WWF - Eastern & Southern Africa Office, Kenya

Countries facing fiercest climate impacts call on conscience of the wealthy world

2009-11-10

Leaders of countries vulnerable to climate change have called for a redoubling of efforts to reach an ambitious outcome of the Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December and for world leaders to come to Copenhagen themselves.

The vulnerable countries are asking for immediate climate action in all countries and are committing themselves to green their economies as a contribution towards carbon neutrality.

The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) in the Maldives brought together delegates from Kiribati, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Kenya and other countries. They asked rich states to acknowledge their responsibility for climate change and provide at least 1.5 percent of their GDP annually by 2015 to assist developing countries in their transition to a low-carbon economy.

In a joint declaration after their meeting today, the forum expressed concern about downgrading of expectations for a positive outcome at the climate conference in Copenhagen.

“WWF shares the concerns expressed by these countries,” said Kim Carstensen, the head of WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Vulnerable developing countries have everything to lose from climate change, they are fighting for their future existence, and it is therefore very good to see them come out with a strong common voice.”

“We sincerely hope that their message will be heard by those countries that are actually responsible for climate change and who have the means to solve the climate crisis.”

“The world’s expectations for a climate treaty in Copenhagen are rising and leaders around the world need to understand that failure will come at a huge price.”

According to WWF, an ambitious climate treaty can still be achieved in Copenhagen despite most policy makers’ focus on what they cannot achieve rather than what they can do to prevent the worst consequences of climate change.

Governments at Copenhagen need to create a legally binding framework with an amended Kyoto Protocol and a new Copenhagen Protocol, which secures the survival of countries, cultures and ecosystems. They should also create a framework for immediate adaptation action, especially for vulnerable countries and ecosystems, including the provision of insurance and compensation.

“In Copenhagen, we need to listen to the voices of those who suffer from the consequences of global warming. That should already bring us on the right track,” Carstensen said.

The cry of the dolphin

2009-10-29

Russian WWF Director Viktor Nikiforov visited Madagascar in October 2009. In Tuléar, in the south of the island, he visited a WWF project protecting spiny and dry forest as well as one of the biggest coral reef systems in the world. During his visit to the village of Maromena, Viktor heard an incredibly inspiring story. It’s the story of a big dolphin rescue operation. And it’s the story about people in Maromena and Befasy who are about to turn around their fate.

“During the coast patrol I told local experts about our work on polar bear conservation in the Russian Arctic and about problems related to climate change. I was wondering what environmental problems people in these small fishery villages might have. Pele Bruno (44 year old) is the head of a small village called Maromena. He thinks that people have started to notice the changes since 1986. Local life highly depends on the rainy season. It used to start in November and last till late March or early April. Now they only get rain during January and February. This is bad for the cultivation of the main crop – maize. The yield is decreasing while the population is growing. It exceeds 800 people nowadays. The fish yield is also decreasing and people are worried about their future…

But there is hope. Supported by WWF Tuléar, villagers from Maromena and Вefasy have decided to establish a protected marine area covering 25’000 hectares. They now wait for the official papers, but have already ceased fishing since 2008. They believe that fish stocks will recover. The number of dolphins has already increased since 2005 when people stopped to hunt them. This initiative was supported by WWF and other environmental NGOs in the area. Before that time, people from the village of Maromena killed about 20 dolphins every year.

At 10am on the 1st of September 2009, people in Maromena heard anxious cries of dolphins – 75 dolphins were stranded and cried as if they called people for help. Virtually all people from the village participated in the rescue operation. Local WWF coordinator Sonina Velonjara also helped to save the animals’ lives. The rescuers put fishing nets around the dolphins and carried them to their pirogues to transport them further out. Within one hour all dolphins were rescued.

I talked to local fishermen and asked them, what they think about dolphins. After all, dolphins are fish eaters… “You know”, they answered, “we have understood that dolphins are not rivals to us. They accompany us during fishing. They are our fellow travelers, our partners”"

Climate change in Madagascar

2009-10-29

WWF was UNICEF's special guest during a workshop debate on climate change, one of the public events that marked the "La semaine des Nations Unies", from October 19 to 24. WWF was represented by Tiana Ramahaleo, head of Conservation Science / Species Programme.

The workshop started with the projection of the film "Climate witness in Itampolo (South-west)", followed by a presentation by representatives from WHO on the impacts of climate change on health around the world. The film was very well received and constituted a good warm-up for the exchanges. The latter focused mainly on WWF's policy and position on adaptation, the impacts of climate change on cattle farming and the need to have educational material to spread the "message" to sensitize the youth.

Shipwreck an ecological disaster for southern Madagascar

2009-10-28

Faux Cap, Madagascar – Toxic waste from a ship which went down off the coast in southern Madagascar in August has had severe impacts on the health of local people and on the rich coastal and marine environment, according to a study supported by WWF.

The Turkish vessel Gulser Ana grounded near Faux Cap in the very south of Madagascar The ship carried 39000 tons of raw Phosphates, 568 tons of fuel, 66 tons of diesel and 8000 litres of lubricant, most of which was slowly released into the Indian Ocean. The accident occurred in a whale reproduction and migratory corridor zone during the migratory season.

The report, co-funded by WWF was prepared by an interdisciplinary team of eight scientists which went to Faux Cap shortly after the accident.

While one to three whales normally beach in the area each year, nine whales beached in September alone, and some beach stretches seem to be real death zones, the report found. Villagers suffer from diseases such as respiratory problems, skin diseases and diarrhoea.

“WWF is very concerned about the possible negative impacts on biodiversity especially marine and coastal species, the threats to the ecosystems and the loss of people’s livelihood options. That’s why we decided to fund this mission,” said Harifidy Olivier Ralison, WWF Western Indian Ocean Marine Programme Coordinator.

