Capacity-building workshop for West Africa on ecosystem restoration to support achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets
5-9 October 2015, Accra, Ghana
Objectives
The overall aim of the capacity-building workshop on ecosystem restoration was to support Parties in:
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The development of national targets and plans for ecosystem conservation and restoration within the framework of Aichi Biodiversity Targets 5, 14 and 15
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The integration of these targets and plans into updated national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) and mainstreaming into broader national policies, plans and programmes
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The use of appropriate assessments, policy and planning tools to implement ecosystem restoration strategies at appropriate levels.
Facilitated by experts from the CBD Secretariat and FAO, the workshop offered the opportunity to discuss and share experiences on several regional existing initiatives in West Africa, good practices for restoration in drylands and for assessing the restoration opportunities, resource mobilization and options to promote investments from private sector in restoration initiatives, involvement of local communities, and monitoring tools for restoration.
Participation
The workshop was attended by over 60 participants, including 36 country-level experts. Twenty-nine experts were nominated by CBD focal points from the following 15 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Seven country-level forestry experts nominated via processes of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from the following seven countries: Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinee Bissau, Senegal, Togo, Nigeria, and Gambia. It was also attended by two representatives of indigenous and local communities.
Experts from the World Bank, the Society for Ecological Restoration, BirdLife International, Bioversity International, A Rocha Ghana, Centre Régional Agrhymet, IUCN-Ghana and Conservation Alliance also attended and contributed to the workshop. Experts from academia including the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (CSIR-FORIG), and the University of Ghana contributed to the workshop.
Experts from the private sector, including IUCN, West Africa Quarries (Ghacem), Price Waterhouse Coopers, Olam International (an agro-commodity company), Student and Youth Travel Organization (SYTO), Angmy Niger, and M&J Travel and Tours also contributed to the workshop.