Final report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands : IUCN-ELC support to the UNEP/UNDP joint project on environmental law and institutions in Africa
Publication
1998
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Grasshopper Project Management Tool for Invasive Species Management
In 1995, South Africa launched one of its most progressive job creation initiatives: the Working for Water programme. It focused on protecting ecosystems by removing invasive vegetation from mountain catchment areas while creating jobs and reducing poverty in vulnerable communities. The programme has since created thousands of jobs and supported families across diverse landscapes. However, a key challenge has been the limited transfer of business, finance, and technology skills to participants. The Grasshopper Tool—a web and mobile application—helps address this by enabling contractors to manage projects, field teams, tools, and equipment. It also allows them to generate quotes and invoices for ongoing and new work opportunities, reducing reliance on paper. Additionally, the tool is also meant to support conservation agencies in managing large teams and projects efficiently.
Smart Cycad Construction: Building a New Ecological Defense Line
Although the Sichuan Panzhihua Cycad National Nature Reserve covers a small area, it is situated on the outskirts of an urban area where the surrounding region is highly urbanized and industrialized, with frequent human activity. Due to the combined effects of the dry-hot valley climate and human activities, the fire risk is high. As a national nature reserve with exceptionally high ecological value, it faces significant protection challenges, and traditional management methods encounter considerable difficulties. Leveraging technology to enhance conservation efforts, the reserve has implemented a localized smart Cycad informatization system. Equipped with various monitoring devices such as drones, field video surveillance, and infrared cameras, the reserve has established an informatized and intelligent monitoring system. This has successfully created an integrated patrol and monitoring system.
“Shark-Free Ceviche” Seal
The “Shark-Free Ceviche” seal is a benchmark that will certify fish ceviche products that have not been made with protein from elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) or other species threatened with extinction or protected by law in the countries where the seal is implemented. The aim is to inform consumers that the use of the fish species targeted by this initiative is rejected, to differentiate the companies that join the initiative, and thereby discourage their fishing, trade, and consumption. The challenge is to bring commercial allies on board, who often see the initiative as an increase in their operating costs, even though it is not as much as they think. The positive thing is that more companies want to join, and organizations similar to MarViva in other countries are beginning to show interest in partnering with the seal and implementing it.
Preventing Amphibian Roadkill and Stabilizing Habitats Through Public-Private Governance
The amphibian roadkill prevention and habitat stabilization project is a public-private partnership involving the Odaesan National Park, local residents, and volunteers. Its purpose is to prevent the roadkill during the breeding season and to create stable habitats for their survival. Each year, a significant number of roadkills occur on the road passing through the national park. It leads to a loss of biodiversity and negatively affects the quality of life for residents due to unpleasant odors and unsightly conditions. In 2014, a roadmap for management was developed through public-private cooperation, establishing the foundation for systematic roadkill prevention. In 2015, a park protection agreement was signed between the park and residents, leading to the creation of an environmental protection organization dedicated to annual amphibian roadkill prevention efforts. Plus, villagers donated private land totaling 12,304㎡ to creat an alternative habitat, providing a safe environment for amphibians to lay eggs and thrive.
Campamento tiburón
MarAdentro is a scientific foundation, established in 2021 in Bahía Solano, focused on marine conservation with a mission to promote scientific advancement to enhance marine protection, through science, education, and outreach. A key component of its mission is “Shark Camp”, a project initiated in collaboration with the local tourism agency, Bahía Solano me llama. During whale shark season in Colombia, tourists and visitors can participate in a week-long excursion with the Foundation’s scientific team, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles, objectives, and methodologies of shark research.
This initiative is twofold. First, it seeks to provide financial support for the scientific research carried out by the MarAdentro Foundation, it also aims to raise awareness and reduce the stigmatization of sharks as a dangerous species, thereby fostering the establishment of additional alliances for the conservation of shark species.