Oil clumps cover the beach 30 km to the east and even further to the west of the shipwreck. People who were hired to clean up the area are not equipped properly and lack clothes protecting them. The collected oil clumps land in plastic bags on the beach where they are likely to burst and cause further damage, the report founds.

Almost half the 40'000 people in the area have been affected by consequences of the shipwreck, the study found with a key impact being the banning of fishing for three months.
Some 25 to 40 percent of the inhabitants depend on fishery as their source of income.

The impacts on marine species are also tragic.

"Like human beings, whales suffer from respiratory problems due to diesel odour. They come to the surface from time to time to breathe, so if they happen to surface through an oil film, this might result in the animal’s death,” Yvette Razafindrakoto, WCS (World Conservation Society) marine mammal specialist said.

Although raw phosphate is not poisonous, a huge amount of it being suddenly released into the ocean can be problematic. The expert team found signs of eutrophication in front of the shipwreck. « Phosphate acts like fertilizer, which leads to an extensive algal bloom. This depletes the oxygen in the surrounding marine environment and could cause the disappearance of species such as fish and molluscs» said Ralison.

Some common species of sand crabs were also only found sporadically and other species, such as various gastropods contained a very high amount of heavy metal, which is connected to higher mortality.

There are signs that the food chain in the area around Faux Cap is severely harmed. What this means for the coastal ecosystem and the villagers on the contaminated beaches can only be definitively estimated after the passage of some years, the report said.

For more information please contact:

Martina Lippuner, +261 20 22 348 85, mlippuner@wwf.mg

Treaty parties learn of 40 proposed wildlife trade rule changes

2009-10-26

Gland, Switzerland - Proposals for tighter trade controls for species such as the Atlantic Blue Fin tuna, sharks and corals have been submitted for the next meeting of parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).

The meeting, which will have changes to trade rules for an unusual proportion of marine species on its agenda, will be held in Quatar in March. Controversy is also expected over conflicting proposals concerning elephants.

WWF especially welcomes the proposal by the Principality of Monaco to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I to the convention, which would ban international trade for commercial purposes and was submitted as Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks are declining dramatically because of uncontrolled overfishing.

“An Appendix I listing for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna has become imperative if we are to save the species,” said Amanda Nickson, Director of the WWF International Species Programme.

“If we act now we can secure the future of this species and guarantee that fishing can be resumed in the future, but at a sustainable level.”

WWF was also encouraged to see that proposals to list several shark species on Appendix II, which allows for international trade but imposes strict regulations and requires proof that trade is sustainable and legal, were submitted. Threats such as bycatch and shark finning and illegal fishing and overfishing have caused serious declines in shark populations.

Also proposed for an Appendix II listing were red and pink coral, which are used to make jewellery. Red and pink corals are found throughout the world’s tropical and temperate seas but the absence of effective international trade controls has led to overharvesting.

Elephant debate expected to be controversial

Elephants, one of WWF’s priority species, will be a topic of debate at the CITES meeting as potentially conflicting proposals were submitted for elephants. Kenya submitted a proposal – together with a group of west African countries - that would impose a 19 year ban on other countries seeking permission for one-off ivory sales, such as the one that took place under CITES supervision in 2008, and that would suspend the legal sale of ivory souvenirs in Namibia and Zimbabwe.

One the other hand, Zambia and Tanzania submitted proposals that would have elephant populations within their borders moved from Appendix I to Appendix II in order to ease the permitting rules for trophy hunting and allow for the sale of government-owned ivory stockpiles.

“WWF recognizes that some southern African Elephant range States have successfully demonstrated that their populations should be placed on Appendix II," said Nickson.

"However, Tanzania and Zambia have yet to prove their case by demonstrating that their management of ivory stockpiles is adequate enough to prevent laundering of poached ivory.

“And while we acknowledge the concerns that have motivated Kenya’s proposal, we must focus not forget to address what WWF sees as the main issue driving elephant poaching – that is, unregulated domestic markets in central and West Africa.”

Two other of WWF’s priority species that were not the subject of listing proposals but that will be discussed at the meeting are tigers and rhinos, which are both critically endangered and are being poached in order to feed the illegal market for their parts and derivatives. Tiger numbers could now be as low as 3,200 and rhino poaching has reached a 15 year high according to new research released this summer.

WWF will now engage with its partners TRAFFIC and IUCN, which will do a full analyses of the proposals in order to assess whether or not they meet the criteria required for a species to be listed in the CITES appendices. WWF will formulate its position on each proposal based on this analysis.

“WWF looks forward to the CITES meeting,” said Ms Nickson. “There has never been a meeting where marine animals featured so prominently. Now is an opportunity to show that CITES has the capacity to address the pressing issues concerning the trade in these species.”

Forests fundamental to effective climate deal

2009-10-25

Buenos Aires, Argentina – The world’s ability to control climate change could be crippled if global leaders do not support clear and effective targets to arrest deforestation at climate talks in Copenhagen in December, WWF said at the conclusion of a key global foresty summit.

As the XIIIth World Forestry Congress finished Friday, WWF called for an ambitious and bold climate deal at Copenhagen to give clear guidance and incentives for the forestry sector to do its part in stopping catastrophic climate change and adapt to predicted changes.

“Setting immediate deforestation targets is a key component of any climate change agreement,” said Rodney Taylor, Director of WWF International’s Forest program.

“If the global deal on climate change ignores the dangers of unchecked deforestation, it will set the world on an accelerated path to savage climate change.”

Despite conservation efforts, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate – 13 million hectares per year, or 36 football fields a minute. It generates almost 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and halting forest loss has been identified as one of the most cost-effective ways to keep the world out of the danger zone of runaway climate change.

