Building Scientific and Technical Capacity for Effective Management and Sustainable Use of Dryland Biodiversity in West African Biosphere Reserves

The development goal of the project is to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity in six biosphere reserves in West Africa that are predominantly composed of savanna ecosystems. The project purpose is to systematically strengthen scientific and technical capacity for effective management of the biosphere reserves. This targeted intervention strategy has been designed to complement existing investments and projects within the biosphere reserves. The project will improve the understanding of interactions between local communities and savanna ecosystems, identify and promote sustainable use of biodiversity in pilot demonstrations, strengthen stakeholder capacity at all levels, and more effectively integrate stakeholders into the management of each biosphere reserve. The project will make extensive use of the African Network of Biosphere Reserves, AfriMAB, and, in particular, the sub-regional AfriMAB network for West Africa for regional technical and scientific information exchange, capacity building, and sharing of lessons learned.