A second experience exchange visit organized, from September 16 to 25, 2024, by the AdaptWAP project took place in Cameroon, at Lobéké National Park. It brought together the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) and Tri-national de la Sangha (TNS) transboundary complexes. This event was organized by the Regional Management Unit of the AdaptWAP project, in close collaboration with the OSS and Lobéké National Park.
The exchange helped lay the foundation for a stronger cooperation between the managers of the two complexes, with a particular focus on sharing good practices in ecosystem management and adaptation to the impacts of climate change.
After a first series of exchanges in Benin in 2022, the choice of the Sangha Tri-National Complex, recognized for its expertise in the management of transboundary parks, covering protected areas in Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Congo, is well-founded. Its experience in the joint management of natural resources between several countries makes it an example of regional cooperation, as is the WAP complex in West Africa. In addition, the TNS is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its praiseworthy efforts in the fight against poaching, its involvement of local communities, and its use of technology for ecological monitoring, which are all points of interest for the WAP managers.
The Cameroon visit included sessions in Yaoundé, followed by a field immersion in the Lobéké National Park, one of the TNS flagship sites.
The key point of the mission was a plenary meeting, organized on September 16 in Yaoundé, at the Sangha Tri-National Foundation (TNSF) premises. This meeting brought together representatives of the two complexes as well as local stakeholders. Mr. Donatien Biloa, the Lobéké National Park Curator and Mr. Théophile Zognou, TNSF Executive Director, highlighted the strategic importance of such a South-South cooperation. The session provided an opportunity to discuss challenges and solutions for the transboundary management of protected areas, including poaching, species conservation and the involvement of local communities.
The mission proceeded with a series of field visits, including the Lobéké National Park, which allowed the participants to have a clearer idea on the conservation infrastructure, meet local officials and discuss challenges such as human-wildlife conflict. Solutions were brought into the open, namely the improvement of crop protection infrastructure and the reinforcement of anti-poaching patrols.
The mission ended with a meeting with WWF Cameroon. Discussions focused on transboundary collaboration, biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation. This mission was marked by a set of good practices that will be integrated to improve the management of transboundary complexes in Africa.