To this end, WWF during the Congress proposed a global target of zero net deforestation by 2020 to avoid runaway climate change and stop the current catastrophic trend of species loss.

“A zero net deforestation by 2020 target will set the scale and urgency needed to gather the political will to stop forest loss,” Taylor said.

WWF will continue to advocate for a strong deforestation target to be included in all other relevant international treaties and agreements, including in the Convention on Biological Diversity.

In Copenhagen, negotiators need to agree to strong financial and emissions reduction commitments to craft a climate deal that enables developing countries to halt forest loss.

“WWF received strong feedback at the Congress from various sectors, including governments, other NGOs, and the private sector to support our target on deforestation,” said Gerald Steindlegger, WWF International’s Forest Manager on Global Policy.

Many developing countries already are adopting major deforestation policies that mirror WWF’s call for zero net deforestation by 2020.

On Wednesday, government representatives from Argentina and Paraguay pledged during a special ceremony co-hosted by WWF and its partner organization Fundacion Vida Silvestre at the Congress to work towards zero net deforestation in the Atlantic Forest, and to implement a package of measures that include national legislation to enforce those commitments.

The Atlantic Forest initially spanned 500,000 square kms, shared between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. However, only 7.4 percent of the forest is left today – or about 35,000 square kilometers, making it one of the most threatened and fragmented subtropical forests in the world.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian government already has established a zero deforestation target by 2010 for the Atlantic Forest. Brazil also has pledged to establish protected areas covering at least 10 percent of the forest.

This year, the World Forestry Congress brought together more than 4,000 participants in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Loophole looms for illegal loggers of rare Madagascar woods

2009-10-07

Antananarivo, Madagascar – An exceptional authorisation from the Malagasy transitional government for the export of raw and semi-processed precious woods risks opening a loophole for the legal export of illegally cut timber and encouraging further assaults on Madagascar's endangered forests and wildlife, conservation groups active on the island have said.

"It legalises the sale of illegally cut and collected wood onto the market (...) and constitutes a legal incentive for further corruption in the forestry sector. " said a communique published locally by WWF, Conservation International (CI) and the World Conservation Society (WCS).

„The measures proposed will only benefit a small group of people while contributing to further poverty and powerlessness of the people who depend on these natural ressources“

The communique follows a Reuters report quoting Prime minister Monja Roindefo denying that the transitional government was legalising the plundering of forests, but refusing to rule out issuing future licences.

Niall O’Connor, Regional Representative for WWF Madagascar and West Indian Ocean Programm Office in Antananarivo says „ We condem the impact of the plundering of Madagascar’s forests, particularly the protected areas, on biodiversity and the loss of livelihood options for the local population.“

A study about the „Evaluation of rosewood and ebony stocks in two communities in the North East and in the middle-west of the country“ commissioned by WWF Madagascar in August 2009 revealed shocking details about the professional exploitation of precious woods such as the above mentioned in Madagascar.

In Andranopasy, a community in western Madagascar, only six species of rosewood are left from previously 15. No rosewood trees with a trunk diameter of more than 30 centimeters have been found any more. Three species of rosewood are very unlikely to regenerate. Another species, Diospyros perrieri, is not regenerating any more as are five others in the two project sites.

«This can be explained by the abusive commercial exploitation of the forest by foreign economic players. Even more, the local population cannot benefit from the precious woods in their forest for their very survival. Wood workers are paid the equivilent of 2 Euros a day while rosewood sells at 8.5 Euros per kilogramm.» says the study.

WWF Madagascar is investigating whether rosewood can be registered as an endangered species according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This will increase and tighten regulations on both import and export.

The recent increase in illegal logging is just another example in a long line of threats to Madagascar’s unique fauna and flora. Home to countless endemic plants and animals, the West Indian Ocean Island is one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world. The world-famous lemurs on top of all are very important for the developing eco-tourism sector. Nowadays, many end up in cooking pots to feed the loggers.

For further information:
Martina Lippuner
Communications Manager
WWF Madagascar & West Indian Ocean Programme Office
Tel : +261 20 22 304 20
+261 20 22 348 85
E-mail : MLippuner@wwf.mg

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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Loophole looms for illegal loggers ravaging Madagascar

2009-10-07

Antananarivo, Madagascar – An exceptional authorisation from the Malagasy transitional government for the export of raw and semi-processed precious woods risks opening a loophole for the legal export of illegally cut timber and encouraging further assaults on Madagascar's endangered forests and wildlife, conservation groups active on the island have said.

"It legalises the sale of illegally cut and collected wood onto the market (...) and constitutes a legal incentive for further corruption in the forestry sector. " said a communique published locally by WWF, Conservation International (CI) and the World Conservation Society (WCS).

The communique follows a Reuters report quoting Prime minister Monja Roindefo denying that the transitional government was legalising the plundering of forests, but refusing to rule out issuing future licences.

Niall O’Connor, Regional Representative for WWF Madagascar and West Indian Ocean Programm Office in Antananarivo says "We condem the impact of the plundering of Madagascar’s forests, particularly the protected areas, on biodiversity and the loss of livelihood options for the local population."

No forest containing precious woods is safe

A study entitled "Evaluation of rosewood and ebony stocks in two communities in the North East and in the middle-west of the country“, commissioned by WWF Madagascar in August 2009 revealed shocking details about the professional exploitation of precious woods such as the above mentioned in Madagascar.

In Andranopasy, a community in western Madagascar, only 6 of 15 species of rosewood survive. No rosewood trees with a trunk diameter of more than 30cm have been found. Three species of rosewood are very unlikely to regenerate. Another species, Diospyros perrieri, is no longer regenerating.

