Completed Projects

Canada

Proponent
Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD) and Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

After initial training in ecosystem accounting at a summer school at UQAM, representatives of a number of francophone African countries (Burkina Faso, Guinea-Conakry, Morocco, Niger, Senegal and Tunisia) convened two workshops to develop a cooperation project on the development of economic valuation tools for biodiversity and national ecosystem-based accounting systems.

The 'Guidelines for tourism partnerships and concessions for protected areas' are available here:
tourism-partnerships-protected-areas-web.pdf

The final project report is available here:
bbi-cirad-pilot-project-final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

Republic of Korea

Proponent
National Institute of Biological Resources of Korea (NIBR)

NIBR facilitated the transfer of DNA bar-coding analysis technology for biodiversity monitoring to countries in demand, with technical support from the Genome Analysis Center of National Instrumentation Center for Environmental Management (NICEM) at Seoul National University. A technical workshop on DNA barcoding analysis and a roundtable discussion were held to identify obstacles and future needs in the application of this technology.

The final project report is available here:
bbi-nibr-pilot-project-presentation.pdf

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Status: completed

Republic of Korea

Proponent
Korea Environment Institute (KEI)

The Korea Environment Institute (KEI), in collaboration with ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB) and Korea National Park Service (KNPS), applied an innovative modeling approach using social big data to examine the current status of management of Heritage Parks. This, in turn, supported the development of related management strategies encouraging eco-tourism that enhances cultural services (e.g. recreation, education), focusing on eco-tourism that safeguards biodiversity for the countries and regions where there were only limited field data.

The final project report is available here:
bbi-kei-pilot-project-final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

South Africa

Proponent
IUCN TAPAS Group.

IUCN's Tourism and Parks Specialist Group (TAPAS) facilitated cooperation between protected area authorities in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa which have efficient tourism concession systems and counterpart agencies in Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania, which are at early stages of private concessioning/partnerships in protected areas and need support. The project enabled the latter countries to undertake feasibility studies and pilot cases and develop their own policies and systems for tourism concessions in protected areas.

The final project report is available here:
bbi-iucn-tapas-pilot-project-final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

Belarus

Proponent
Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus

Collaborators
am~kz~lt~md~tj~ua

The objective of this project was to promote cooperation between Belarus and other Central and Eastern European countries and Central Asian Republics (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan and Ukraine) on the use of modern molecular genetic technologies, such as DNA barcoding, for the identification of species taxonomy and monitoring of biodiversity. Catalytic support through the Bio-Bridge Initiative contributed to increased institutional capacities of key stakeholders within the region on the use of this technology, the establishment of a Regional Reference Library of DNA Barcodes, and the strengthening of scientific networks that are better equipped to promote the application of DNA barcoding in the region.

For more information, please refer to the Terms of Reference:
TOR.pdf

The final project report is available here:
bbi-belarus-final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

China

Proponent
Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences~China Institute for Environment and Resource Protection of Minority Area at the Minzu University of China

This project aims to foster cooperation between China and other Asian countries (Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam) on the documentation and protection of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources in the framework of the Nagoya Protocol. Support from the Bio-Bridge Initiative will lead to (i) documentation of the traditional knowledge and a series of case studies associated with biological and genetic resources in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province; and (ii) long-term cooperation on traditional knowledge within the region based on lessons learned and best practices with institutions doing similar work in Asia.

For more information, please refer to the Terms of Reference:
TOR.pdf

The final project report is available here:
bbi-china-final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

Colombia

Proponent
Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt

Collaborators
br~mx~za

This project was designed to facilitate cooperation between Colombia, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa to enhance biodiversity data management for species and ecosystem assessments. BBI support helped to develop tools and facilitate the adoption of standards for compiling and disseminating biological information through national biodiversity information systems and platforms; improve biodiversity information management, storage, and use; and translate science to support policymaking. The project also supported the development of a conceptual framework to guide the development of quantitative and qualitative indicators for evaluating the state of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity.

