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By Enas Sarahneh

Photo Credit: Grazing practices in Toubkal National Park, Morocco – © Biotope Foundation

Read this article in Arabic here – اقرأ المقالة باللغة العربية

Read this article in French here – Lisez cet article en français ici

Rangelands of Morocco are vital for the country’s wildlife and people. It protects the land from flooding and soil erosion, as well as replenishes underground water supplies, thus mitigates the negative effects of climate change. Sadly, Morocco’s territory suffers from progressive desertification. In some areas, this process is sped up by encroachment of rangelands for crop production and overgrazing, which deprive the land of its natural vegetation cover.

However, livestock plays a vital role in the country’s society and economy and is the main source of income to pastoralists for millions of people in Morocco, and is of particular importance in the High Atlas, where around 26% of rural households depends on livestock production. Maintaining the right balance between environmental and socioeconomic aspects therefore requires wise management.

Fortunately, pastoralists’ centuries-old traditional ecological knowledge showcased that striking this balance is possible. The Agdal system is a communal governance system by which pastoralists managed communal land and regulated the grazing of livestock, under specific norms and rules. In years gone by, setting up Agdals ensured that resources were not exhausted, and that the area’s wild plant and animal communities remained intact.

Agdals have shaped the cultural landscape of the High Atlas Mountains through the centuries. They encompass specific areas, resources and access rules formulated by local communities to manage their territory. The Agdal system mainly relies on grazing rotation and the timing of opening and closing dates in the pasture. Grazing is prohibited during spring to allow the vegetation cover to complete its reproductive cycle, including the flowering, pollination, and seed production. These regulations help the whole landscape to come back to life every spring, replenishing the plants along with the animals that feed on them.

Reviving Agdal System in Morocco – © Zaid Salmad, AFMI

In recent years, however, there has been a major shift from nomadism to sedentarization in Morocco. In the past, pastoralists used to move between mountains and valleys, heading uphill in the spring and summer to feed their livestock on the mountain sides, and settling down in the valley in winter. Nowadays, many communities are staying put, building permanent homes, and developing agricultural lands. This change in land use has a negative effect on the natural resources of the area.

In order to address this, BirdLife (through its role as Regional Implementation Team for the Mediterranean Hotspot of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)) supported two organizations, the Biotope foundation and AFMI (Association Foret Modèle Ifrane), to revive traditional practices and conserve the cultural landscapes of Morocco.

Local community sedentarization in Toubkal National Park, Morocco – © Biotope Foundation

Providing sustainable rangelands management choices at Ifrane National Park

Overgrazing has placed a heavy burden on the natural landscapes of Ifrane National Park, Morocco. One of the biggest problems is that pastoralists would often take their sheep to cedar forests for grazing, causing a rapid decline in the number of trees. AFMI organization believed that the solution to overcome these issues, and avoid further degradation, lay in the traditional practices of the past.

Agdals had long been abandoned in Ifrane National Park, and tribal conflicts, mainly over water resources, complicated the situation even more. Urgent action was needed to bridge the gap between local communities and governmental institutions. And so AFMI, through CEPF grant, worked hand in hand with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests and the local communities within the national park. They agreed to revive theAgdal system over 67 hectares of communal pastoral lands.

AFMI supporting traditional grazing, Morocco © Zaid Salmad, AFMI

The area was closed against grazing for six months, with rangers assigned to keep an eye on it. During this time, AFMI planted native vegetation in three priority sites in a bid to restore endangered plant species. It was finally decided that September would be the set grazing period, instead of spring. This would ensure that native plants had time to grow and mature and allow livestock to disperse seeds as they moved around the area. To secure the ongoing success of the grazing management process, AFMI also provided pastoralist with water resources in five sites around Ifrane National Park.

Agdals can only be sustained in the long term if they have the agreement and participation of local people. To help with this, AFMI held a number of different conversations with local communities and tribes over six months to highlight the benefits of Agdals for livestock and biodiversity. After witnessing the growth of plants and the enrichment of wildlife such as insects and small animals, local tribes pledged in favour of adopting the Agdal system and protecting it from violations.

As part of a past initiative, farmers in Ifrane National Park had been granted funding to establish apple farms. Since apple trees need a lot of water, artesian wells were drilled, which led to the depletion of groundwater. Through the CEPF grant, AFMI encouraged farmers to replace apple trees with lavender bushes. These pretty herbs have adapted to survive hot and dry conditions, and do not need watering. They can also be an important ingredient in soap making, which will provide alternative incomes for farmers, reducing pressure on natural resources. Adaptive solutions like Agdal have built new partnerships that enable this initiative to be scaled up and rolled out to new locations.

Planting lavender to improve livelihoods, Morocco – © Zaid Salmad, AFMI

Agdal is the best solution to revive biodiversity in Morocco,” says Lahcen Oukanno, Agdal Expert for AFMI. “This communal management system proved its efficiency over centuries.”


Building a solid knowledge base at Toubkal National Park

In southwestern-central Morocco lies Toubkal National Park, which encompasses 380 km2 of breathtaking mountains. Pastoralism is widespread here, but until recently there was no updated management plan for the park. Planning needs a solid knowledge base, and the park was in urgent need of insights into the wildlife of the park, the people who lived there and how they used the land. A limited attempt had previously been made to map the activities within the park, but due to lack of budget and resources, this study did not cover the whole 380 km2.

To fill in the knowledge gaps, the Biotope foundation, an international consultation company, worked through CEPF grant to analyze the current situation in the Toubkal National Park regarding grazing and biodiversity conservation. This information would be used to update and improve the management plan for the park. Through their previous work with the Toubkal National Park authorities, Biotope was able to identify priority areas for action. In cooperation with the park authorities, they chose to focus on the central zone of the park, where most of the activities take place.