"This can be explained by the abusive commercial exploitation of the forest by foreign economic players. Even more, the local population cannot benefit from the precious woods in their forest for their very survival. Wood workers are paid the equivilent of 2 Euros a day while rosewood sells at 8.5 Euros per kilogramm." says the study.

Another statement, signed by 15 Madagascar and international conservation groups including WWF, said that “Precious woods are being extracted from forests by roving and sometimes violent gangs of lumbermen and sold to a few powerful businessmen for export. . . . Those exploiting the trees are also trapping endangered lemurs for food, and the forests themselves are being degraded as trees are felled, processed and dragged to adjacent rivers or roads for transport to the coast.

“No forest that contains precious woods is safe, and the country’s most prestigious nature reserves and favoured tourist destinations, such as the Marojejy and Masoala World Heritage Sites and the Mananara Biosphere Reserve, have been the focus of intensive exploitation. Currently thousands of rosewood and ebony logs, none of them legally exploited, are stored in Madagascar’s east coast ports, Vohémar, Antalaha, and Toamasina. The most recent decree will allow their export and surely encourage a further wave of environmental pillaging.”

WWF Madagascar is investigating whether rosewood can be registered as an endangered species according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This will increase and tighten regulations on both import and export.

Madagascar is home to abundant unique fauna and flora and one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world, with a developing industry in sustainable eco-tourism.

The world-famous lemurs are a key symbol of the island – lemurs going into cooking pots to feed illegal loggers of rare woods is a different symbol entirely.

Madagascar accused of profiting from illegal timber

2009-10-05

Madagascar's cash-strapped government has opened the door for timber barons to plunder the Indian Ocean island's precious natural resources.

WWF, Conservation International and Wildlife Conservation Society said an inter-ministerial order issued last month granted an exceptional authorisation to export raw and semi-processed hard wood.

"It legalises the sale of illegally cut and collected wood onto the market; allows for the potential embezzlement of funds in the name of environmental protection and constitutes a legal incentive for further corruption in the forestry sector," the three groups said in a statement.

Eco-tourism is the backbone of Madagascar's $390-million-a-year tourism industry, which has been wrecked by months of political turmoil this year.

Conservationists say its biodiversity is being wiped out on a shocking level as gangs take advantage of a security vacuum to pillage rosewood and ebony from supposedly protected forests and trap exotic animals, mainly for Asia's pet market.

Isolated from land masses for more than 160-million years, the world's fourth largest island is a biodiversity "hotspot" home to hundreds of exotic species found only there.

Prime Minister Monja Roindefo denied the government was legitimising the plundering of forests, but refused to rule out issuing future licences.

"We have brought the logging under control. For the moment we don't foresee another order being issued," he told Reuters.

The September 21 government order authorised 13 operators to export 325 containers of timber, with the authorities taking a 72-million ariary tax on each container.

The donor-dependent country has seen its reserves dwindle after key donors branded Andry Rajoelina's March power-grab a coup and froze hundreds of millions of dollars in aid.

Rich pickings
According to a Global Witness report seen by WWF, timber barons have felled 7 000 cubic metres of rosewood a month since Madagascar's political crisis erupted in January.

WWF estimates the wood would sell in Asia at about $5 000 a cubic metre.

WWF said it was pushing for rosewood to be registered as an endangered species according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

Environment protection groups say illegal logging continues in Madagascar's north-east and fear more licences might be granted as the government looks for ways to generate cash.

"Preliminary research shows rosewood is under extreme pressure. If it was registered as endangered then much tighter regulation would be required for both export and import," said Niall O'Connor, head of WWF's Indian Ocean region office based in Madagascar's capital Antananarivo.

Ousted leader Marc Ravalomanana was credited with increasing the number of national parks and protected areas, backed by donors including the World Bank and the United States.

But decades of logging, mining and slash-and-burn farming have destroyed up to 90% of the ecology on the island, home to scores of endangered lemur species.

"It's a tragedy, we just don't know how many species are being impacted," O'Connor said.

International community calls for action against illegal logging in Madagascar

2009-06-05

Some protected areas are being invaded by organized criminals cutting down valuable rosewood trees and extracting other resources. Most of the wood is known to come from Marojejy National Park and Masoala National Park.

The 13 signatories of the statement include the embassies of France and Germany, the World Bank and other international organizations as well as the World Wide Fund for Nature and Conservation International.

"We believe the recent, dramatic escalation in illegal logging is directly linked to the irresponsible actions by mafia-like groups and governance challenges linked with a fragile institutional context that makes enforcement of existing laws and regulations difficult," the statement said.

"We are troubled that Madagascar’s image, nationally and internationally, as a country committed to the protection of its unique biodiversity and natural resources is being irreparably damaged."

The organisations said they were also afraid the damage could spread around other Protected Areas and their peripheral zone.

The increased illegal logging calls into question Madagascar’s genuine commitment to a transparent wood control system that documents the legality of harvesting and sales.

A significant amount of precious resources - hardwood, unique biodiversity and non-collected fees - are irreversibly lost from this uncontrolled timber harvesting. The Malagasy rural people only marginally benefit from this illegal trade of precious wood, as the international value of the exported wood is over 600 times the benefits to the collector.

According to the document, the current situation also stands in the way of the country's fight against poverty or the livelihoods of Madagascar’s rural population.

Illegal trade of timber is growing in importance and concern at the global level. The United States and European Union are putting in place new strict laws and regulations to stop the importation of illegally harvested and traded wood products.

But according to the international community and the conservation partners a "more proactive and aggressive" response is needed to address this increased harvesting of Madagascar’s unique natural resources.

"It is essential that the Malagasy authorities, with the support of all stakeholders, improve support to protected areas in order to preserve the extraordinary biological riches of Madagascar."

