Target 9
Manage Wild Species Sustainably To Benefit People
Ensure that the management and use of wild species are sustainable, thereby providing social, economic and environmental benefits for people, especially those in vulnerable situations and those most dependent on biodiversity, including through sustainable biodiversity-based activities, products and services that enhance biodiversity, and protecting and encouraging customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities.
Ensure that the management and use of wild species are sustainable, thereby providing social, economic and environmental benefits for people, especially those in vulnerable situations and those most dependent on biodiversity, including through sustainable biodiversity-based activities, products and services that enhance biodiversity, and protecting and encouraging customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities.
Rationale
GSAP
Providing the people and communities who depend on wild species for essential food and other needs with the appropriate incentives and equitable benefits underpins sustainable use, thus assuring the persistence of species and continued resource availability
Primary tools and resources
IPBES ILK Approach
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has developed the IPBES ILK Approach to guide work on indigenous and local knowledge. The IPBES Global Assessment (GA) was the first global scale assessment to engage systematically with ILK and showed that existing knowledge is fragmented and lacks integration between social and natural sciences and that integrating different world views in requires increased dialogue and agreement. IPBES has established an ILK Task Force and Technical Support Unit.
Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing
The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity. is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, thereby contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The Nagoya Protocol sets out core obligations for its contracting Parties to take measures in relation to access to genetic resources, benefit-sharing and compliance. The Nagoya Protocol addresses traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources with provisions on access, benefit-sharing, and compliance. It also addresses genetic resources where indigenous and local communities have the established right to grant access to them. Contracting Parties should take measures to ensure these communities’ free, prior, informed consent, keeping in mind community laws and procedures as well as customary use and exchange. The Nagoya Protocol entered into force on 12 October 2014.
How to use
The Nagoya Protocol is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian at: https://www.cbd.int/abs
Nagoya Protocol Factsheets on access and benefit sharing can be downloaded at: https://www.cbd.int/abs/factsheet
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)
The Treaty was developed by FAO. The objectives of the Treaty are the conservation and sustainable use of all plant genetic resources for food security and agriculture, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their use. The Treaty puts 64 of the most important crops that together account for 80% of the food derived from plants into an easily accessible global pool of genetic resources that is freely available to potential users in the Treaty’s ratifying nations for some uses. The Treaty ensures that access to genetic resources already protected by international property rights is consistent with international and national laws.
How to use
The Treaty and further information can be accessed at: https://www.fao.org/plant-treaty/en/
The capacity development strategy of the international treaty 2023–2030 are available at: https://www.fao.org/3/nk298en/nk298en.pdf
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
The Declaration is a comprehensive instrument detailing the rights of indigenous peoples in international law and policy. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, wellbeing and rights of the world’s indigenous peoples.
The Declaration addresses both individual and collective rights; cultural rights and identity; rights to education, health, employment, language, and others. It outlaws discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them.
It also ensures their right to remain distinct and to pursue their own priorities in economic, social and cultural development. The Declaration explicitly encourages harmonious and cooperative relations between States and indigenous peoples.
IUCN Standard on Indigenous Peoples
The Standard represents IUCN’s policy objectives with respect to indigenous peoples. It contains eight policy objectives for projects undertaken or supported by IUCN to support indigenous peoples and promote their role in conservation and management of sustainable resources.
The purpose of this Standard is to ensure that IUCN projects anticipate and avoid negative impacts on indigenous peoples or to minimise and/or compensate for impacts; take all rights and needs of indigenous peoples fully into account in project planning and implementation; and ensure that their customs, cultural and spiritual values, and perspectives on the environment are included.
IUCN guidelines for gathering of fishers’ knowledge for policy development and applied use
Small-scale fisheries provide food security, livelihoods and income to millions of people but their management still presents a challenge to managers and other stakeholders due to problems in gathering suitable information and its incorporation in fisheries policy. Fishers are a key source of knowledge for assessment of both extractive capacity and value in small-scale fisheries, in addition to providing a broad array of cultural knowledge. The increasing recognition of the value of incorporating traditional fishing knowledge in freshwater, riverine, lacustrine and coastal and marine fisheries management is now evident in international conventions and published literature. The purpose of these guidelines is to make it easier for users to recognise and include fishers’ knowledge as an important data stream in resource management. The report includes details on the breadth of knowledge that can be gathered, how it can be gathered, and how this information can be applied to support sustainable fisheries policy and broader applications in society. It contains case studies from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the Pacific.