Field Survey to assess biodiversity in Toubkal National Park, Morocco – © Biotope Foundation

The project team, in cooperation with the park authorities and a master’s student from the University of Marrakech, interviewed more than 100 members of the local community. This helped to build a stronger relationship between the local community and the park authorities, giving them the chance to sit and talk for the first time ever in some parts of the park. These interviews, alongside the field work, helped to improve the knowledge of flora, natural habitats, land use, and traditional practices – such as Agdal – within the park. Talking to elderly people and pastoralists helped the team to gain a deeper insight into traditional knowledge and the evolution of traditional practices over years.

Given these insights, reviving the Agdal system may be a good solution to overcome the shift to sedentarization in the park. However, this requires the commitment of local communities within the park. Therefore, the next step of the project will be to develop a tribal charter to be signed by local community members. Through this charter, they will agree to practice proper rangeland management and contribute to the restoration of the rangelands in their area.

Since herding will be prohibited during spring in some areas of the park to allow vegetation regeneration, alternative incomes must be provided. Therefore, Biotope is studying a compensation program, similar to those implemented by the Moroccan authority for forest conservation, to compensate pastoralists during the prohibition period. They are also working on identifying new opportunities within the national park to market the local community’s products to tourists.

Recently in Morocco, a new national law to improve pastoralism management has been published, and regional management plans for pastoral areas are under development. Biotope is conducting consultations with Moroccan authorities to understand the regional overview and recommend best practices to improve land use governance.

Toubkal National Park, Morocco – © Biotope Foundation

“Knowledge improvement within the Toubkal National Park is a great achievement,” says Cyril Barbier, Biotope foundation, Project Manager. “This could not be achieved without the CEPF grant. Through this project, private sector, park authorities, university student and local communities worked together for the benefit of the whole landscape.”


*The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, and the World Bank. Additional funding has been provided by the MAVA Foundation. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

CEPF is more than just a funding provider. A dedicated Regional Implementation Team (RIT) (expert officers on the ground) guide funding to the most important areas and to even the smallest of organisations; building civil society capacities, improving conservation outcomes, strengthening networks and sharing best practices. In the Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot, the RIT is entrusted to BirdLife International and its Partners: LPO (BirdLife France), DOPPS (BirdLife Slovenia) and BPSSS (BirdLife Serbia).Find out more at www.birdlife.org/cepf-med

By Jessica Law

Header Image: The Olm is nicknamed the ‘human fish’ due to its fleshy skin colour. Another ‘human fish’, Dušan Jelić discovered 200 Olms on one cave dive © Vedran Jalžić

Read the article in Serbo-Croatian here Članak na srpsko-hrvatskom jeziku pročitajte ovdje

Pale and slender with fine, fringed gills, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Olm Proteus anguinus came from another world entirely. And in a way, you’d be right. This rare freshwater salamander is eyeless, devoid of pigment and possesses only the smallest, most delicate of limbs. To us humans, it can seem like there is something missing. But in reality, it is perfectly adapted for life in subterranean caves beneath the Dinarides mountains in the Balkans, Europe. In fact, the Olm is found nowhere else on earth. With a heightened sense of smell and hearing, the ability to resist long-term starvation and even a newly discovered sensory organ that detects the electric fields of other animals, it has everything it needs to survive in this secluded environment.

Like its occupants, the limestone caves of the Dinarides are truly exceptional. In some places, vast stalactites and stalagmites create stunning, cathedral-like formations, while other areas preserve fossils from former millennia. This is the location where naturalists discovered cave-dwelling animals for the first time, creating a whole new branch of biology. The Olm and its fellow cave-dwellers may be perfectly suited to life underground here, but the humans that wish to study them are not. To discover more about the unique wildlife that inhabits these limestone caverns, modern researchers need to be cavers, divers and fishers all at once. But why go to all this trouble?

The reason is an urgent one: we need to discover all we can about this remarkable ecosystem before it is lost forever. The Balkans’ last remaining wild waterways are threatened by proposals for dams, hydropower projects and many other modifications. “Building dams is disastrous for the very sensitive organisms that inhabit places with such specific conditions,” says Marijana Demajo, BPSSS (BirdLife Serbia), Balkans Small Grants Co-ordinator for Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) Mediterranean*. “Underground life depends on the water level; it’s fed from the surface watercourses.”

The Olm is nicknamed the “Human Fish” due to its fleshy skin colour © Gregor Aljančič, Tular Cave Laboratory
The fate of cave-dwelling wildlife depends on the condition of waterways above ground © Jasminko Mulaomerović / CKS

For example, when the Trebišnjica River was enclosed in artificial concrete channels in Bosnia & Herzegovina, it cut off the natural flood water that usually reached sink holes at the edges of the Popovo Polje plains. As a result, large colonies of exclusively cave-dwelling tube worms were completely killed off within the sink holes. Fortunately, the more we know about an ecosystem, the more information we have to make positive change to policy. And so CEPF brought together experts from the Subterranean Biology Lab at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and the Center for Karst and Speleology, based in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Together they formed the SubBio Code project. Their mission: to develop new tools to identify and catalogue the rich underground biodiversity of the Dinarides region in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

“This a landscape full of life, not some lifeless place. The discovery of new species is important in order to demonstrate the true value of karst [limestone] landscapes, and to show that they are not just geomorphological formations, but a living system,” asserts Demajo. “And let us not forget the importance of educating the local community.”

This March, researchers braved freezing snow and flooded caverns (and multiple COVID tests) as they ventured back out into the field to survey this little-known network of caves. Over just a few days, they advanced the knowledge of the habitat and its wildlife further than ever before. One day, researchers were sampling springs for shrimp-like amphipod crustaceans when they met local people who, surprisingly, knew about the shrimps’ existence and had given them the name šmugarica. Later the same day, they dispelled a false rumour about the cave Ratkovića Pečina, which was thought to stretch far back into the hills but turned out to be of normal dimensions. Towards the end of their visit, a local caver showed them a cavern full of bats whose guano provides nutrients for a thriving ecosystem of invertebrates. The team used their abseiling and rock-climbing experience to survey the area vertically and visit three caves in the side of Korita hill.