The statement was signed by:

• The French Embassy
• The German Embassy
• The Japanese Embassy
• The Norwegian Embassy
• The Swiss Embassy
• The USA Embassy
• KfW Entwicklungsbank
• United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
• US Agency for International Development
• World Bank
• Conservation International
• Wildlife Conservation Society
• Worldwide Fund for Nature

Maminiaina Rasamoelina: "There is no routine in my job"

2009-01-20

Maminiaina Rasamoelina, who is leading the WWF/GoodPlanet project, has a PhD in forestry. He was born in 1976 in Antsirabé, a quite large town located 160 kilometres away from Antananarivo.

There was not too much nature to see in Antsirabé and Maminiaina spent his early years in a urban environment. But he was fascinated by the wildlife documentaries shown on TV.

“Movies on big cats, elephants, bears, eagles and sharks were gluing me to the screen,” he remembers.

What subjects did you like most at school?
I was much into natural science because I was learning many practical things that I could then test in the real life! The logical side of physics and chemistry suited me well, too. Math was too abstract, although I was quite good in that subject. Then, at the university, I became very interested in social psychology, which is all about human behavior, understanding why people are acting in a certain way in given situations. I was also captivated by the antagonism between two theories: the “survivalist” one (according to which natural resources have a limit; overexploitation then will no longer allow their natural pace for regeneration) and the “promethean” one (suggesting that the human race can get infinite development, and that technology will always solve any problem that may occur should a given resource disappear).

As a teenager, what did you want to do later?
I wanted to be a pilot or a pediatrician. I became neither!

But a forester…
Yes, I was studying forestry at the university and wanted to continue my career in the conservation sector, in Madagascar. I realized both during my studies and initial experiences in the field that it was unrealistic to ask starving people not to touch the forest. This prompted me to learn more about the social and economic aspects of conservation. Thanks to a scholarship, I could go to the United States for my PhD where I studied forestry extension, the human dimension of forestry. In parallel, as a faculty-research assistant at Oregon State University, I worked on projects linking small forest owners and the world of fundamental forestry research.

How did you end up working with WWF?
I can only work for an organization whose philosophy I share. In terms of forestry three words can summarize WWF’s approach: protection, management and restoration. I do have the same conservation vision. My other motivation was WWF’s world-wide reach and credibility. This means that my work can be adapted or replicated and benefit other communities in other regions or countries.

What do you like most about your job?
The fact that I can acquire new knowledge almost every day, there is no routine in my job.

What do you like least about your job?
Sometimes unexpected things can completely change the planning. So far, this is what I like least.

What are the prerequisite qualities to do your job?
First of all, you need to love nature passionately. Then, you must be open-minded so that you understand the many different types of behaviors you have to deal with on a regular basis. And finally, it is crucial to have a team spirit, listen to other people and express your own convictions and be flexible with your schedules. You certainly must be ready to work extra hours.

What are the assets of this project? And the main challenges to come?
This programme is the fourth REDD (reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) pilot project in Madagascar. If everything goes well, it will add a reliable and verifiable scientific basis for estimating the baseline, which is crucial to determine more precisely the amount of carbon dioxide that the planned activities of the project will be able to either prevent from being released into the atmosphere, or sequester. Compared to the other projects, it should also give a better idea of the total amount of the carbon stock in the area covered by the activities. In addition to the carbon in the above-ground biomass, we will take into account the carbon contained in the soil, litter, the necromass and eventually the underground biomass. Mathematical models will compare the situation with the project to the one without for each site. Later we will have to adjust these projections based on field observations and results. Since measuring the real carbon benefit of a project requires time, this will be our main challenge with a project that only lasts three years.

Le projet WWF/GoodPlanet présenté à Poznan

2008-12-22

La déforestation est responsable de 20% des émissions de gaz à effet de serre mondiales annuelles (IPCC, 2004). Ralentir ce phénomène est un des leviers majeurs de la lutte contre le changement climatique.

La Conférence de Poznan, avant-dernière étape d’un processus qui doit aboutir à Copenhague en 2009 à l’élaboration d’un accord post-Kyoto, avait notamment pour objectif de poursuivre les négociations entamées à Bali l’année dernière, et plus particulièrement progresser sur les aspects méthodologiques pour la prise en compte des forêts dans un accord global sur le climat.

La Réduction des Emissions dues à la Déforestation et la Dégradation des forêts (REDD) est en effet, à de nombreux égards, un levier puissant pour l’atténuation et l’adaptation aux changements climatiques – notamment via le maintien du stock de carbone présent dans les forêts, évalué à plusieurs milliards de tonnes – ainsi que pour la préservation des écosystèmes (sols, nappes phréatiques, biodiversité) et de l’habitat des populations dépendantes de la forêt pour leur survie.

A Poznan, les négociations sur ce sujet ont permis de valider le choix d’une approche dite « sectorielle » (prise en compte de la déforestation, la dégradation, le maintien des forêts, les plantations). Elle se justifie par la nécessité de comptabiliser de la manière la plus complète possible les variations de stock de carbone.

Par ailleurs, les pays membres se sont accordés sur la création d’un cadre de coordination des activités de renforcement des capacités, et sur la nécessité de progresser sur des méthodologies de mesure du carbone dans les forêts.

Enfin, la prise en compte des peuples indigènes a été reconnue. Ils seront inclus, par exemple, dans les comités de pilotage des projets et dans leur mise en œuvre.

Le « Programme holistique de conservation des forêts à Madagascar » s’inscrit pleinement dans les décisions prises à Poznan sur le sujet. Ses objectifs – au-delà de réduire le taux de déforestation – est d’impliquer fortement les populations locales, de tester des outils innovants pour établir une méthodologie de comptabilisation carbone et de participer à l’élaboration d’un standard pour la mise en œuvre de projets forestiers.

