Conservation of biodiversity in the Taï-Grebo-Sapo forest complex

Detailed description of project:

The forest complex Taï-Grebo-Sapo stretches over an area of 5,775 km2 and is composed of the Taï National Park in Ivory Coast and of the Grebo National Park and the Sapo National Park, both of which are situated in Liberia. This complex is worth protecting and conserving as a whole since it hosts over 1,200 plant species and hundreds of animal species such as the West African chimpanzee as well as the world´s largest population of the endangered pygmy hippopotamus.

In this regard, Ivory Coast and Liberia have been implementing the project “Conservation of the Biodiversity in the Taï-Grebo-Sapo forest complex”, funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, through KfW.

After a 2-year preparatory process (phase 1), aimed at elaborating a plan to strengthen ecological connectivity in close cooperation with the local communities, the Ivorian government decided in April 2019 to create a 4 km linear eco corridor, following the course of a river located in the commune of Taï. The corridor must eventually be managed by the communities themselves and take the status of “Volontary Natural Reserve”. The specific objective of this projet (phase 2) is to “Restore ecological connectivity between the Tai National Park and the Grebo Krahn National Park by the local communities and other local stakeholders.”

Type of services provided:

A Project Management Unit (PMU), composed of a national coordinator and the consultant, will implement the following activities in four main phases:

  • Launching phase:

(i) Institutional anchoring of the project – support to the creation of the various technical committees at the national and local level; (ii) Inception workshop in the project area; (iii) Awareness campaign; (iv) Setting up of a Monitoring and Evaluation System;

  • Preparatory phase for the creation of the corridor:

Identification and implementation of a compensation and resettlement plan (Process Framework and Resettlement Action Plan) ; Agreement on the choice of the status of the corridor, in close collaboration with the local population ; Technical preparation of the creation of the corridor (Management plan, etc.);

  • Establishment of the corridor:

(i) Institutional set up and implementation of the management plan ; (ii) Identification and implementation of a human wildlife conflict strategy ; (iii) Further implementation of accompanying measures among the affected communities;

  • Consolidation and exit strategy:

(i) Further recognition of the corridor in legal texts and in regional planning processes; (ii) Set up of a sustainable financing mechanisms for the corridor ; (iii) Etc.

Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MINEDD) /Direction of Ecology and Nature Protection (DEPN)
BMZ through KfW
03/2020-02/2025
Contract value: 1,854,451 €