Rock climbing is just one of the practical skills that team members have acquired as part of the project’s mission to train and educate scientists, students, volunteers and the local community in the research and conservation of these caves. As well as netting creatures directly from the water, the team also uses an exciting new technique using eDNA (a shortening of ‘environmental DNA’), developed by a previous CEPF-funded project as a way to detect the presence of Olms without capturing and disturbing them. eDNA is the genetic material that gets released by animals as they go about their lives – in the form of skin, mucous, faeces and many other kinds of fragments. Scientists are able to detect this material in the water and identify which species it belongs to, helping them to map its distribution and make conservation plans.

“It is an amazing experience to see something that only a few people in the world have seen before you – or occasionally, to be the first person ever to see it.”

Dušan Jelić, Croatian biologist and cave diver

As fascinating as this is, no part of their research is as nail-biting as underground diving. Croatian biologist and cave-diver Dušan Jelić, who discovered the largest known population of Olms in his native country, explains what it’s like to put on full scuba gear and venture beneath the surface of the water to observe first-hand the creatures that inhabit the gloomy depths. “It is an amazing experience to see something that only a few people in the world have seen before you – or occasionally, to be the first person ever to see it. Sometimes it can be scary, just to be underwater, in a small space, isolated from the rest of the world … but mostly it is a wonderful feeling.”

It is a rare privilege to venture into the realm of the Olm, however fleetingly. And though these creatures are perfectly at home in the dark, by shining a light on them we can secure lasting safety for the unique and beautiful world that lies beneath our feet.


Ground-breaking research into rare cave-dwelling fish

Southern Dalmatian Minnow © Dušan Jelić

In 2020, another exciting new project by the Croatian Biological Research Society set out to investigate the Southern Dalmatian Minnow Delminichths ghetaldii – a rare freshwater fish found only in southern Bosnia & Herzegovina and Croatia. Although the species is already known to use caves, this project could confirm its status as Europe’s first exclusively cave-dwelling fish. During September and November, researchers surveyed 19 caves through fishing and cave diving, and consulted experts from Croatia and France to set up eDNA methods. They are also laying the foundations for a conservation plan for the species, and forming a network of experts and decision-makers through which to share knowledge.

“We’re working on a rare fish, so it’s really amazing when you actually find it – especially in large numbers, or in places where you don’t expect it to be present,” says project co-ordinator Matej Vucić. “It’s a really good feeling to know there is still hope to save something you’re working on – but only if everyone acts quickly and seriously.”

“It’s a really good feeling to know there is still hope to save something you’re working on – but only if everyone acts quickly and seriously.”

Matej Vucić, project coordinator


New freshwater snail species discovered

The Center for Karst and Speleology discovered five species of snail never before seen in Bosnia & Herzegovina, as part of a project to survey the country’s freshwater snail populations and the water quality of its limestone rivers and springs. In an exciting turn of events, four of the snails were completely new to science. One of the snail species was discovered during a field trip as part of a student workshop, showing that training new researchers can sometimes pay off instantly!

More worryingly, the team also found species of invasive freshwater molluscs, including the limpet Ferrissia californica, which had come all the way from North America. The next step will be to define the conservation status of the native snails on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

New to science: 6. Bythiospeum dervovici, 7. Belgrandiella bajraktarevici, Belgrandiella kurtovici, and 10. Islamia buturovici

Improving knowledge of the Subterranean Biodiversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina is just one part of University of Ljubljana’s project that aims to develop new tools to identify and inventorize the rich subterranean biodiversity of the Dinarides region in Bosnia. As part of our Lessons Learned series to share advice from civil society organisations, here’s some conservation insight from Dr. Maja Zagmajster, SubBIOCODE Project coordinator at University of Ljubljana:

“where there is a will, there is a way. Believe in your idea and do not give up even if you think nothing is working”

Your project is tackling an important conservation problem. What inspired you to find a solution?

The Dinarides in the Western Balkans is a globally significant and exceptional region regarding the richness of species that live exclusively in subterranean habitats. Within this global hotspot of subterranean biodiversity, there are two areas with the highest subterranean species richness. One in the southeast includes the Trebišnjica River catchment in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The region consists of a number of karst fields connected by surface and underground water flows. Although it is an area of global importance for subterranean biodiversity, this world’s natural heritage is under threat.

In the mid-1960s, construction of a series of hydroelectric power plants (HE) began on the Trebišnjica River, where a large part of Popovo polje has been severely affected by river channels, dams and tunnels built for HE. Recent socio-economic development in the region has revived plans for several hydropower plants and tunnels also in the Upper horizons of the river catchment. As a result, the natural water regimes and connectivity are altered, and this exceptional subterranean biodiversity is severely impacted.

As part of the project, we considered it extremely important to improve knowledge of the region’s subterranean species and facilitate access to all data for decision-makers to use in conservation and planning efforts. We evaluated conservation statuses as well as important sites for conservation. We have established a web interface for an online database that is a unique example of open access to such data. A critical aspect was also to educate the general public, students, cavers and natural scientists about the value of subterranean biodiversity. Protecting this natural heritage also means protecting groundwater, the vital source of drinking water.

Tell us one big lesson that you’ve learned from this project.

In general, where there is a will, there is a way. Unfortunately, our project was affected by the pandemic shortly after it started. This prevented us from travelling and conducting field research for a year. We decided to approach project implementation differently. Since we could not go into the field, we devoted our energy to analysing samples stored in our collections from previous field research expeditions in the project area.