Matthieu Tiberghien, responsable du programme Action Carbone de l’association GoodPlanet, a présenté ce projet à Poznan lors d’une conférence organisée par le Ministère de l’Environnement, des Forêts et du Tourisme Malgache, sur le thème « Stratégies nationales de projets REDD, l’exemple de Madagascar ».

Transforming Lives: Managing Oysters in the Quirimbas National Park

2008-10-10

Oysters in the Quirimbas are a resource that have historically been used as a minor dietary supplement, shucked and sold by the cup for about 60 cents US a kilo to make into a sauce for rice. Now, however, thanks to the efforts of WWF and the Quirimbas National Park (QNP), along with a local NGO called the Associação do Meio Ambiente (AMA - Association for the Environment), oysters are transforming the lives of several island communities.

Having successfully set up small no-take zones that have allowed fish stocks to rebound, villagers found that they also seemed to produce lots and lots of oysters. Unable to take advantage of these, being in the no-take zone, they asked the park again for help. Here AMA stepped in, giving technical support to set up rotating harvest zones just next to the no-take zones, taking advantage of the brood stock there to set up a highly sustainable harvesting system. In a very short period of time, oysters were abundant.

However, collecting just for the local market was still not very profitable. Again the QNP and AMA stepped in, teaching simple processing techniques such as boiling and drying, or preserving in oil and spices. Profits shot up six-fold, and with the increased volumes as well, once poor fishermen are now quite well off. Mussemuco, a village of just 240 people, had only one mobile phone two years ago, owned by the AMA extension worker living there. Today, there are more than 30 phones. The village shop has many new products in it, including previously unaffordable articles like washing powder and curry spices. The project funded the first oyster processing group here, but now there are more than a dozen, all copying an obviously successful business model, using their own funds to do so. Once cut off and isolated, small buyers are coming to Mussemuco from many of the surrounding villages to buy oysters, paying fees to the village fund for the right to purchase here.

On Ibo Island, the oyster harvest and processing group has swollen to 29 people, divided into harvesters, who are mostly men, and processors, predominantly women. Bottling the oysters in oil and spices, they have now conquered new markets with the new hotels in the area, and as far away as the provincial capital, a full day’s journey away. In a single trip they can now earn 2000 USD, in an area where the vast majority of the population lives on perhaps 50cents a day! With their own rotating harvest zones established and respected, this is a resource that can be sustainably harvested for the indefinite future.

The Community Development Committee President in Mussemuco sums up the changes thus, “All you see here is on the basis of the oyster.” he says. Lives transformed, resources protected. In the Quirimbas National Park, everybody wins.

Sean Nazerali, Quirimbas National Park Project Executant

New Madagascar project to measure carbon savings from forest conservation

2008-10-06

Antananarivo, Madagascar: Up to 500,000 hectares of moist and spiny forests in Madagascar are to be protected or restored in a pioneering project which will include testing ways to measure climate impacts.

The research could potentially provide precious information to many other forest-carbon projects around the world.

The three-year project is funded by GoodPlanet – with Air France as sole sponsor – and implemented by WWF. GoodPlanet is a French foundation which aims to raise public awareness on the world’s current main issues and promotes sustainable development.

“With deforestation responsible for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, there is a growing interest to use forests as an instrument to fight against global warming,” said Matthieu Tiberghien, Programme Officer at GoodPlanet. “However, we must ensure that we have the proper methodologies to assess the level of greenhouse gas emissions that can be reduced by reducing deforestation.”

Activities to be carried out include the creation of new, community managed, protected areas, the transfer of forest management rights from Government to local communities, the establishment of fuelwood plantations to reduce pressure on natural forests and the restoration of forests in some key degraded landscapes.

WWF and GoodPlanet will join efforts and expertise to acquire as much knowledge as possible on verifiable ways to measure how much the emission of carbon can potentially be reduced by reducing the rate of deforestation and degradation, and how much carbon can be effectively and permanently sequestered by complementary forest restoration activities.

According to estimates by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and various studies in Madagascar, the carbon storage potential of the forests in the project area could be between 61 to 68 million metric tons.

The current deforestation and degradation of forests in the project area is mainly caused by local slash and burn agriculture. The project seeks to reverse this situation by giving the farmers and communities direct, better, access to the management of forests and their natural resources, and by promoting alternative, sustainable and income-generating agricultural practices, such as agro-forestry.

“When local communities have the responsibility to manage their natural resources, they tend to protect them better and use them in a sustainable way,” said Nanie Ratsifandrihamanana, WWF’s Conservation Director in Madagascar. “This in turn ensures them additional revenues and improves their living conditions.”

Farmers in the project’s key landscapes will be trained to establish and maintain tree nurseries for reforestation activities and restoration of degraded landscapes. Plantations will also be established in degraded areas close to urban areas in order to provide fuelwood for the cities and towns where there is high demand, thus providing an alternative to the wood that would otherwise be directly extracted from the natural forests.

Contacts:
Olivier van Bogaert
Project Manager and Communications –
Congo and Madagascar
WWF International
T +41 22 364 9001
E-mail: ovanbogaert@wwfint.org

Sylvain Rafiadana-Ntsoa
WWF-MWIOPO Communications Manager
T +261 20 223 48 85
srafiadanantsoa@wwf.mg

Matthieu Tiberghien
Programme Officer, GoodPlanet
T +33 1 48 42 76 05
matthieu@actioncarbone.org

Poachers walk free as assault on Zimbabwe rhinos escalates

2008-09-25

Harare, Zimbabwe: A breakdown in law enforcement against rhino poaching and horn smuggling in Zimbabwe is threatening the success of more than a decade's work bringing rhino populations back up to healthy levels.

