Tourism Tattler Issue 1 of 2018

CONSERVATION
Rehabilitating
Pendjari National Park
Good news for conservation in Africa is that the Presidency of the Republic of Benin and the
conservation NGO African Parks have signed a 10-year renewable partnership to revitalise,
rehabilitate and develop Pendjari National Park, one of the largest remaining protected reserves in
West and Central Africa.
By José Pliya.
A total investment of USD$26 million over 10 years will be
used to protect and develop the Park spanning 4,800 km 2 . The
revitalisation of Pendjari National Park is one of the 45 flagship
projects of the ‘Revealing Benin’ investment programme,
announced by the Presidency of the Republic of Benin in
December 2016, and is the eleventh park under management by
African Parks on the continent.
Revitalising an Exceptional Wildlife Reserve
Pendjari National Park, located in the north-west of Benin, is part
of the WAP complex (W-Arly-Pendjari) spanning Benin, Burkina
Faso and Niger. It is the largest remaining intact ecosystem in the
whole of West Africa and the last vast refuge for West African
wildlife. Pendjari is home to elephant, buffalo, lion, cheetah,
antelope and many other species (hippo, tsessebe, Buffon’s kob
and Defassa waterbuck to name a few).
However, this exceptional reserve faces major threats including
poaching, demographic pressure on surrounding land, as well
as exponential resource erosion. As a result, the Presidency of
the Republic of Benin has quickly put in place a plan to revitalise
and protect the Park, as part of its investment programme
‘Revealing Benin’. In a progressive step the Government of Benin
is committing $5.9M over 10 years, and initial start-up funds are
being provided by several donors including the Wyss Foundation
who made a significant multi-year challenge grant to African
Parks to bring new parks under management.
A Long-term Partnership
By signing a partnership agreement, the Presidency of Benin and
African Parks set a goal of doubling the Park’s wildlife populations
within the next 10 years. The action plan for the Park aims to
develop responsible tourism, and to ensure the economic and
social development of the region. Three main work streams have
been identified:
1. Security and Protection. Securing Pendjari is the main
priority of the agreement. A special brigade will be set up,
with the recruitment of 10 officers, non-commissioned
officers and specialised technicians, along with the training of
90 guards. A communications and geolocation network will
cover the entire site, and all information will be centralised
24 hours a day at the operations coordination centre. A 190
km perimeter fence, 150 km of roads, an operational base,
staff quarters, three guard posts and three small airfields will
also be constructed.
2. Conservation of Biodiversity. In order to ensure the
success of this partnership, an inventory of all animal species
will be carried out every two years. A telemetric or specific
monitoring system of key species such as elephants, lions,
leopards and cheetahs - the prize species of Pendjari - will be
implemented. Scientific research will also be fostered through
close collaboration with Beninese and foreign universities
and research organisations.
16 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal Quarter 1 2018 Jan/Feb/Mar