We also found a way to reach interested individuals by organising online lectures and networking using online tools. While this was not ideal, it was the right way to move project activities forward. When we were finally able to travel and involve interested cavers and students in the fieldwork, it was a big step forward. It is important to involve the people who live in the areas because they are the ones who have a direct interest and benefit from a protected environment.

Given your experience working on this project, what advice would you have for another conservationist in the Mediterranean who is just starting out?

Believe in your idea and do not give up even when you may think it will not work. Do not be afraid to tackle even the most complicated conservation issues; even a tiny difference you can make to improve conservation is worth it. Involve local communities and all interested stakeholders to show them that change and a different perspective are possible.


*The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, and the World Bank. Additional funding has been provided by the MAVA Foundation. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

CEPF is more than just a funding provider. A dedicated Regional Implementation Team (RIT) (expert officers on the ground) guide funding to the most important areas and to even the smallest of organisations; building civil society capacities, improving conservation outcomes, strengthening networks and sharing best practices. In the Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot, the RIT is entrusted to BirdLife International and its Partners: LPO (BirdLife France), DOPPS (BirdLife Slovenia) and BPSSS (BirdLife Serbia).Find out more at www.birdlife.org/cepf-med


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By Enas Sarahneh

Photo Credit: Ancient Olive Orchards in Palestine, © Ahmad Al Omari

Read this article in Arabic here – اقرأ المقالة باللغة العربية

Palestine is special. So too it is with its plant species. In terms of Palestine’s natural terrain, it sits at the nexus of three major ecoregions, which has given rise to a great diversity of wildlife – over 2000 plant species in fact, 54 of which are endemic. And in terms of Palestine’s geography, it’s surrounded by sea and fences and encroached by human development – much like its endemic plants, which are restricted to small, narrowing, degraded habitat with specific requirements. Add into the mix a rich cultural history that is maintained through traditional knowledge, and it’s clear to see how local civil society organisations are key to tackling the threats facing Palestine’s plants.

For the first time, BirdLife (through its role as Regional Implementation Team for the Mediterranean Hotspot of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)) has provided small grants to five civil society organisations in Palestine, to conserve threatened and site-restricted endemic plants and their habitats. Through these projects, the botanical knowledge and skills of scientists, and conservationists will be strengthened, and hopefully passed down like the ancient farming knowledge held within its olive groves.


Conservation of a symbolic iris

On the hills above the famous ‘most fertile meadow’ in the Middle East, Marj Ibn Amer, a beautiful flower Iris haynei grows. Found nowhere else in the world except Faquaa village, Palestine, this rare endemic iris hangs on in patchy and fragmented populations and is considered globally threatened. In 2015, Iris haynei was declared the national plant of the State of Palestine by Palestinian Environment Quality Authority, and Palestine Wildlife Society (PWLS, BirdLife Partner) are making exceptional efforts to save it with support from CEPF. Understanding its distribution, and ecological requirements is of paramount importance.

Findings so far are encouraging, with major engagement of youth from local communities around the village to contribute on the efforts to save the iris – which faces many threats including overgrazing, pests, localised flower collection, afforestation and development.

In cooperation with students from different Palestinian universities, PWLS have made a major breakthrough in germinating Iris haynei from seeds – using a methodology taught by another CEPF grantee and iris expert in Lebanon (University of Saint Joseph). The processed seeds were planted in three places: the laboratory, the natural distribution areas of Iris haynei, and a garden, of 4.5 dunums (0.45 hectares), donated by Faquaa village council to be used as a botanical garden for scientific research and as an educational centre.

A photo and painting contest for the children of Faquaa was also announced through the Palestinian Ministry of Education to help generate a sense of ownership and awareness of ‘their’ special purple flower.

PWLS team surveying Iris haynei in Faquaa village, Palestine © PWLS
PWLS team surveying Iris haynei in Faquaa village, Palestine © PWLS

Learning from the past

In Misilyah village, in the north of the West Bank, stand ancient groves of gnarled olive trees surrounded by a vibrant carpet of delicate flowers that, until recently, had never been studiede. Some trees are over 800 years old, passed down from generation to generation along with the traditional knowledge of how to care for them, and are considered by Palestinians as a symbolic attachment to their land. It’s their agricultural practices – such as organic composting, crop rotation and intercropping – that have allowed the remarkable flora to thrive, according to recent research by the An-najah National University.

With a small grant from CEPF, a phenomenal 275 plants species from 48 families were recorded in the groves. Realising the importance of the exceptional diversity, the research team also organised a workshop in the village to raise farmers’ awareness of the importance of their traditional practices, and encourage them to maintain them.

Such a scenic traditional landscape also attracts many tourists to the area, which could have a damaging effect on the groves if not appropriately managed. Thankfully, the primary results of the research have succeeded in qualifying Misilyah village municipality for another fund that will establish an ecological park in the village. This will encourage ecotourism in the sensitive region and raise local community’s awareness of its rich biodiversity.

Ancient Olive Orchards in Palestine © Ahmad Al Omari
Ancient Olive Orchards in Palestine © Ahmad Al Omari

The iris the sheep won’t eat

When conservationist Dr Anton Khalilieh came upon a rare flower in bloom in the North Eastern Slopes of Palestine (a Key Biodiversity Area, KBA), he immediately video-called his colleague. “This is paradise,” he said, moving his phone from left to right to show the beautiful scenery filled with many patches of another iris, Iris atrofusca. “We have to do something about it.” Although the elegant, rich purple flowers were scattered throughout this area, the challenges threatening their existence are persistent. Found almost exclusively within Palestine, their fragile population cannot withstand further degradation, habitat loss and exploitation by people.

