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Add to Preferred SourcesThe Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have joined forces to protect West Africa’s forests and help safeguard the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on them.
The three institutions will carry out a five-year project aimed at strengthening sustainable forest and land management, addressing transboundary forest threats, maximising the livelihoods of forest-depended communities, and building climate resilience across 15 countries in West Africa.
The project – to be implemented by ECOWAS with the financial support of over $8 million from Sida and technical support from FAO – will improve knowledge of forests dynamics, support legal reform, establish and share best community-based forest practices across the region. It will be key to the rolling out of the ECOWAS-led Convergence Plan for the Sustainable Management and Use of Forest Ecosystems in West Africa adopted in 2013 by ECOWAS to mobilize political, institutional, financial and technical support to address transboundary forest issues across ECOWAS’s 15 member states.
“We are very pleased to be partners with ECOWAS and FAO on transboundary forest management in West Africa. It is a very important project for the people and governments of the region, but also for the global efforts to stop climate change and loss of biodiversity,” said Ulla Andrén, Sida’s Head of Regional Development Cooperation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“It is because of strong partnerships that we have the Forest Convergence Plan,” said Tiina Vahanen, FAO’s Chief of Forestry Policy and Resources Division. “Now it’s time to act on it. The project is a concrete step towards improved forest management in the region and will build on the momentum created in recent years to safeguard West Africa’s forests.”
Towards better forest management across West Africa
In response to these threats, ECOWAS, with support from FAO and other partners, developed the Forest Convergence Plan to ensure that transboundary issues are addressed in national action plans, and to provide a strategic foundation for transformational change across the region.
The new project will support the implementation of the priorities outlined in the Forest Convergence Plan, including improving knowledge of forest resources and harmonising legislative frameworks for forest policy.
The project will also support the implementation of other national and international commitments of West African countries, such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Climate Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Original source: FAO
Published on 09 April 2019