Other tools and resources
Securing the genetic resource base of Indigenous plants species
Securing the genetic resource base of Indigenous plants species: A Community Biodiversity Conservation Initiative
We have developed a manual which can help smallholder women farmers replicate the solutions in the South West of Nigeria. At the national level, collaborating with policy makers to include indigenous food plants as key components of in the School feeding programs as well as the Anchor borrowers programme for micro-credits. Our Seed bank Open day programmes provide avenues for exchange and display of seed diversity as well as a model for local seed bank scale up to a national project for the conservation of a larger number of wild crop relatives in Nigeria. We are currently advocating at the National legislature to provide legislative laws on the inclusion of Indigenous food plants to the Nigerian Food policy programme. These initiatives when pulled together will contribute significantly to indigenous Plant Species Conservation.
With limited access to land, women are still custodians of Biodiversity with Knowledge to bolster food security. 65% of the participating community members were women. 53% ages 40-65, 47% ages 18-39. Women participation was supported by their husbands. This saw more women take decision on dietary requirements for their families and strong participatory roles in management and benefits sharing.
Households created small/medium-sized enterprises for steady economic growth which put less pressure to their surrounding forest. As a result of less pressure on the forest for livelihood, new revenue streams are up and running. Local base ecosystems have facilitated growth not only within the Forest Community but beyond, creating opportunities for decent work. Achieving social inclusion was to emphasize “local ownership”. Setting up spaces for dialogue that allowed for the active and inclusive participation of local people ensured that priorities were determined locally and that local concerns were at the core of all activities.
Forêt comestible urbaine
Plus de la moitié de la population mondiale vit en ville, ce qui génère de nombreux problèmes environnementaux et sociaux : pollution, perte de la biodiversité, faible sécurité alimentaire, etc. Notre solution consiste à planter des forêts comestibles en ville. La forêt comestible imite l’écosystème naturel d’une véritable forêt, tout en ayant l’objectif de produire de la nourriture. Nous nous sommes inspirés du modèle de Seattle Beacon Food Forest pour introduire la première forêt comestible publique de Taiwan dans la ville de Hsinchu, en coopération avec la municipalité et les gens du quartier concerné. Des “Work Party” et des ateliers pédagogiques sont régulièrement organisés pour encourager la participation citoyenne. Cette solution apporte une nourriture saine accessible à tous, une opportunité d’apprentissage holistique, et elle permet aussi de cultiver les vertus du partage. Vivre dans un écosystème urbain qui prend à la fois soin de l’homme et de la terre, c’est possible !
Réhabilitation des terres par le reboisement – le pouvoir des droits de propriété dans la chaîne de valeur du bois-énergie vert
Répondre à la demande croissante en bois-énergie est un défi et un facteur de déforestation et de dégradation des forêts. La Restauration des Paysages Forestiers (RPF) et les engagements des pays envers l’AFR100 s’adressent ainsi à la production durable de bois-énergie afin de répondre aux réalités sociales et économiques.
La chaîne de valeur bois-énergie, en s’adressant à toutes les parties prenantes, encourage les petits entrepreneurs. L’approche combine des éléments juridiques, de gouvernance, économiques et techniques depuis les transferts des titres fonciers et des plans de reforestation individuels sur des terres dégradées au niveau villageois jusqu’à la récolte, traitement, transformation, distribution et commercialisation par les consommateurs finaux de bois-énergie ainsi que les technologies de combustion associées (foyers améliorés).
Elle modernise la chaîne de valeur du bois-énergie et génère des bénéfices pour les intervenants. Leurs revenus annuels ont doublé en moyenne.
Liderazgo comunitatio para la seguridad alimentaria e hídrica en el Volcán Tacaná, México
Para reducir la vulnerabilidad al cambio climático de las comunidades en el paisaje de la Reserva de la Biosfera del Volcán de Tacaná, se implementaron medidas de EbA con dos comunidades: La Azteca y Alpujarras. Las comunidades se organizan como ejidos, que es una estructura de tenencia de la tierra en México.