Strengthening coordination through National and County Mangrove Management Committees in Kenya
The Kenya National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Plan 2017-2027 identifies weak governance as the main cause of mangrove ecosystem degradation in Kenya. It notes that governance and institutional frameworks play an important role in mangrove forest management in Kenya. The plan provides for establishment of national and county mangrove management committees as advisory organs to enhance coordination and knowledge sharing amongst stakeholders. Mangrove management in Kenya has gained traction over the years with varied actions at different levels and organizations. Community groups are at the centre of of restoration, and utilization, while a number of non-governmental organizations are actively involved at different scales. Kenya Forest Service is the Government agency mandated with provision for the development and sustainable management, including conservation and rational utilization of all forest resources, including mangroves. With the many players, weak coordination and duplication of efforts is highly experienced.
Comprehensive Solution for the Rescue and Conservation of the Critically Small Population of Firmiana major
Firmiana major is an endemic species of China. It was declared extinct in the wild by the IUCN in 1998. Later, it was rediscovered in the Sichuan Panzhihua Cycad National Nature Reserve. However, the population size remains extremely small, natural regeneration is limited. The species faces several threats, including low seed plumpness, challenges in seed preservation, harsh habitat conditions in the dry-hot valley, and a lack of protective policies. Integrate field surveys, artificial propagation, in situ conservation, genetic diversity research, and policy advocacy. Core measures include sowing immediately after collection, habitat management. The wild population has increased nearly 400 individuals. More than 500 seedlings have been artificially cultivated. The species has been reclassified as a National Key Protected Wild Plant (Class II), assessed as Endangered (EN) by the IUCN, and its conservation efforts have been integrated into local ecological plans.
Chinese Giant Salamander Conservation and Population Restoration Techniques
A method for ecological breeding of giant salamanders includes establishing an environment mimicking their natural habitat, selecting and nurturing broodstock, artificial ovulation induction, insemination, incubation, and seedling rearing. This involves creating a model based on the natural habitat’s ecological and water factors to determine optimal construction parameters for streams and caves, ensuring ideal living conditions. Selective breeding in these environments promotes natural reproduction and dietary trials to establish the best nutritional plans, enhancing male sperm quality and female egg-bearing capacity.
New tool for interpretation of rangeland monitoring and assessment results
To assess a national rangeland health that incorporates variations in ecological potential across Mongolia, a standardized catalogue titled “State and transition model” was developed. The models rely on information and assumptions regarding the reference condition or ecological potential of a rangeland area, as well as the potential shifts to alternative states influenced by management changes and two-way drivers.
The models are built on real field data and expert knowledge. They include information on important plant species, expected productivity, and recommendations for sustainable livestock numbers.
Overall, the model provides not only a snapshot of the current condition and productivity of Mongolia’s rangelands but also clear insights into their risks of degradation and their potential for recovery.
Protecting endangered Olive Ridley Turtles and guiding fishers along Odisha Coast, India through Mobile technology
The Fisher Friend Mobile Application (FFMA) by MSSRF, in collaboration with Qualcomm and INCOIS, supports India’s coastal fishers with real-time data on sea conditions, fishing zones, navigation, and more, all in local languages. Recently, FFMA introduced a No Fishing Zone alert to protect endangered Olive Ridley Turtles along Odisha’s coast. Using geo-fencing, it marks critical turtle habitats—including the Gahirmatha Sanctuary and key river mouths—and triggers audio message and vibrating when fishers approach within 200 meters, even without internet. This offline feature helps fishers avoid fines and supports turtle conservation by preventing unintended fishing in restricted zones. Since its launch, the No Fishing Zone alert has prevented over 6,866 intrusions, aligning conservation with sustainable fishing and supporting fisher livelihoods and safety. FFMA’s technology ensures that fishers benefit from safer, eco-friendly practices while contributing to the preservation of biodiversity in India’s coastal zones
Protecting Plant "Living Fossils": Conservation and Monitoring of Cathaya argyrophylla(银杉) in the Bamianshan Nature Reserve
As a botanical “living fossil,” Cathaya argyrophylla in the Bamianshan Nature Reserve faces severe survival challenges. The extreme drought of 2022 pushed its communities to the brink of withering, exacerbated by habitat fragility, necessitating systematic conservation measures. In 2024, the Bamianshan Nature Reserve launched a specialized protection project for Cathaya argyrophylla. Through labeling individuals, establishing permanent sample plots and monitoring sites, the project systematically investigates population structure and habitat characteristics. These efforts accurately delineate the age composition of Cathaya argyrophylla, assess its natural regeneration capacity, and provide a scientific basis for targeted conservation and climate change adaptation.