For more information, please refer to the Terms of Reference:
TOR.pdf

The final project report is available here:
bbi-colombia-final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

Costa Rica

Proponent
Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad of Costa Rica

Collaborators
Chile

The overall objective of this undertaking was to foster long-term cooperation between Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad and the Municipality of Panguipulli on the conservation and sustainable management of the territory. Cooperation entailed capacity strengthening and exchange of positive experiences in terms of establishing a territory management experience oriented to the conservation of biodiversity and local productive development, respecting and integrating scientific and traditional knowledge. This project created a joint vision among territorial management actors about what should be, and should be understood as, sustainable management of the territory. It helped develop a project aimed at addressing the most important needs to achieve sustainable territorial management aimed at the provision of ecosystem services. It also facilitated the establishment of agreements with relevant actors for the development of the long-term project.

For more information, please refer to the Terms of Reference:
TOR.pdf (please note that this document is only available in Spanish)

The final project report is available here:
bbi-chile-final-report.pdf (please note that this document is only available in Spanish)

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Status: completed

Ghana

Proponent
Ministry of Environment~ Science~ Technology and Innovation

Collaborators
gm~ng~sl

This project sought to foster technical and scientific cooperation between Ghana and other Anglophone West African countries (Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone) on natural resources valuation and Ecosystem-Natural Capital Accounting. The Bio-Bridge Initiative contributed to the development of national and regional capacities to take full account of the contribution of natural resources and ecosystem services in national accounting systems and to GDP. This gave countries the opportunity to measure and value the environment to support sound macroeconomic policies for development.

For more information, please refer to the Terms of Reference:
TOR.pdf

The final project report is available here:
bbi-ghana-final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

India

Proponent
Amity Institute of Wildlife Sciences~ Amity University (India)

Collaborators
Seoul National University College of Veterinary Medicine~Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (Republic of Korea)

The project aimed to foster cooperation between institutions in India and the Republic of Korea in the use of technologies (including DNA tying methodology and microsatellite markers) to promote the conservation of the Asian big cats (tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, and clouded leopard) and combat poaching and illegal wildlife trade. It supported the establishment of wildlife genetics facilities in regional institutes and the development of capacity to apply consistent methodologies and protocols for genetic characterization of wild populations, which is a prerequisite for identification of the geographic origin of the wildlife seizures.

For more information, please refer to the Terms of Reference:
TOR.pdf

The final project report is available here:
bbi-india-final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

Malawi

Proponent
Department of Environmental Affairs (Malawi)

Collaborators
National Environment Management Authority (Uganda)

The overall objective of this project was to foster long-term cooperation between Malawi and Uganda on the assessment and integration of biodiversity values into national, sectoral and local development policies, plans and accounting systems. Specifically, the Bio-Bridge Initiative supported consultative meetings, technical training and experience-sharing between experts of the two countries with a view to create stronger partnerships and deeper cooperation on these issues in the project area.

For more information, please refer to the Terms of Reference:
TOR.pdf

The final project report is available here:
bbi-malawi-final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

Morocco

Proponent
State Secretary for Sustainable Development~ Ministry of Energy~ Mines and Sustainable Development (Morocco)

Collaborators
UNDP~IDLO~Algeria~Benin~Cameroon~Comoros~Côte d’Ivoire~Madagascar~Niger~DR Congo~Rwanda

This project contributed to the establishment of a network of 10 French-speaking African countries (Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Morocco) with a view to promoting the design and implementation of ABS legislative, administrative and policy measures. The network complements ongoing capacity development activities by facilitating exchange of knowledge and experiences of highly qualified ABS legal experts through South-South cooperation in the targeted countries.

For more information, please refer to the Terms of Reference:
TOR.pdf

The final project report is available here:
bbi-morocco-final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

Zimbabwe

Proponent
National Biotechnology Authority of Zimbabwe

Collaborators
bw~mw~mz~za~zm

The scope of the project was to strengthen regional collaboration on the establishment of a regional biobank of invasive alien species. Catalytic support through the Bio-Bridge Initiative focused on the strengthening of institutional capacities in Zimbabwe through collaboration with subject matter experts from South Africa and Botswana, and the subsequent development of a detailed proposal for a follow-up long-term cooperation project on the establishment of a multilateral biobank of alien invasive species in the Southern African Development Community region. The Bio-Bridge Initiative supported collaboration among relevant stakeholders through training, on-the-job learning, mentorship, and sharing of available infrastructure and equipment.