La solución tuvo como objetivo mejorar la resiliencia tanto del bosque nuboso como de la producción agroforestal de café para enfrentar tormentas y lluvias intensas que causan erosión, deslizamientos de tierra y pérdidas de vidas, impactos en fuentes de agua y producción agrícola.
A mediano plazo, esta combinación de medidas mejorará la captación de agua, reducirá la erosión hídrica y se obtendrán productos adicionales para consumo familiar. Además, se tomaron acciones a través de fondos estatales, federales y de proyectos para asegurar la sostenibilidad en el mediano plazo.
YAWI SUMAK: La Bicicleta como una herramienta de comunicación ambiental.
Yawi-Sumak es una combinación de palabras indígenas, Yawi significa: saladero, un sitio en el bosque donde las aves y otros animales se reúnen para ingerir sales minerales y Sumak significa: bonito, grandioso. A través de un ciclopaseo ecológico con más de 300 ciclistas, se muestran las acciones que implementan autoridades ambientales, gobiernos locales y la comunidad en la conservación y uso sostenible de los recursos naturales. Esta herramienta de comunicación innovadora e incluyente permite a la población urbana tener una experiencia vivencial al conocer la belleza escénica, servicios ecosistémicos y especies paraguas, así como también la riqueza cultural de los grupos étnicos que habitan en la región: Shuar, Saraguro y Mestizos.
La iniciativa se pudo replicar en el Programa Regional AbE Ecuador para fomentar el ecoturismo comunitario en Membrillal, Manabi y se ha constituido en el ciclopaseo más importante del país. Fue presentada en el foro mundial de la bicicleta en México 2017.
Los planes de vida como una herramienta básica de articulación en el territorio de la Reserva Comunal Machiguenga
La Reserva Comunal Machiguenga alberga gran diversidad biológica y cultural,habitada por las comunidades nativas de las etnias Matsigenka, Ashaninka, Kaquinte y Yine-Yami, quienes son los guardianes del bosque y de sus riquezas desde tiempos ancestrales. El buen vivir de estas poblaciones necesita la articulación de los diferentes niveles de gobierno y actores locales, por ello los planes de vida, son las herramienta clave que permiten articular su visión de futuro con las actividades del Estado, la sociedad civil y el sector privado.
Las comunidades socias del Ejecutor de Contrato de Administración “MAENI”(ECA MAENI) que cuentan con PDV son Chakopishiato, Koribeni, Poyentimari y Tangoshiari elaborados con el soporte del equipo del ECA y la Jefatura de la RC Machiguenga.
Los PDV se basan en 3 pilares para:
- Auto-reflexionar acerca del estado actual de la comunidad,
- Pensar y planificar el futuro de la comunidad y
- Conectar con actores externos a fin de alcanzar sus metas.
Participación de la población en la gestión efectiva del Santuario Nacional Megantoni, mediante acuerdos de conservación, herramienta eficaz para la conservación
La gestión participativa es clave para Santuario Nacional Megantoni (SNM), por ello promueve los acuerdos de conservación (AC), con asociaciones de productores, comunidades nativas y la empresa privada como La Ibérica (empresa chocolatera) y PERHUSA (empresa exportadora de café), con la finalidad de promover la conservación de la biodiversidad del SNM y dinamizar el desarrollo local.
Actualmente se tienen 06 AC, que benefician a 248 familias y estas a su vez retribuyen protegiendo 58 367 ha del SNM y 33 459 ha en la zona de amortiguamiento mediante acciones de vigilancia comunal. El SERNANP acompaña en el proceso, capacita y reconoce a los vigilantes comunales. Las empresas compran el cacao y café a precios justos y hacen uso del sello “Aliado por la Conservación”, certificación que demuestra que los servicios o productos son elaborados bajo un esquema de buen uso y manejo
Los tres factores de éxito para la conservación de la cuenca del Río Negro del Amazonas en Brasil: Gobernanza y participación en el manejo de recursos naturales; creación de alianzas público privadas; y mosaicos de conservación
La promoción de la participación local, para garantizar el acceso a los recursos naturales en la zona colindate al Parque Nacional de Jaú; sumado a la aplicación de un enfoque de mosaicos de conservación, para consolidar un territorio protegido más extenso; y a la inclusión del Parque en un Programa Estatal de conservación de bosques tropicales, con financiamiento público, privado y de organismos internacionales, han sido factores clave para la conservación de la cuenca del Río Negro del Amazonas.
