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
Since 1987, WWF Gabon has provided technical and administrative
support to the Department of Wildlife and Hunting (Direction de
la Faune et de la Chasse, or DFC) under the auspices of project
GA0009 and later GA0005.03. Technical assistance has been a key
element but it has been more reactive than proactive. WWF has
also been supporting a portion of the actual operating costs of
the DFC.
To enable DFC to operate autonomously, the WWF Gabon Programme
would like to diminish monetary support and concentrate on furnishing
a more comprehensive and organized package of technical support.
Proposed technical support will be multifaceted and include: (a)
identifying or developing pertinent training activities; (b) assisting
in identifying realistic goals and objectives for the Department;
(c) training future Department agents through the participation
of students of the Ecole Nationale des Eaux et Forêts in
WWF projects; (d) improving the ability of the Department to
develop project proposals for funding by external and internal
agencies; and (e) developing a strategy and training Department
agents in lobbying methods directed at the media and government.
In January 1995, the WWF Gabon Programme was approached by the
European Union (EU) who expressed interest in funding such an
initiative. A proposal has been completed in collaboration with
the DFC and is being reviewed by WWF International before its
official submission to the EU.
Project Objectives:
1. To provide technical assistance to the DFC.
2. To develop a clear policy base, specifically with regard to
the application of conservation legislation and international
treaties.
3. To procure basic equipment and ensure its maintenance in order
to improve the DFC's capacity to effectively manage Gabon's wildlife
resources.
4. To train future DFC agents in "new" conservation
techniques by associating students of the Ecole Nationale des
Eaux et Forêts in field missions and WWF projects.
5. To improve proposal-development skills and lobbying abilities
to aid in contacts with the media, external funding agencies,
and the Gabonese government.
GA0014.1: Institutional Support and Training for the Direction
de la Faune et de la Chasse (Jan. 96 - Dec. 97)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Methods:
Institutional Support and Development.
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