Dr Khalileh is the Executive Director of Nature Palestine Society (NPS), a three-year-old NGO aiming to research, conserve, and educate about biodiversity and the environment in Palestine that has received a CEPF grant for their work. Very little was known about Iris atrofusca in Palestine, so a survey was needed. The NPS team wandered around 14,000 dunums (1400 hectares) and, surprisingly, discovered an area of about 1800 dunums (180 hectares) that contained over 7800 iris flowers. Two rare colour variations – yellow and white – were also found nestled within.

During the survey, the team met a shepherd wandering with his 300 sheep and cows, who had fallen in love with the iris after he noticed that his sheep did not eat it. He worked hard to conserve it in the wild and helped the team to figure out its distribution.

A botanical garden for the iris was established as an in-situ conservation site on 5 dunums (0.5 hectares), out of 14 dunums (1.4 hectares) donated by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment Quality Authority within the KBA. Here, 120 clones of Iris atrofusca were planted in 2021.

Five plant micro-reserves will also be established in three schools within the KBA, in cooperation with school environmental clubs in Tammun town, and a large iris mural is being painted to help raise awareness.

Iris atrofusca in Tubas, Palestine © Anton Khalilieh
Iris atrofusca in Tubas, Palestine © Anton Khalilieh

An emerging generation of botanists from Palestine

Scientific research is not only important to understand the abundance of species in an area and the threats they face, but it can also be an important way to train the next generation of conservationists. This is very much true for Bethlehem University, who have trained young researchers on plant identification, distribution analysis, conservation and other skills to help encourage more young people to work in the field of botany. This was part of a CEPF-granted project to survey Al Mahkrour (the latest green area of Bethlehem city) and the garden of the Palestine Museum of Natural History.

More than 361 plant species, spread over 12 dunums (1.2 hectares), were recorded within the museum’s garden. Furthermore, the team established a botanical garden, and a management plan is being drawn up to conserve threatened and rare species.

The museum is also an attractive site for tourists, so the University is working to make it an ecotourism site, where they are raising awareness among students and visitors about the plants within the botanical garden and their conservation – which will link to cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.

Surveying plant biodiversity in Bethlehem © Mohammad Najajrah
Surveying plant biodiversity in Bethlehem © Mohammad Najajrah

Plant micro-reserves: vital patches for plant conservation

Moving to Nablus, where status of a third endemic iris, Iris lortetii, is being assessed by the Biodiversity & Environment Research Centre (BERC), through identifying and mapping its localities and collecting samples to study its DNA.

BERC’s assessment showed that flora in Nablus is facing various threats, including overgrazing, land use conversion, quarries, and urban development. In response, the team established six plant micro-reserves to conserve the iris and other flora. Plant microreserves are a recent conservation approach for the Middle East to conserve pockets of high endemism that fall outside networks of protected areas. Here, they are on public land owned by the Ministry of Agriculture in Mount Ebal, in public gardens governed by the village council, and on private land owned by local community who believed in the importance of conserving this remarkable flower. 

Reflecting the cultural attachment to olive trees mentioned earlier, one of the requirements to obtain a building permit in Palestine is to inform the Environment Quality Authority (EQA) if there are any olive trees that would be uprooted. BERC is working on creating a similar regulation for irises, which will help in conserving all threatened plant species, and ensure that EQA transfer threatened plants to one of the micro-reserves in the area.

Iris lortetii data collection in Nablus, Palestine © Rana Jamous
Iris lortetii data collection in Nablus, Palestine © Rana Jamous

According to Dr. Issa Musa Albaradeiya, Director General of Environmental Resources, EQA Palestine, this work is greatly promoting awareness among government decision-makers and the community on the value of traditional practices and the role of ecotourism in protecting nature. He says: “The support provided by BirdLife International and CEPF to Palestine has strengthened the capacities of civil society organisations in the conservation of Key Biodiversity Areas. Findings are significant and will help set priorities for conserving sites of high natural and cultural values.”


Identifying and mapping the localities of the endemic iris, Iris lortetii, is just one part of BERC – the Biodiversity & Environment Research Centre’s project that aims to assess the status of endemic plants in Nablus – Palestine and collect samples for DNA study. As part of our Lessons Learned series to share advice from civil society organisations, here’s some conservation insight from Salam Abu Zaitoun, head of BERC’s Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine Institute:

“When I saw this beautiful iris (Iris lortetii) on the steep slopes of Mount Ebal, Nablus, I felt it had come back to catch its breath again. Therefore, I decided to help it.”

Your project is tackling an important conservation problem. What inspired you to find a solution?

Every spring, I used to see the beautiful Iris lortetii in the backyard of one of the neighbouring houses, and it stole my heart from the first look. At the time, I thought it was an ornamental flower brought by a plant’s lover who enjoys collecting beautiful flowers. But I was amazingly surprised when one of my friends invited me to a picnic in the Nablus mountains and found this breathtaking flower spread over the mountain. Later, I knew it is not just an endemic species to Palestine but is also endangered species.

I had mixed feelings. I was happy to see this beauty on the slopes of Ebal mountain and sad for its status, where it is under threats of urban development, conversion of its natural habitats into agricultural lands, and uprooting for commercial purposes. Therefore, I decided to conserve this biological, ecological, cultural, and aesthetic genetic resource from extinction and ensure that these flowers bloom again to adorn the mountains of Nablus at the beginning of each spring.

Tell us one big lesson that you’ve learned from this project.

External circumstances may affect your plans negatively; hence, you need to have plan B to achieve your goal. Most iris communities were on private lands; therefore, it was difficult to control the conservation efforts. To overcome this issue, we developed, for the first time in Palestine, plant shelters (plants safe havens) to conserve not only Iris lortetii but all threatened endemic species.

The gained experience from this project is a valuable success worth replicating, including the improved plant propagation method by seeds of Iris lortetii var. samariae and the introduction of plant-safe havens using the quasi-in-situ method.

