Tetra Tech is strengthening the capacity of national and regional partners to combat wildlife trafficking, implement regional and transboundary biodiversity conservation strategies, and design low emissions development strategies.
West Africa’s tropical forests are globally significant for their rich and unique biological diversity and carbon value. The forests transcend borders and require a coordinated and collective effort to address threats posed by wildlife trafficking, critical habitat loss, deforestation, and forest degradation. Forest protection efforts historically have been limited by lack of intraregional coordination, institutional capacity, and information and awareness needed to achieve the scale and pace of action required for conservation.
Benefits
- Developing and implementing key transboundary biodiversity conservation strategies
- Increasing intraregional coordination and capacity for CITES law enforcement
- Reducing deforestation and forest degradation
- Strengthening capacity for protected and conserved area management
- Supporting alternative livelihoods that reduce greenhouse gas emissions
To address these challenges, Tetra Tech is leading the implementation of the West Africa Biodiversity and Low Emissions Development (WABiLED) program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). We are collaborating with partners to:
- Strengthen the capacity of national and regional networks and institutions to enforce and prosecute wildlife trafficking laws and enhance great ape conservation
- Implement regional and transboundary cooperation and biodiversity conservation strategies to reduce deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone
- Reduce West Africa’s greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration from land use through low emissions development strategies
WABiLED engages with local partners across the region to enhance their ability to lead these efforts and sustain them into the future. Key relationships include forestry, wildlife, customs, and excise departments; the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) professional network; and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Mano River Union. Our efforts build on the foundation of the USAID-funded West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change program implemented by Tetra Tech from 2015 to 2021.
Tetra Tech and our partners are integrating opportunities for women, youth, and vulnerable and disadvantaged populations to actively participate throughout WABiLED’s activities. We seek their input on solutions that raise awareness, offer sustainable livelihoods, and retain healthy forests and ecosystems in the region. To learn more about the project’s activities, visit the WABiLED Exposure site.
