The closing workshop of the COHAB project “Identification of solutions for a cohabitation between chimpanzees and local communities in Fouta Djallon (Guinea)” was held on December 1, 2022 in the village of Pellel Koura, Rural Commune of Diari, Prefecture of Labé.

This 3-year project, funded by the ARCUS Foundation and implemented by Biotope with the support of its partners Guinea Ecologie, Institut Jane Goodall (Spain) and LEAF Inspiring Change, has developed a methodology to facilitate the establishment of community conservation agreements (outside protected areas) conducive to chimpanzees conservation and local communities economic development in Fouta Djallon.

Bringing together about 60 participants – administrative and local authorities (Guinean Office of Parks and Reserves, Prefectural Directors, section chiefs, forestry chiefs, mayors, district presidents of the three prefectures concerned (Labé, Dalaba and Mali), local associations for nature conservation (ALCN), local communities and the project team – the closing workshop focused on presenting the main results and recommendations obtained by the project.

 

Members of the project team took the floor in turn to:

1: Describe the activities carried out with the communities during the project and explain the methodological approach that was developed:

  • Ecological diagnosis of chimpanzee populations surrounding the sites;

  • Socio-economic and land diagnosis of the project’s partner communities;

  • Consultation with the communities to define the terms of the conservation agreements;

  • Identification of localities to replicate the model.

2: Carry out a participatory evaluation of the results achieved, and

3: Identify ways to perpetuate the achievements on the three sites of Mali, Dalaba and Labé.

Posters summarizing the major methodological steps and results of the project were produced for this closing workshop and distributed to participants. In addition, the project team offered billboards summarizing the commitments of the three pilot communities to the conservation of natural resources and chimpanzee populations in their territories. These billboards have been installed at each site and will serve as a showcase for community involvement in the COHAB project.

 

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