Given your experience working on this project, what advice would you have for another conservationist in the Mediterranean who is just starting out?

Species live in harmony in their habitat and interact with all other components (biotic and abiotic) within the ecosystem; therefore, we need to ensure that our conservation work is not focusing on one species, neglecting others within the ecosystem. Moreover, for projects focusing on conserving a plant species, the work must be done at different times over the year to ensure the conservation at all stages of its growth. Sustainability beyond the project’s timeframe is also critical to achieving the conservation goal.


*The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, and the World Bank. Additional funding has been provided by the MAVA Foundation. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

CEPF is more than just a funding provider. A dedicated Regional Implementation Team (RIT) (expert officers on the ground) guide funding to the most important areas and to even the smallest of organisations; building civil society capacities, improving conservation outcomes, strengthening networks and sharing best practices. In the Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot, the RIT is entrusted to BirdLife International and its Partners: LPO (BirdLife France), DOPPS (BirdLife Slovenia) and BPSSS (BirdLife Serbia).Find out more at www.birdlife.org/cepf-med


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By Shaun Hurrell

Header Image: Zembra pecheur – © Louis Marie Preau

Read this article in French here – Lisez cet article en français ici

Like any local fishing community, the fishers from Al Huwariyah in Tunisia have their legends – such as the fisherman who could navigate the Cap Bon Sea using only ‘invisible landmarks’. Like legends, they also pass down traditional knowledge, such as that overfishing, or taking too small a fish, is not only damaging to the environment, but to the community itself. These are the communities that must be supported and encouraged when large, destructive and illegal trawler fleets come wreaking havoc on their fishing grounds.

Local communities are the critical foundation and essential element of ensuring that ambitious global, regional and national initiatives actually create the change that will save the planet. Without their buy-in and commitment, civil society and government aspirations to tackle problems such as the destruction of biodiversity through unsustainable practices such as overfishing will remain the stuff of lofty project proposals and promises.

That’s why BirdLife and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)* are so excited about the collaborations built with the local fishing community around the breathtakingly beautiful waters of the Zembra & Zembretta National Park, off the shores of Cap Bon, Tunisia. Here, the Cap Bon Sea is considered one of the main fishing corridors in the Mediterranean Basin, running right in the middle of the western and eastern coast of the Mediterranean. 

Although for hundreds of years coastal communities could depend on abundant marine resources for their way of life, growing demand for seafood in recent decades poses a real threat. Some of the region’s most iconic species and the marine ecosystems on which they depend are now under extreme human pressure due to the unfair and illegal competition from destructive trawler fleets which ignore local laws protecting no-take zones around Zembra and Zembretta islands.

The area’s artisanal fishing sector employs the most fishermen locally yet also causes the least damage to the environment. With a grant from CEPF, Association de Sauvegarde du Patrimoine Environnemental et Naturel (ASPEN, a local NGO) set out to support local fishers to compete whilst encouraging sustainable fishing that complies with the laws of the protected area.

Over 40 local fisherman were equipped with selective fishing gear such as nets, lines, and hooks that respect minimum fish retention sizes. This, combined with education, reduces the pressure of overfishing in the Zembra’s waters by promoting an eco-friendly community able to maintain their traditional way of life while guaranteeing a sustainable use of marine resources over time.

Group shot after consultation meeting with fishers, Zemba island shown © Awatef Abiadh
Group shot after consultation meeting with fishers, Zemba island shown © Awatef Abiadh

Awareness-raising will soon also include the danger of so-called ghost nets which, torn and abandoned, have been left in the waters with devastating impact on marine life trapped in their deadly snares.

This work also sits in the context of the current national park and no-take zone being set to become a new Marine & Coastal Protected Area in 2022, which ASPEN, along with PIM (Initiative pour les Petites Îles de Méditerranée – a CEPF grantee of a wider project), will be involved with managing – ensuring local fishers are involved. Treating local fishermen as the co-managers of their protected area is the cornerstone to guaranteeing the long-term sustainability of the site, as they are ultimately the real guardians of the ecosystem.

It was Moncef Miladi’s father whose navigational skills mentioned above were the stuff of legend. Miladi himself is a fisher in love with the sea since his childhood. He captures the principles of the project when he says: “The Zembra islands are a refuge for migrating fish and a nursery that ensures the sustainability of resources. Its protection is the responsibility of all of us – fishermen, organisations and the national guard.”

So too Wahid Balagha, a fisherman with more than 25 years under his belt, says that (sic) “…the initiative is dear to us… as Zembra is a national and international treasure. (The) support has brought us together around the protection of our site.”

Fishers preparing their new equipment © Khaled Ben Othman
Fishers preparing their new equipment © Khaled Ben Othman

CEPF logo

*The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, and the World Bank. Additional funding has been provided by the MAVA Foundation. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

CEPF is more than just a funding provider. A dedicated Regional Implementation Team (RIT) (expert officers on the ground) guide funding to the most important areas and to even the smallest of organisations; building civil society capacities, improving conservation outcomes, strengthening networks and sharing best practices. In the Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot, the RIT is entrusted to BirdLife International and its Partners: LPO (BirdLife France), DOPPS (BirdLife Slovenia) and BPSSS (BirdLife Serbia).Find out more at www.birdlife.org/cepf-med


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By Shaun Hurrell

Header Image: Research team © Mihailo Jovićević

At 1700 m altitude, on a jagged limestone ridge often used for training by alpinists, a group of young researchers are clinging to tufts of grass and sharp rock as they scramble straight down the steep mountainside of Mount Orjen, which straddles the border of Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina. What brings them here, with no ropes, one misplaced step away from tumbling to peril? In a word: plants. In practical terms, they’re undertaking a transect, recording population, habitat and threat data, and collecting vital seeds. But the underlying reason they’re here: pure passion and enthusiasm for conservation.