Negocios sustentables y gobernanza: Sello Colectivo Calakmul
La Reserva de la Biosfera Calakmul cuenta con el eje de “Negocios Sustentables”, cuyo objetivo es promover beneficios económicos a través del uso racional y aprovechamiento de los recursos naturales. En 2015, Calakmul comenzó la promoción de un distintivo para empresas sustentables y posicionar productos y servicios de la región a nivel nacional e internacional. Como resultado, surge el Certificado Sello Colectivo Calakmul, que es un distintivo para empresas con criterios de gobernanza, economía local y corresponsabilidad ambiental con apropiación y conservación del patrimonio biocultural. Asimismo, se desarrolló una propuesta y un mapeo de actores para generar alianzas con otras instituciones y potencializar la iniciativa. En 2019 participan cinco comunidades, siete empresas certificadas y tres en proceso, donde los productos con calidad de exportación son miel, artesanías de madera y meliponicultura, productos de higiene personal y servicios de transportistas y operadores turísticos.
La Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde, un área protegida privada como modelo de gestión y aporte a la economía de la región
La creación de la Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde del Centro Científico Tropical en 1972 marca un hito en la economía de la región. La llegada de científicos y turistas para conocer el ecosistema ha generado que su población vea una oportunidad de mejora en su nivel de vida. Este progreso es evidente a través de la llegada de más de 100 mil visitantes a la reserva, permitiendo a los locales, ofrecer servicios de hospedaje y alimentación, convirtiéndose en operadores turísticos y generando así un traspaso de su actividad agricultora y ganadera hacia el rubro empresario del turismo y en algunos casos, adicionando estas actividades a las agrícolo- ganaderas incrementando con ello su economía familiar.
Actualmente, todos los pobladores se encuentran relacionados de alguna manera con el turismo, lo cual se debe a la creación de este área protegida.
Ponte Los Ojos Por La Vida en el PNN Chingaza: una estrategia multiactor para la conservación del oso andino
El oso andino (tremarctos ornatus) enfrenta serias amenazas, una de ellas asociada a la que la especie tiene presencia en los terrenos de pobladores locales. Su población ha disminuido dada la presencia de interacciones negativas entre la especie y los humanos por eventos de consumo ocasional de animales domésticos y cultivos como el maíz que pueden ocasionar la cacería del oso, sumado a las tradiciones de algunas comunidades humanas que lo persiguen. Este conflicto de vieja data se ha convertido hoy por hoy en un ejemplo de acción colaborativa entre las autoridades, la sociedad civil y las comunidades locales para conservar una de las especies más emblemáticas del país, a través de esfuerzos de monitoreo, educación ambiental y colaboración interinstitucional, contribuyendo a un manejo adecuado de los sistemas productivos y disminuyendo los riesgos y presiones sobre esta especie vulnerable.
Conservación de bosque en las comunidades de Boca Isiriwe, Masenawa y Puerto Azul, Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri
La Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri (RCA) fue creada por iniciativa de 10 comunidades indígenas para conservar la multitud de servicios como alimento, abrigo, medicina y agua. La reserva contribuye a la protección de dos cuencas y asegura la estabilidad de las tierras y bosques para mantener la calidad y cantidad de agua para el desarrollo de las comunidades nativas que sufren sequias e inundaciones. Las comunidades han incluido en sus planes el aprovechamiento de la Castaña como medida para obtener recursos económicos.
Solutions and case studies
Eco-Tourism for Mountain Communities in Khan Tengiri State Nature Park, Kyrgyzstan
In Kyrgyzstan, livestock herding remains a cornerstone of rural livelihoods, yet inefficient resource use and unsustainable herd sizes are accelerating land degradation, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and creating environmental and public health risks—all of which heighten the impacts of climate change. Ecotourism is often presented as a complementary livelihood option, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. These include ensuring that tours respect nature and do not harm protected areas, difficulties in connecting tour operators with new or remote destinations, limited local services and marketing capacity, and ensuring that tourism activities genuinely support conservation efforts.