Typical of the problem is the recent release of a gang of four Zimbabwean rhino poachers who admitted to killing 18 rhinos in five different areas of central Zimbabwe, including a semi-tame group of black rhinos slaughtered in their pens at Imire Safari Ranch.

The poachers, also alleged to have been involved in a number of armed robberies and arrested with several illegal firearms, were initially denied bail and it was reported that the four had received lengthy jail sentences. However, WWF was recently informed by authorities that the poachers were subsequently granted bail, were freed and immediately absconded.

Rhino poaching has been increasing throughout Zimbabwe including in the Lowveld Conservancies in southern Zimbabwe, home to three-quarters of the country's surviving rhinos and host to a rhino conservation project involving WWF, the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe, the private sector and several other conservation agencies including the International Rhino Foundation.

“Since January 2000, approximately 70 rhinos have been killed in the Lowveld conservancies, and the losses are now rapidly mounting,” said Raoul du Toit, Lowveld rhino conservation project manager for the Lowveld Conservancies. “About 20 rhinos were shot in the Lowveld during 2008, which points to how this problem is escalating,

“Prior to 2000, for a period of seven years, there was no rhino poaching whatsoever.”

When the poaching first flared up, it was linked to the unplanned occupations of sections of the Lowveld Conservancies by subsistence farmers and primarily involved rhinos getting caught in wire snares that were set out to catch wildlife for meat consumption.

Now the poaching has reached commercial levels, with poachers not only killing rhinos in snares but also shooting them for their horns, without taking the meat.

“WWF and other non-government organisations involved in rhino conservation maintain very constructive relations with the Zimbabwean wildlife authorities,” says du Toit, “But there is growing frustration over Zimbabwe’s poor performance in law enforcement for rhino crimes, which inevitably gives rise to concerns about corruption.”

Although a few poachers from Zambia have been arrested and convicted after cross-border raids into National Parks in northern Zimbabwe, not a single Zimbabwean poacher has been convicted during the current wave of internal rhino poaching.

The few Zimbabwean poachers arrested, have subsequently been released on bail, (equivalent to a few American cents), and have then absconded, or have evaded prosecution in the courts.

“The lack of enforcement and increased poaching pressure in Zimbabwe now threaten to reverse the excellent trends in rhino populations of recent years,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF-International’s Species Programme. “WWF calls on the authorities in Zimbabwe to take much stronger action against the internal poaching networks or the recent progress made in rhino conservation in Zimbabwe will be lost.”

Tom Milliken, the Regional Director of TRAFFIC’s programme in east and southern Africa, warns: “In terms of the CITES treaty on wildlife trade, Zimbabwe is now in the spotlight and an international task force will be visiting shortly to investigate its performance in rhino conservation.

“TRAFFIC has sponsored initiatives to improve the country’s law enforcement capabilities, but sadly most investigations appear to have collapsed without successful prosecutions.”

Further information please see the press release here

Marine turtles in Kenya fitted with satnav systems

2008-09-11

Five marine turtles - four green and one hawksbill - in Kenya’s Kiunga Marine National Reserve have been tagged with satellite tracking devices in an attempt to learn more about their ecology.

To improve current turtle conservation efforts WWF-Eastern Africa has started a turtle satellite tracking programme which will provide information on feeding, behaviour during migration, and the preferred development habitat for juveniles.

The relatively pristine and isolated Kiunga beaches provide key refuge and nesting ground for marine turtles in Kenya. WWF, the Kenya Wildlife Service and the local community protect these nests out of which over 11,000 hatchlings emerge and enter the sea each year. The rich aquatic habitats also support other rare species such as dugong, whale and dolphin.

Turtles, protected under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) as well as national legislation in Kenya, are generally regarded as a good indicator for the health of the ecosystem.

“The installation of the Sirtrack Kiwisat 101 PTT on sea turtles will provide accurate data to explain migratory patterns of the species,” said Sam Weru, WWF’s Marine National Coordinator for Kenya. “The broader significance of this project is to enhance our ability to effectively protect and conserve marine turtles and their habitats.”

The joint WWF/KWS turtle conservation programme at Kiunga is financially supported by USAID and was officially launched by the US Ambassador to Kenya, Michael E. Ranneberger,

“I want to commend the excellent work that WWF is doing working with KWS and your [Kiunga] community,” said the ambassador during the launching ceremony.

The programme involves the youth from communities living around the reserve. Local fishermen also provide regular reports on turtle nests and other conservation issues. The progress of the five turtles thus far can be followed online using the link above to the right.

In Bazaruto: new fishermen association under big challenge

2008-08-06

The Archipelago claims for a new and urgent fishing revival

Maputo, Mozambique – WWF´s Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) Project in Bazaruto has achieved one of its main goals by helping in the establishment of a new fishermen association in Bazaruto Archipelago: the Bazaruto Archipelago Fishermen Association (APABA). The new association will be the officially known community entity responsible for the good and prosperous management of the scarce marine natural resources remaining in this area.

The new association faces a big challenge in the restoration of the ecological biodiversity of the area. Specifically, it will deal with one of the most dramatic fisheries crisis ever faced in the archipelago. Contrary to the past, the word “fish”, in all its senses and varieties, seems now to be one of the most missing “resources” for local communities as it has been a long time since anyone experienced a good catch. This crisis has lead to an unstoppable and irrational exploration of the few and juvenile remaining fishing stocks.

Eng. Meneses Roberto, WWF´s CBNRM Bazaruto Project Executant, thinks that, although this association should have come long time ago, it is now very welcome and WWF should congratulate itself for this achievement: “We have created enough capacity for local communities to start to manage, in a sustainable way, the marine resources they have around them" said Mr. Roberto.