For more information, please refer to the Terms of Reference:
TOR.pdf

The final project report is available here:
bbi-zimbabwe-final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

Benin

Proponent
Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques du Bénin (IRHOB~ Benin)

Collaborators
Université d’Abomey-Calavi (Benin)~ Royal Institute of Natural Science of Belgium (Belgium)

The objective of this project was to foster cooperation between the Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques du Bénin, the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin, and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences on the development of a methodology to obtain reliable scientific data for the management and conservation of aquatic resources in Benin. The project consisted in manufacturing Arduino sensors capable of measuring key physicochemical parameters for water quality, such as temperature, salinity, acidity and dissolved oxygen levels. The sensors were tested in the marine and lacustrine environment around Cotonou in Benin, as a first step towards constructing habitat suitability maps for different species of interest. The team will seek additional funding to work on solutions to issues identified this project and eventually develop a product that could be proposed to laboratories working with this type of data. The final project report is available here: bbi-benin-final-report-fr.pdf

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

Brazil

Proponent
Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil)

Collaborators
Federal University of Rio Grande (Brazil)~ Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)~ Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (Argentina)~ Universidad de la República (Uruguay)~ Commission on Ecosystem Management of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

The objective of this project was to create a panel of experts from Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina to apply the Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) framework, an innovative risk assessment methodology developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for mapping and identifying endangered coastal and marine ecosystems. Under the leadership of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, project partners conducted the assessment of sand dune fields, which were selected as a regional ecosystem that provides important services, such as shoreline protection, groundwater table maintenance and habitat for several species. This joint investigation aimed to improve understanding of these ecosystems and define essential services as conservation targets to provide a common basis for political stakeholders in the region, and to institutionalize science-based decision-making. The group of 15 experts constituted as part of this project expressed its willingness to continue with the initiative, as more time and data are necessary to improve the assessment based on functional variables. The final project report is available here: bbi-brazil-final-report.pdf

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

Liberia

Proponent
Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection (Liberia)

Collaborators
Jane Goodall Institute (UK)~Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest (USA)~Save the Chimps (USA)~Project to End Great Ape Slavery (Kenya)~Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary (Sierra Leone)~Centre de Conservation pour Chimpanzés (Guinea)~Great Ape Protection (Brazil)~ChimpFace (USA)~Conservation X Labs (USA)~Microsoft (USA)

The objective of this project was to support the development of “ChimpFace”, an effective facial recognition technology tool to combat wildlife trafficking, beginning with chimpanzees and ultimately expanding to include additional species. The tool consists in a web-based platform capable of identifying which Internet images or videos contain chimpanzees, as well as the individual chimpanzee in each image or video. Cooperation entailed the exchange of expertise and data among institutions working on ape protection towards the development of a final product that would allow image recognition to be used for the first time to survey the Internet for evidence of chimpanzee trafficking. The chimpanzee identification aspect of the tool is envisioned as a pilot phase. With additional funding, the intention is to scale up to include additional species of interest through image recognition and keyword detection capabilities, in order to be able to detect online wildlife trafficking of different target species.

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Files:

• TOR.pdf
• final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

Namibia

Proponent
Ministry of Environment and Tourism (Republic of Namibia)

Collaborators
National Botanical Research Institute of Namibia (NBRI) (under the Ministry of Agriculture~ Water and Forestry)~ University of Namibia (UNAM)~ Herbarium of Lubango (LUBA) in Angola (under the Instituto Superior de Ciências da Educação da Huila~ ISCED)~ African Centre for DNA Barcoding in South Africa

This cooperation project aimed to address the unsustainable exploitation of medicinal plants of the Apocynaceae family, which recently became popular in northern Namibia and southern Angola. Specifically, the project endeavoured to conduct traditional and molecular-based taxonomic work to clarify the identity and phylogeny of the targeted species and contribute to an existing public DNA sequence database, with a view to establishing initiatives to reduce pressure on the wild resource and providing legal protection to the species in Namibia and other range states. In addition, this project strengthened institutional collaboration within Namibia and with neighbouring countries to facilitate exchange of expertise and access to biotechnology in the region. The project will continue to seek additional funding to further the work started in this first phase and capitalize on the local and regional network that has been built. The final project report is available here: bbi-namibia-final-report.pdf