Such is the new wave of plant conservationists in the Mediterranean, and particularly in the Balkans. Stereotypically, the study of plants has been seen as a niche domain of aging, bearded botanists with a focus on scientific research and natural history. Whilst such a botanist could well be found on a steep mountainside, there’s a fresh generation of plant experts that use research as one tool of conservation. Driven by local NGOs like EnvPro and E-grupa on Mount Orjen, they will do what it takes to see threatened endemic plants protected.

Ridge, Mount Orjen; Popovic finding irises (© Demayo); Edraianthus serpylifolius (© Jovićević)
Ridge, Mount Orjen; Popovic finding irises (© Demayo); Edraianthus serpylifolius (© Jovićević)

With many straight out of University, it’s not easy to begin a career in conservation. But BirdLife (through its role as Regional Implementation Team for the Mediterranean hotspot of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)*) has been able to provide small grants to local NGOs, which can allow them to employ and train such eager, talented people. In total, 14 small grants (and one large grant) have supported 15 civil society organisations in four Balkan countries since October 2018.

Not only is plant conservation new-school, it’s important. Plants underpin the food chain, endemic plants support endemic insects, and the Mediterranean region biodiversity hotspot is ranked third-richest in the world in terms of its plant diversity. Some remote areas of Balkans are not properly surveyed and Mount Orjen is the only place where some endemic plant species are still found, such as the beautiful Orjen Iris Iris orjenii which hangs on in just a few sites, nestled within patches of long grass.

It was here that EnvPro and E-grupa revealed additional sites of the iris and confirmed its presence on the Bosnian side. The data gathered also allowed them to assess the species on the IUCN Red List as Endangered, as well as an endemic short-toothed sage Salvia brachyodon as Critically Endangered, and capture important habitat data for other endemics such as Edraianthus serpyllifolius.

The rare endemic Orjen Iris © Mihailo Jovićević
The rare endemic Orjen Iris © Mihailo Jovićević

Every seed counts

Perhaps taking inspiration from the way the roots of the endemic Bosnian ‘munika’ pine trees grasp bare rock, newly-employed Marija Popovic holds on tight as she peers over an edge looking for any signs of seeding plants. EnvPro are collecting seeds from all target species for a seed bank kept at the University of Primorska, but it’s especially vital for the iris because the team are working with the Natural History Museum in Rijeka to grow seedlings (ex-situ conservation) which will be planted back in the wild.

Collaboration is a major theme in this movement, which aims to build a network of plant conservationists in the region, leading to better conservation management overall. Throughout the project, EnvPro (from Montenegro) have been helping build the skills and expertise of the Bosnian-based E-grupa, skills that have already led to a major success: plant data submitted helped form the basis of the case for a new protected area on the Bosnian side of Mount Orjen (declared in September 2020), which will help secure a safe future for the plants surveyed there. The Montenegrin side is already officially protected, but the EnvPro project is also aiming to improve the management of Orjen Nature Park for plants. They’ve also worked with the local mountaineering club to redirect a portion of a hiking trail that was heading through a patch of irises.


Balloons to protect bells from fire

This kind of work is also featured in another plant project in Montenegro, where the Lovćen Bell Edraianthus wettsteinii subsp. lovcenicus, a small perennial plant with tufts of grassy leaves and fine, blue, bell-shaped flowers, has its entire range restricted to an area smaller than a football field. Here, on Mount Lovćen, just outside the border of Lovćen National Park, young plant conservationists aren’t just becoming effective experts, they’re also bringing new and creative ideas.

Living Green, a local NGO, has found an innovative way to protect the plant from the threat of fires: water balloons. They’ve installed biodegradable water bags to ensure the plants get an instantaneous dousing, and water canisters coupled with workshops with the local fire brigade, park rangers and local landowners allow for a quick reaction to fire in this dry area, eight kilometres from any other water source. There have been no fires since, and Living Green continue to work on the other aspects of their project: raising awareness of the importance of the plant and work with the National Park to see its range increase.

Experts working in the field © Dijana Muminović
Experts working in the field © Dijana Muminović

Albania’s red iris threatened by mining

Elsewhere, in Albania, a stunning fire-red-and-yellow native tulip species Tulipa albanica is restricted to an extremely small range in a landscape rife with mining activity. The Institute for Environmental Policy (IEP) have been working to discover all of the remaining plants – yes, all of them (the population is so small it’s possible to count them all) with the aim of protecting its habitat, whilst nurturing a new generation of skilled and professional botanists to work on the protection of other endemic plants in the future. Despite the species only being discovered in the last decade, the tulip is now the official emblem of the local town of Kukës – testament to IEP’s outreach work, and in April 2020 the Municipal Council approved the formal protection of the Albanian Tulip at the local level. Meanwhile the energetic team have been digging their spades into scientifically selected soil to create four new terraces a few kilometres away from the original locality and planted tulip bulbs  giving great hope for the future of one of the region’s rarest plants.

From Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia [see below], the new generation of plant conservationists are now equipped with expertise in data collection, fruitful collaborations across borders and with institutions, and great awareness-raising skills. And above all, a passion and love for plants. With all that supporting them on a remote mountainside, who needs ropes? 


Four countries, 15 projects for plants

Innovations across the border
The first ever seed bank of wild flora in North Macedonia was collected by MASA, with 90% from rare and endemic species; whilst ILIRIA (from Albania) used a drone to record focal species growing on steep cliffs. These two grantees are working in the National Parks of Galicica and Prespa in a collaborative project.

Large grants for rare plants
MES (BirdLife in North Macedonia) are assessing threatened plants in the Jablanica and Dojran Lake areas and setting up a monitoring system. They’re also supporting protected area managers and local organisations, and work with biology students on chestnut distribution (including using a drone).