From World Hertiage to Conservation
Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve, also a key national scenic area, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992. Named after the nine Tibetan villages within its boundaries, Jiuzhaigou boasts not only abundant flora and fauna but also its “Six Wonders”: alpine lake clusters, waterfalls, colorful forests, snow-capped peaks, blue ice formations, and Tibetan cultural charm, attracting countless visitors worldwide.
Remarkably, Jiuzhaigou has avoided ecological crises despite tourism development, achieving a win-win balance between economic benefits and environmental conservation. It stands as a successful model of implementing the principle “protection comes first, while tourism serves as the optimal development approach.”
Community-Based Bat Conservation and Ecotourism Development at the Three Sisters Giant Caves, Fikirini Village (Kwale, Kenya)
The Three Sisters Giant Caves are located in Fikirini Village, near Shimoni in Kenya’s coastal Kwale County, within a 10-hectare Kaya Forest of both ecological and cultural importance. Three caves serve as vital roosting sites for several bat species, including the Endangered Hildegarde’s tomb bat (Taphozous hildegardeae), while a fourth cave is reserved for community spiritual practices. Degradation from deforestation, fires, and unsustainable guano harvesting has threatened the site’s integrity. In response, the Tswaka Three Sisters Giant Caves Community-Based Organization (CBO), supported by Bat Conservation International (BCI) and local partners, initiated a community-led effort to restore habitats, enhance protection, and develop eco-tourism as an alternative livelihood pathway that links biodiversity conservation with local economic and cultural resilience. This activity was financed under the GIZ-led IKI Kwale – Tanga Transboundary protection and sustainable management of the marine and coastal regions project.
National Park Method for Ecotourism & Visitor Management
Unplanned visitation often causes environmental impacts, biodiversity loss, and reduced visitor satisfaction. At the same time, tourism holds strong potential to generate income, strengthen community resilience, and support conservation financing. The Solution applies the National Park Method for Ecotourism & Visitor Management, a practical method inspired by best practices in national parks planning, into private areas management. It has 3 principles: preserving nature, enchanting visitors, and generating income. In practice, the approach guides how to develop the Visitor Management Plan. Positive results include better organization of visitation, reduced environmental impacts, greater community income from ecotourism services, and improved visitor experiences. By combining technical planning with a strong focus on people and nature, the Solution demonstrates how tourism can be a driver of both conservation and sustainable developmen
El té que renace al Bosque Atlántico: Yerba mate, cultura y biodiversidad.
The Atlantic Forest is considered one of the most biodiverse tropical forests on the planet (biodiversity hotspot), the second largest in South America and the first Important Bird Area (IBA) of Paraguay with high endemism of birds and endangered species. Currently the development of extensive agriculture and urbanization has reduced its original coverage to less than 7% of the area in Paraguay. San Rafael has been widely recognized as the main conservation priority of the Atlantic Forest in Paraguay. The solution for its long-term conservation and to avoid the loss of connectivity with other important areas of the Atlantic Forest, consists of an innovative production model based on the recovery of degraded areas of the Atlantic Forest in the area of influence of San Rafael with Ilex paraguariensis – yerba mate with other native species, promoting its natural and cultural conservation, as well as the economic viability of rural and indigenous communities.
Sostenibilidad en la pesquería de almejas y callos
Clam and callus fisheries play a very important role for the wellbeing of coastal communities in northwestern Mexico. These fisheries face challenges such as overexploitation, illegality, poor management, lack of information, low involvement of the productive sector in decision making, among others. To address these challenges, COBI has implemented various management tools in collaboration with different stakeholders (fishing communities, government sector, academia and civil society organizations). These tools include the design and adoption of integrated harvesting strategies. In addition, systematized information has been generated to help design and evaluate harvesting strategies, identify environmental impacts on the fishery, and create sustainable management systems for clams and corns, either through formal processes, by means of an official decree, or traditional, through community agreements.