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

Republic of Moldova

Proponent
Biodiversity Office of the Ministry of Agriculture~ Regional Development and Environment (Republic of Moldova)

Collaborators
Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia~ Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan~ Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia

This cooperation project aimed to foster a dialogue among key institutions from Republic of Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia on nature-based adaptation to climate change, with a view to protecting the biodiversity of the region. The project partners discussed the main climate change threats to the natural ecosystems in their respective countries, including natural hazards such as drought, floods, hail or landslides, whose consequences have been exacerbated by overexploitation and inappropriate land use practices. The main barriers and needs identified by the partners, as well as the suggested solutions to improve resilience to climate change, were captured in a series of national concept notes to be later developed into ecosystem-based adaptation solution projects to be submitted to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for funding. The future long-term cooperation between participating countries will be maintained through networking between participants, GCF national focal points and relevant organizations. A roadmap detailing the main steps and activities, future actions, responsible agencies and timeframe has been developed as part of the project.

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

Senegal

Proponent
National Parks Directorate under the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (Republic of Senegal)

Collaborators
Tour du Valat~Secretariat of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (UNEP/AEWA)~BirdLife International~International Space Station (NASA)

This project was designed to bring together key institutions, namely the National Parks Directorate of Senegal, the French-based research institute Tour du Valat, the Secretariat of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (UNEP/AEWA), and BirdLife International, to study the migratory movements and critical breeding and other sites of the Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) in Senegal. This migratory species is under threat throughout its flyways. Lack of understanding of their movements and critical sites means that there is little information available to design adequate protection measures. The project partners are working together to ring and satellite-tag a number of specimens, with a view to monitoring them and sharing data to feed into appropriate decision-making in relation to the protection of the species.

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

Singapore

Proponent
National Parks Board (NParks~ Singapore)

Collaborators
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand (MONRE)~ ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity~ ICLEI-CBC

This project aimed to foster cooperation among cities within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to integrate green infrastructure and urban biodiversity in their planning and development. Under the guidance of Singapore and Thailand, which are the lead countries on promoting urban biodiversity initiatives for the ASEAN Action Plan on Environmentally Sustainable Cities, representatives of ASEAN member States and relevant organizations worked on developing a 2019-2025 ASEAN work programme on green infrastructure and urban biodiversity (AWP-UGI/UB). During the course of the project, the European Union expressed interest in funding the implementation of some of the key priority areas of the AWP-UGI/UB. This led to the launch in 2020 of the €5 million Smart Green ASEAN Cities initiative, which combines city-level solutions with national capacity-building and regional approaches, such as the ASEAN Smart City Network. The final project report is available here: bbi-singapore-final-report.pdf

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

South Africa

Proponent
Transfrontier Africa NPC

Collaborators
Cisco South Africa~ Netherlands Institute for Crime and Law Enforcement~ Southern African Wildlife College~ Greater Kruger National Park

This project is designed to address the lack of ability to monitor rhinoceros visiting open landscapes across multiple boundaries, which renders anti-poaching measures difficult. Transfrontier Africa and its partners have developed a technological solution involving a cutting-edge combination of subcutaneous sensors and horn transmitters connecting to a LoRa gateway network for real-time monitoring. As part of this project, project partners propose to conduct a Proof of Concept with the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit in Greater Kruger National Park and design the Standard Operating Procedures and protocols for roll-out into the adjacent protected areas, including in neighbouring rhinoceros range states (Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, United Republic of Tanzania, and Zimbabwe).