When questioned about the first steps of his mandate, the new elected president of the APABA, Mr. Cremildo Zivane, said that:”My first action will be to carry out a consultation with the fishermen, mostly to find out or to confirm what is exactly leading to the scarcity of fish in our archipelago…one of the great reasons for that is the we are not using the appropriate mesh (of nets), and that problem must be resolved amongst us”.

WWF current studies on marine resources management in the area are proving that if serious measures are not taken as soon as possible Bazaruto may fall into one of its deepest fisheries crisis ever seen. According to Lara Muaves, the WWF Marine Biologist carrying out the studies in the area, the best thing to happen to local fishermen is that: “...now they accept the fact that the fish is gone and that´s due to their direct action over marine resources".

Besides the initiative of the creation of a fishermen association, the WWF CBNRM Bazaruto Project is engaged in other alternatives livelihoods which include providing training opportunities for local people in construction, carpentry, bee-keeping and sewing and the establishment of cultural, workmanship and tourist guides groups so that they may sell their services to private tourism operators based in the archipelago.

WWF CBNRM Bazaruto Project comes to an end in December 2008.

Lake Bogoria Policy Brief 1_08

2008-07-22

Is the Dugong population in Bazaruto slowly recovering?

2008-07-16

Dugong aerial count: population overwhelms expectations in Bazaruto

Maputo, Mozambique – Recent aerial counts performed in the Bazaruto bay, including the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park (BANP), brought out new expectations in terms of conservation of dugong population in this area: the frequency in appearance of the species has proven that the number of its population may be increasing or at least the fact that they are seen routinely could be a sign of success in its conservation.

Jane Provancha, a Senior Scientist at Dynamac Corporation (Florida) and a WWF Consultant, led the team which included the BANP as well as WWF Mozambique staff during the aerial counts. According to the experience gathered during this assignment, she could contentedly say that: “We saw a huge range in the numbers of dugongs – one of our “official surveys” resulted seeing only 9 dugongs, whereas on another of our “official surveys“(just two days later) – we saw 135 dugongs… we can comfortably say that our highest count was a minimum number of dugongs using the area: there are likely more than 135 dugongs here.”

When compared to SASOL report, the South African Oil and Gas Company, from last year in which their high count was around 69 dugongs, it can be said that: “This “change” may not indicate a real increase in the population, but is a good sign that animals are in fact routinely seen in the area and in higher numbers than reported thus far. I would say that conservation efforts are moving forward given WWF´s current emphasis on continued interaction and education of the local fishermen/women and tourists”, she completed. Results from the SASOL study pointed at an estimated number of 250 individuals in the Bazaruto bay.

On the other side, Helena Motta, the WWF Country Coordinator and herself participating in the aerial survey commented: “In 2001 the estimations pointed at a population of dugongs of around 100 individuals in total. Today, with the SASOL studies as well as these surveys that we conduct in conjunction with the BANP, we can say that things are looking much better for the dugong population. However, the findings also point out that a large proportion of individuals are being seen outside the Park area, a fact that we all need to address”.

This is in fact a critical issue despite these inspiring numbers. The area where the dugongs are seen has large fishing nets, both beach seine and gill nets. These are too dangerous to dugongs, marine turtles, dolphins and other endangered species, which could easily be entangled and incidentally killed. The regular disturbance of the underlying seagrass beds by these nets is also another worrying matter as they are a very important for the presence of dugongs.

This is the reason why WWF is now promoting activities beyond the Park borders. Together with the Fisheries Authorities of Mozambique it is working on several mitigation impacts of the use of non-recommended fishing gear in Vilankulo and Inhassoro districts, in the coast of the Bazaruto bay, and in the BANP. One of the activities which have been producing very good results is the continuous environmental education campaign targeting fishery associations and schools in the area.

Recently, WWF organized a football tournament which motto’s “I Protect Endangered Species of Bazaruto” called the attention for the conservation of 4 identified species: Dugongs, Turtles, Dolphins and Sharks. Four teams composed by fishermen associations, WWF staff, Fishery Authorities and students participated and helped raise awareness on the conservation of Bazaruto biodiversity. Flyers, banners, t-shirts and other informative material were produced specifically for this event.

China gets green light to buy ivory

2008-07-15

China has been approved as a buyer of African Elephant ivory in a one-off sale from four southern African countries, probably later this year.

The decision was taken to accept China at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Geneva, Switzerland.

To gain approval, China had to convince CITES it had put in place adequate measures to manage regulated sales and tackle any illegal domestic ivory trade.

“China has acted rather successfully against its own illegal domestic ivory market,” said Tom Milliken of TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network which operates the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) on behalf of CITES.

“Now China should help other countries do the same, especially in Central Africa where elephant poaching is rampant and Chinese nationals have been implicated in moving ivory out of the region.”

China thus joins Japan in having CITES approval to bid in the one-off sale for registered government-owned ivory stockpiles from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The ivory to be sold originates from elephants that died from natural causes or as a result of population management (e.g. problem animal control). None of the ivory is from elephants deliberately killed to obtain their ivory.

A massive illegal trade in ivory caused dramatic declines in many elephant populations in Africa in the 1970s and 1980s, and an international ban on trade in ivory came into effect in January 1990.

“The sight of ivory openly and illegally on sale in many African cities is likely to be a far more powerful encouragement to those contemplating poaching and smuggling than a strictly controlled one-off sale,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF International’s Species Programme.

“The only way to end elephant poaching is through an effective clampdown on illegal domestic ivory markets.”

Since the CITES trade ban, international commercial trade in ivory has legally taken place only once, in 1997, when a one-off sale of raw ivory was approved for Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

The African Elephant range states who export ivory are required by CITES to use the revenue derived from the sale exclusively for elephant conservation and community development programmes within or adjacent to the elephant ranges.