Sostenibilidad en la pesquería de peces
En México, la mayoría de las pesquerías en pequeña escala que capturan peces carecen de monitoreo pesquero y biológico adecuado. Esto deja vacíos de información y dificulta su manejo. También, complica el reconocimiento de dichas pesquerías ante estándares internacionales, así como la existencia de un beneficio social y económico para las pescadoras y los pescadores. Con el fin de lograr una pesca sostenible de la pesquería de peces (excluyendo a los tiburones y rayas) en México, los actores involucrados en esta pesquería se unieron, bajo un esquema de co-manejo y co-financiamiento, que incorpora la igualdad de género, para establecer un monitoreo pesquero que brinde información para generar mejoras en la pesquería y en su manejo. Esto ha posicionado a las pescadoras y los pescadores como pioneros en sostenibilidad pesquera, siendo un ejemplo para muchas otras personas dedicadas a la pesca.
Conservación y Aprovechamiento Sustentable de los Recursos Naturales para la Agricultura en la Región del Bajío Guanajuatense
In Mexico, smallholder agriculture under rainfed conditions is no longer a viable alternative for most farming families due to low productivity and the high cost of inputs, resulting in high loss rates, low crop prices, migration, and the degradation of natural resources. In response to this problem, INIFAP researchers developed five technological components to help farmers reduce production costs and increase yields: a) Conservation tillage, b) Organic nutrition, c) Selection of their own seed, d) Ecological pest management, and e) Alternative methods for grain and seed storage.
The general objective of the project was to consolidate this sustainable agricultural production model by strengthening the social organization of the region’s producers, as well as implementing and replicating the five sustainable axes model.
Impulsando la cadena de valor del café en pequeños productores a través de la agroecología y su diversificación
Shade-grown coffee represents more than 66% of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Biosphere Reserve in El Salvador, which interconnects and enables the flow of flora and fauna species. However, this crop faces two major threats: the first is the elimination of coffee plantations due to land use changes for urbanization, and the second is the replacement of coffee plantations with basic grains and vegetable crops.
In this regard, the Green Development Fund project in the SICA region of El Salvador called “Leveraging farms with agroecological management of the coffee agroecosystem in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Biosphere Reserve” worked with 50 producers to restore ecosystems and landscapes through agroecological and diversified coffee production. This allowed them to improve their income thanks to new products and the added value provided by agroecological coffee management, strengthening the marketing chain of products associated with the crop.
Soluciones para la coexistencia humanos-jaguares a través de mejoras en fincas ganaderas y uso de tecnología en comunidades colindantes al Bosque Protector Alto Darién
The project aims to minimize the human-jaguar conflict by implementing farm management plans with anti-predation measures, GPS telemetry to understand jaguar behavior and we work with the community. Most jaguar deaths are due to predation on livestock that is not properly managed. We support producers to maximize the benefits on the farm. The plans reorganize the property and the producers work intensively, using less paddock area, and these with water, improved pasture, cultivation areas, night pens for cows and calves to spend the night, all of this encourages the paddock areas to regenerate and transform into forest. The measures we have used are electric fences powered by a solar panel, collars with bells for the cattle and with small lights on the sides of the collar. We have placed collars on jaguars to understand their movement on 14 farms. Extensive cattle ranching has diminished biodiversity in Panama.
Parc National de Toubkal : des éco-gardes au sein de la communauté locale.
Given that the number of 3 Forest Technicians (Zone Managers) assigned to the Toubkal National Park Directorate (DPNT) was insufficient to honor the mission of monitoring tourist activities and wildlife, and that no recruitment was planned by the High Commission for Water and Forests to Combat Desertification to fill this staffing gap, the DPNT considered recruiting,since 2015, as part of an outsourced service, eco-guards within local communities, and on the basis of very specific profiles (ex: former mountain guide, former poacher).
In addition, to be operational in the field, these eco-guards have benefited from training led by fauna/flora experts and the Toubkal National Park team to identify priority wildlife species, handle the technical equipment made available to them and carry out the monitoring set up by the DPNT.
Community-based gorilla tourism
Different waves of Ebola killed gorillas in many important areas in Central Africa, including Odzala National park, Congo. Even worse, 2 habituated gorilla groups disappeared and left the park without this important source of potential income. The idea arose to habituate gorillas in a nearby community zone. GRASP provided matching funds to a community conservation project, and since 2012 tourists can see western lowland gorillas in the Lossi Interzone.