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

Sri Lanka

Proponent
National Herbarium (under the Department of National Botanic Gardens) (Sri Lanka)

Collaborators
Singapore Botanic Gardens~Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (United Kingdom)~University of Colombo (Sri Lanka)

The objective of this project was to bring together the National Herbarium of Sri Lanka, the University of Colombo, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on strengthening research on flora native of Sri Lanka. Cooperation has included the provision of expertise from experienced institutions to build the institutional and staff capacities of the National Herbarium and several other national institutions on the use of modern molecular methods and technologies to pursue research on Sri Lanka’s angiosperm flora and provide baseline genetic data for the conservation of diversity and the promotion of sustainable use of plant resources. In the longer term, the project partners aim to set up a DNA banking unit for future use and data mining of Sri Lanka flora, as well as establish a regional collaborative network of scientists that can provide advice and recommendations on issues related to this field of expertise. The final project report is available here: bbi-sri-lanka-final-report.pdf

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

Thailand

Proponent
Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)

Collaborators
The Forest Peoples Programme and indigenous peoples and local communities in Bangladesh~ India~ Malaysia~ Myanmar~ the Philippines~ Thailand~ and Vietnam

This project was implemented in two phases. The first phase brought together representatives of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and partner organizations from seven nations, including Chinese Taipei, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam to agree on the establishment of a regional network called Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples of Asia (IKPA). IKPA is designed to facilitate the sharing of indigenous peoples’ collective actions and innovations, as well as contributions to relevant international processes, such as the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, the Local Biodiversity Outlooks, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The second phase focused on operationalizing IKPA in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. This work consisted in identifying target local communities and organizing a series of workshops to discuss issues of concern and developing recommendations for future actions and collaboration through the network. AIPP will continue to support country partners to strengthen local actions and initiatives of indigenous peoples, as well as to build their capacity to effectively engage with policymakers at different levels. The final project report is available here: bbi-thailand-final-report.pdf

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

Argentina

Proponent
Universidad Nacional del Comahue

Collaborators
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología~Agropecuaria Bariloche (Argentina)~Universidad de Chile (Chile)~Universidad de La Frontera (Chile)~CONAF (Chile)~Universidad Austral e Instituto Forestal (Chile)~Parque Nacional Lanín (Chile)

This project aimed to strengthen technical and scientific cooperation between Argentina and Chile for the protection and management of the endangered Araucaria araucana species, known for its piñón seeds.Partners compiled and analysed relevant technical and scientific information, as well as traditional indigenous knowledge, to design a common approach for estimating the production of piñón seeds, as well as for inspecting and enforcing regulations regarding harvest levels to ensure that they are compatible with biodiversity conservation and regeneration.This project included the promotion of sustainable use and commercialization of piñon seeds by Mapuche communities through the diversification of value-added products and the establishment of value chain and fair-trade mechanisms.

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

Bhutan

Proponent
National Biodiversity Centre

Collaborators
Yamanouchi Gousha Co. Ltd. (Japan)

This project is designed to strengthen national capacities on biodiscovery research and the effective implementation of the access and benefit-sharing (ABS) regime in Bhutan, in line with the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity. In order to enable national actors to develop mutually beneficial relationships with biodiscovery companies and research institutes, the project will consist in collaborating with a Japanese-based company to provide training to target institutions and local communities in the sustainable harvesting of plant samples, the extraction of essential and fixed oils, and the analysis of resulting oil samples. This will be followed by a collaborative effort to develop value-added products deriving from this research. Key learnings from the experience will be shared among key ABS stakeholders in the country.

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2021-04-04 to 2021-09-01

Botswana

Proponent
Trans-Kalahari Predator-Programme~ WildCAT Botswana Trust

Collaborators
KAZA Carnivore Conservation Coalition (Angola~ Botswana~ Namibia~ Zambia~ Zimbabwe)~Oxford University (United Kingdom)~Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Bostwana)

This cooperation project focuses on providing the necessary scientific evidence required to support the recognition and protection of key carnivore corridors within the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) in Botswana, Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The area is home of one of the largest lion populations and is thus vital for preserving genetic diversity of the species. As part of this project, partners will collect and use GPS information obtained from collared lion movements in Botswana to refine and strengthen the KAZA Lion Landscape Connectivity Model. The aim of this model, which was developed based on data from Zimbabwe, is to use spatial analysis as a tool to predict potential corridors for lions across the landscape and identify potential human-lion conflict hotspots. It can also be applied as a landscape management tool to investigate the impact of proposed changes.