Protecting the beautiful home of the southernmost Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana)
I. Background
The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is a species that mainly occurs in the Yunling Mountains between the Jinsha and Lancang Rivers, with about 3,800 extant individuals. Yunnan Yunlong Tianchi National Nature Reserve, as its southernmost distribution site, is a key area for maintaining the survival space of the species. Historically, the population of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys in the region has been reduced from four to two populations due to habitat fragmentation, human interference and habitat retreat.
II. Solution Application Approach
1. Standardized monitoring and technology upgrading. Standardize data collection norms: monitor the population 8 days a month, 12 hours a day, recording population size, behavioral rhythms, food habits, etc. to ensure data validity.
Upgrade equipment configuration: Equipped with GPS, infrared cameras, etc. to fill the gap of image records. 5 infrared cameras were installed in the Tianchi population area, successfully obtaining fecal samples and activity traces.
2. Expert team and long-term monitoring system. An inter-agency expert team was formed to solve the problem of insufficient expert guidance in the past.
3. Food resources and habitat management. Establishment of a food resource database: Record the 26 species of plants that the Longma Mountain population feeds on and the seasonal changes in food habits to provide a basis for habitat restoration. Habitat corridor restoration: Prioritize the protection of key vegetation types such as fir forests and Yunnan hemlock forests for the five habitat patches where Longma Mountain populations are active.
4. Man-made disturbance control and community participation. Quantify the types of disturbance: focus on monitoring high-frequency disturbance such as mushroom picking in summer, mark the location of disturbance, and set targeted no-entry periods. Community education: Promote residents’ awareness of conservation and reduce the impact of activities on the monkey population.
Core Challenges
1. Population growth bottleneck: the annual growth rate of Longmashan population has dropped from rapid growth before 2011 to a stable state after 2012, confirming that the habitat is close to the environmental capacity and the habitat quality needs to be optimized.
2. Fragmentation of monitoring data: after standardization, the rate of invalid data has dropped from 53% to a manageable range, and the Tianchi population has moved from “data gaps” to “confirmation of existence”.
3. Threat of man-made disturbance: the intensity of disturbance reached 4.23 in summer, and the seasonal control reduced the stress reaction of the monkey population.
4. Risk of survival of small populations: The survival of the Tianchi population was confirmed for the first time through the deployment of infrared cameras and feces analysis, which provided a basis for the construction of the corridor.
Positive Results
1. Stable population growth: the Longmarsaurus population increased from 127 in 2011 to 190 in 2024, a 49% increase, with a stable population structure, close to the environmental capacity but in dynamic equilibrium.
2. Behavioral and ecological adaptation research: clarify the daily activity rhythms and seasonal dietary changes of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, and provide scientific support for food resource management.
3. Synergistic effect between technology and community: standardized monitoring has improved the positioning accuracy of human interference, and community participation has reduced the frequency of interference in summer by 15% year-on-year in 2024, providing a replicable model for similar protected areas.
4. Breakthrough in the protection of small populations: The survival of the Tianchi population has been confirmed through fecal and trace monitoring, and as the southernmost population of the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, it lays the foundation for the study of species distribution boundaries and habitat corridor planning.
Through the integrated strategy of “scientific monitoring-habitat restoration-community governance”, the program effectively mitigated the threats faced by the Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, such as stagnant population growth, habitat fragmentation and human interference, and provided a closed-loop management paradigm of “monitoring-assessment-intervention” for the protection of the endangered species. This provides a “monitoring-assessment-intervention” paradigm for endangered species conservation.
