Natitingou, in the north western part of Benin - Atakora Department, hosted the first exchange trip made under the AdaptWAP project.
About twenty national managers of the protected areas from the three countries sharing the W-Arly-Pendjari complex (Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger), took part in the exchanges along with civil society organizations and technical and financial partners taking action in the area. The participants, took the sessions to share their experiences in the protected areas and their natural resources management, and in the involvement of local communities in the projects and programs implemented in the area.
The exchanges focused on the implementation of the Multi-Risk Early Warning System (MR-EWS), one of the key elements of the AdaptWAP project. The regional project management unit (RPMU) took the opportunity to underline the main components of the MR-EWS and present the approach adopted for conducting the preliminary study on the standardized communication and alert dissemination protocol, supported by a Stakeholder Commitment Plan (SCP) for the establishment of a disaster managers’ network. The representative of the National Civil Protection Agency of Benin that works on the management of flood-related disasters, took part in the discussions that came to consolidate consultations with all partners, for an effective MR-EWS implementation in the WAP complex area.
Finally, the UNESCO expert, engaged under the WAP Complex Securing Initiative, exchanged with the participants on the security issue that jeopardizes conservation actions and measures of the three countries for the complex protected areas.