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Files:

• TOR.pdf
• final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2021-01-08 to 2021-07-05

Brazil

Proponent
Horus Institute for Environmental Conservation and Development

Collaborators
Universidad Nacional del Sur (Argentina)~Universidad de la República (Uruguay)~DINAMA MVOTMA (Uruguay)~Guyra Paraguay (Paraguay)

The goal of this project is to develop a regional common information platform offering data in Spanish, Portuguese and English on invasive alien species present in the participating countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay), with a view to facilitating analyses of common priority species and pathways, and supporting joint management decisions. The activities of the project consist in providing support to update the existing national databases of Paraguay and Uruguay; developing a user-friendly interface giving access to all four national databases; designing a cell phone application for data collection by collaborators (scientists, protected area managers, field practitioners, and the general public); and agreeing on a unified data validation protocol for invasive alien species data.

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Files:

• TOR.pdf
• final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2020-11-21 to 2021-06-31

Chile

Proponent
Universidad de Atacama

Collaborators
University of Chile (Chile)~Universidad Yachay Tech (Ecuador)

The objective of this project is to isolate bacteria highly resistant to heavy metals with a view to producing biotechnology that prevents human and animal populations from consuming contaminated water or food. The Chilean side of the project will focus on analysing marine microorganisms that have the potential to convert arsenic, which has increased to dangerous levels in soil and water in northern Chile due to mining activities, into a compound innocuous for humans and animals. The Ecuadorian side of the project will focus on terrestrial sediment bacteria able to reduce cadmium concentration in agricultural soils, particularly in cocoa plantations. Through the joint development of bioremediation strategies, the project partners hope to help produce safe and healthy agricultural products, as well as probiotics that can prevent heavy metal intoxication.

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

Congo

Proponent
Initiative des Champignons et des Plantes du Congo

Collaborators
Marien Ngouabi University (Republic of Congo)~Wildlife Conservation Society (Republic of Congo)~University of Parakou (Benin)

The objective of this project is to strengthen cooperation between scientific institutions based in Congo and Benin for long-term monitoring of mycodiversity in the subregion through the joint capacitation of young scientists and the standardization of research protocols. Tropical Africa is home to a high diversity of fungi, of which only approximately two per cent is adequately documented. This high diversity contrasts with the scarcity of native expertise, appropriate infrastructure and mycological literature. This project will help train early career mycologists in both countries by organizing joint field activities to sample and record ecological data and training in data management and specimen digitalization, specimen identification, molecular biology, biomass measurement and ethnomycological studies.

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Files:

• TOR.pdf
• final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2021-00-18 to 2021-06-31

Grenada

Proponent
Environmental Protection in the Caribbean

Collaborators
Forestry Department and Fisheries Division (Grenada)~Kipaji Inc. (Grenada)~Ocean Spirits Inc. (Grenada)~Forestry Department and Fisheries Division (St. Vincent and the Grenadines)~Coast Guard (St. Vincent and the Grenadines)~Science Initiative for Environmental Conservation and Education (St. Vincent and the Grenadines)~Tobago Cays Marine Park (St. Vincent and the Grenadines)~Tombolo Maps and Design (United States)~Conservation Drones (United Kingdom)

This collaborative project aims to increase the capacity of law enforcement and other relevant stakeholders to monitor and enforce wildlife and habitat protection legislation on remote islands in the transboundary Grenadines archipelago. The Grenadines represents an important breeding area for several marine and terrestrial species. It is also highly threatened, due to illegal harvesting of seabirds, introduced mammals, and human development. In an effort to enable more consistent and effective conservation strategies, project activities will focus on providing training to law enforcement agencies in the use, maintenance, and data management of modern remote monitoring tools, such as drones and trail cameras. This will be accompanied by the establishment of cross-border protocols to monitor both natural resources, such as sea turtle and seabird nests, and threats, such as poaching, illegal fires and invasive species.

