Transfrontier Corridors for West African Elephants. The Bia-Diambarakrou Elephant Corridor

Dr. Danquah, E. (ed.); Osei-Owusu, Y. (ed.) ; Frimpong, A. (ed.)

Transfrontier Corridors for West African Elephants. The Bia-Diambarakrou Elephant Corridor

Autores

Dr. Danquah, E. (ed.); Osei-Owusu, Y. (ed.) ; Frimpong, A. (ed.)

Editor

FAO ;

Descripción

Fragmentation and shrinkage of wildlife habitat has threatened the existence of many species in the high forest zone of western Ghana. Mega-herbivores like forest elephants with a large home range and equally large food requirements have been among the most affected species. This is one of the causes of increased human–elephant conflict and damage to property and life in western Ghana. Strategies to reduce the adverse effect of habitat fragmentation have been widely discussed and one proposed method for moderating the negative effects of habitat fragmentation is the preservation and restoration of biological corridors or the linear landscape between wildlife habitats. The Bia-Diambarakrou Trans-frontier Elephant Corridor between south-western Ghana and South-eastern Cote d’Ivoire has been identified by government stakeholders and conservation partners as a priority conservation hotspot that requires immediate conservation action because it harbours high concentrations of endemic and threatened species of the Upper Guinea Forest Ecosystem and yet threatened from agricultural expansion, hunting pressure, over-harvesting of forest products and human-wildlife conflicts. In 2017, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations took up the challenge to enhance sustainable livelihoods of local communities living in and around the area through sound agricultural and conservation practices. FAO attempted to address this problem through its project GCP/RAF/477/GFF “Development of a trans-frontier conservation area linking forest reserves and protected areas in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire” which aims to establish a viable and sustainable trans-frontier conservation area (corridor) that links the Bia Conservation Area in south-western Ghana and Diambarakrou Forêt Classée in south-eastern Cote d’Ivoire.