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Files:

• TOR.pdf
• final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2021-02-29 to 2021-10-30

Honduras

Proponent
Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Honduras)

Collaborators
GIZ~ Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD)~ Viceministry of Coastal and Marine Resources (Dominican Republic)~ Viceministry of Water and Oceans Affairs (Costa Rica)~ National System of Conservation Areas (Costa Rica)

This project aims to foster regional dialogue and cooperation on economic valuation of marine ecosystems and strengthened marine ecosystem restoration and sustainable management efforts. To this end, project activities will focus on implementing a regional dialogue on the economic valuation of marine ecosystems, including key inputs from subject-matter experts, the presentation of progress made so far in the region, and the consideration of regional and international best practices. Subsequently, research will be conducted to propose a regional standard for the economic valuation of marine ecosystems. The resulting study will be published by the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), responsible for regional coordination of the Ministries of the Environment. To ensure long-term cooperation, the standard will be applied in a pilot project in Honduras. This project is supported by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2021-05-01 to 2021-11-01

Kazakhstan

Proponent
East Kazakhstan Agricultural Experimental Station and National Agrarian Scientific and Educational Center (Ministry of Agriculture)

Collaborators
Katon-Karagay State National Natural Park (Kazakhstan)~Xinjiang Academy of Agriculture (China)

This project seeks to integrate the knowledge and skills of scientific and industrial enterprises of Kazakhstan and China to conserve and restore the biodiversity of pasture resources of rural settlements located within the borders of the Katon-Karagay State National Park bordering the Altai district of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. Project activities will result in the development of an international study on the protection of biological diversity and the sustainable use of biological resources of pastures, including a cost-benefit analysis with particular attention to socioeconomic aspects. This will lead to the development of models and procedures for the conservation and sustainable use of forage crops, based on scientific research and practical experiences, and the provision of direct assistance and training to local communities on the same.

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Files:

• TOR.pdf
• final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

Mexico

Proponent
Instituto de Ecología AC

Collaborators
Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (Brazil)~Pontifícia Univ. Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)~Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil)~Sun Yat-Sen University (China)~Northwest University (China)~German Primate Center (Germany)~Robert Koch Institute (Germany)~Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour (Germany)~Univ. Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (Mexico)~Chubu University (Japan)~Kyoto University (Japan)~Makerere University (Uganda)~Universidad de Cádiz (Spain)~George Washington University (United States)~Northwestern University (United States)~Hunter College (United States)~University of Wisconsin~ Madison (United States)~Indiana University (United States)~Indiana University (United States)

The objective of this large project, involving 19 academic institutions across eight countries, is to assess how microplastics threaten biodiversity globally, using primates as a model group. Partners will build and train an international team of researchers and conservationists to establish standard methodologies, conduct assessments, and eventually continue investigations into microplastics in their home and research countries. As part of this project, the collaborating network will use standardized procedures and technological advances to collect dung samples from 88 populations of primates across the world, representing 37 separate species. The analysis of these samples will help assess the health risks the animals are experiencing, through the documentation of changes in microbiomes, the organic compounds and pesticides found in the samples, and the presence of breakdown compounds from plastics that are hormone disrupters.

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2021-03-21 to 2021-09-01

Namibia

Proponent
University of Namibia

Collaborators
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Brazil)

This interregional project aims to improve knowledge about the effects of fire caused by land use and global changes on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the southern hemisphere, with a view to informing decision makers about proper fire management strategies. After mapping the history of fire in the target sites in Namibia and Brazil, project partners will join efforts to identify patterns in the eco-evolutionary dynamics of plants, insects, and soil physicochemical properties in savannas to different fire regimes. This data will feed into the development of mitigation and safeguard tools and measures that need to be established to manage fire and promote biodiversity.

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Files:

• TOR.pdf
• final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2021-04-28 to 2021-10-15

Papua New Guinea

Proponent
Eco Custodian Advocates Inc.

Collaborators
German Development Cooperation (Germany)~Blue Ventures Conservation (United Kingdom)

The goal of this project is to assist indigenous communities and national government agencies to develop appropriate protocols for the formal recognition of local Customary Marine Management Areas (CuMMAs). Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea is known to be one of the top biodiversity-rich spots within the Pacific region. In order to manage natural resources and prevent overfishing at the local level, indigenous communities have established orally defined rules and regulations. This innovative project will use modern technology to record, curate and codify these rules with the objective of having them formally approved and recognized by written law. The outcomes and lessons learned of this initiative will be shared with the “sasi” of Indonesia, the “tara bandu” of Timor-Leste and the “tambu” of the Solomon Islands.

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Files: TOR.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2021-02-19 to 2021-08-01

Paraguay

Proponent
ALTER VIDA

Collaborators
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (Argentina)~Ministerio de Desarrollo Rural y Tierras (Bolivia)~Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agropecuaria y Forestal (Bolivia)~Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno (Bolivia)~Brazilian Cooperation Agency (Brazil)~Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Brazil)~AGROSAVIA (Colombia)~ProSierra (Colombia)~Instituto Humboldt (Colombia)~Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (Ecuador)~Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (Ecuador)~Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (Paraguay)~Ministerio de Agricultura y Riego (Peru)~Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (Peru)~FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

The “+Seeds” initiative seeks to establish a network of research institutions, germplasm banks and phytobreeders in the eight participating countries, which will focus on the recovery and conservation of South American cotton seed varieties, as part of the preservation of the cultural heritage of the region. Under the guidance of the Regional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), activities will consist in collecting data on native cotton varieties at the national level, and organizing and systemizing the information, with a view to establishing a regional database to facilitate intraregional exchanges on the conservation of the genetic diversity of cotton. Training in registration, conservation and management of cotton varieties will be delivered to women farmers and technicians of the project countries.

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Files:

• TOR.pdf
• final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

South Africa

Proponent
Endangered Wildlife Trust

Collaborators
Raptors Botswana (Botswana)~BirdLife Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe)~BirdLife South Africa (South Africa)~IUCN SSC Vulture Specialist Group~CMS Multi-species Action Plan for African Vultures

This cooperation project aims to catalyse and coordinate the formation of a broad network of landowners and stakeholders that commit to managing their properties in a in a manner safe to vultures, with a view to ultimately establishing the first transboundary vulture safe zone (VSZ) within important vulture sites of southern Africa. The proposed zone spans 30,000 km2, 80 per cent of which is privately owned, across South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Partners in the three focal countries will work together to establish the presence and extent of threats to vultures on properties and land across the proposed VSZ, prepare wildlife poisoning response protocols and deliver training to law enforcement officials, and provide basic Wildlife Poisoning Response Kits.

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Files:

• TOR.pdf
• final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2021-02-12 to 2021-08-01

United Republic of Tanzania

Proponent
Conservation of Nature for Survival

Collaborators
PELUM Kenya (Kenya)

This project intends to work with smallholder farmers from communities adjacent to the Rubeho Mountains, United Republic of Tanzania, home to three forest reserves. The goal is to enhance farming practices and increase agro-biodiversity, with a view to promoting environmental protection and resilience to climate change. In order to do this, activities will focus on forming groups of young and women farmers, building their capacities to work with irrigation organic farming systems, and promoting the exchange of lessons learned and best practices with organizations performing similar work in neighboring Kenya. Participants will be expected to pledge to stop farmland encroaching on surrounding areas and act as watchdogs of biodiversity.

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Files:

• TOR.pdf
• final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2021-04-04 to 2021-11-01

Vanuatu

Proponent
Santo Sunset Environment Network and Eden Hope Foundation

Collaborators
Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (Vanuatu)~Climate Action Network (Vanuatu)~Pacific Island Climate Action Network

This project is designed to support the indigenous peoples of West Coast Santo in Vanuatu to access scientific knowledge, expertise, and resources related to biodiversity conservation and climate resilience from experts and scientists from Vanuatu and member countries of the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN), and to build long-term partnerships with relevant national and international institutions. In order to do so, activities will include convening two Custom and Conservation Summits with traditional leaders and indigenous natural resource stewards from throughout Vanuatu under the guidance of experts from PICAN member countries; organizing a mission by local and international experts to demonstrate grassroots climate change adaptation strategies and sustainable development opportunities; conducting an indigenous-knowledge-based flora and fauna inventory; and drafting a participatory Climate Change Adaptation Management Plan.

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Files:

• TOR.pdf
• final-report.pdf

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Status: completed

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Implementation: 2021-03-22 to 2021-09-15