Ex-situ ponds
Macedonian Biological Society is also assessing endemic plants with restricted habitats from Galichica – including collecting seeds, which they’ve planted in newly updated facilities in the Botanical Gardens of Skopje (including a lake for a rare water lily). Meanwhile, they’re training local students and young experts and raising awareness in the local community.


Assessing the threats and conservation needs of plants in Orjen Mountain Nature Park is just one part of NGO Environmental Programme’s project that aims to identify management guidelines for the long-term conservation of the most rare, endemic and threatened plant species. As part of our Lessons Learned series to share advice from civil society organisations, here’s some conservation insight from Dr. Boštjan Surina, project lead expert at Natural History Museum Rijeka, one of the project partners:

Your project is tackling an important conservation problem. What inspired you to find a solution?

First, several critically endangered plant taxa in our region urgently need attention and we are pleased to have realized the opportunity to deal with some of them in the southeastern Dinaric Alps under the “Conservation of Endemic, Rare and Threatened Plant Species on Mt. Orjen, Montenegro”, project. Then, we urgently need an example of standardized conservation practices implemented in our area to use as a cornerstone that would set the scene for future similar projects. Implementing a simple but fundamentally sound and scientifically based approach to the application of conservation techniques that would provide positive and trackable long-term results through monitoring programs. Last but not least, recruiting and training young and motivated naturalists in the search for theoretical and practical solutions for plant conservation was one of the crucial goals of the project.

Tell us one big lesson that you’ve learned from this project.

In the in-situ and ex-situ conservation efforts for our flagship plant of the main focus, we encountered some problems that we did not expect. Only a few specimens of Orjen iris (Iris orjenii, Bräuchler and Cikovac) bore fruit, while the majority of seeds were aborted. Germination of the remaining seeds was also unsuccessful. Nevertheless, we managed to propagate the plant vegetatively and successfully conducted the translocation of several specimens on suitable sites. The important take-home message is that each plant system is unique, and the toolbox for conservation should be appropriately adapted.

Given your experience working on this project, what advice would you have for another conservationist in the Mediterranean who is just starting out?

Our main message would be that you should know the plant system you are dealing with inside out. Regardless of how the ongoing activities evolve and sometimes the plants’ biology takes us by surprise, adapt to it and the conditions in the field while keeping the right objectives and team enthusiasm.


CEPF logo

*The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, and the World Bank. Additional funding has been provided by the MAVA Foundation. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

CEPF is more than just a funding provider. A dedicated Regional Implementation Team (RIT) (expert officers on the ground) guide funding to the most important areas and to even the smallest of organisations; building civil society capacities, improving conservation outcomes, strengthening networks and sharing best practices. In the Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot, the RIT is entrusted to BirdLife International and its Partners: LPO (BirdLife France), DOPPS (BirdLife Slovenia) and BPSSS (BirdLife Serbia).Find out more at www.birdlife.org/cepf-med


Related news

By Elena Serra Sánchez & Lewis Kihumba

In rural Uganda, Clementine, a local Mutwa leader, is amidst a group of women planting bamboo in Echuya Forest Reserve, a Key Biodiversity Area in south western Uganda. Clementine is one of the beneficiaries of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) funded Community Restoration of Bamboo (CORB) project, implemented by KIWOCEDU (the Kigezi Initiative for Women, Children, Empowerment, and Development- Uganda). From 2012 – 2020, CEPF ran a programme to protect biodiversity in the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot, one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots.

The Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot covers an area of over one million square kilometers, stretching more than 7,000 kilometers from Saudi Arabia and Yemen in the Middle East, to Zimbabwe and Mozambique in southern Africa. It encompasses Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa rising 5,895 meters above sea level, as well as expansive freshwater catchment areas and myriad terrestrial habitats.

Covering such distances and altitudes, the hotspot is home to a variety of unique ecosystems and species. Nearly 7,600 plants and 500 mammal species can be found here, of which more than 2,350 plants and 100 mammals are endemic, including the endangered Mountain Gorilla Gorilla beringei beringei. Furthermore, 1,300 bird species, out of which 110 are endemic, such as the Long-billed Forest-warbler Artisornis moreaui (Critically Endangered), found in the East Usambara Mountains in north-eastern Tanzania, and the Taita Apalis Apalis fuscigularis (Critically Endangered) ,endemic to Kenya’s Taita Hills are found in this rich biodiversity zone. The hotspot also provides numerous ecosystem services benefitting millions of people.

Bamboo restoration activities at Echuya Forest, KBA © KIWOCE

The region also has some of the highest poverty levels in the world, in part driven by unsustainable development models across countries. Degradation, fragmentation of habitats and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources are some of the key threats to biodiversity in the region.

It is against this background that the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) started investing in this hotspot, to enable civil society to protect their unique biodiversity. The programme was carried out in 14 countries and funded to the tune of USD 12 million, running from 2012 to 2020, with BirdLife International, supported by the Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society (BirdLife Partner) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as the Regional Implementation Team (RIT). This team facilitated this investment through grants to civil society groups who implemented a range of local, national and regional projects.

A Conservation Standard

The focus of the investment was to enhance the protection of 310 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) that had been identified within the region. KBAs are terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity. KBA classification stipulates that sites meet one or more of 11 criteria clustered info five categories namely geographically restricted biodiversity, threatened biodiversity, ecological integrity, biological processed and irreplaceability. Designation of a site as a KBA increases advocacy profiles of the site thus making a stronger case for protection of the site.

Field team collecting Long-billed Forest-warbler data © Norbert Cordeiro

“The KBA standard is a focal point for global conservation action. It replaces, or encompasses, a number of different types of designations, and it has been very useful to have one, agreed, ‘label’ for those sites that need to be protected in the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot”, highlights Maaike Manten, the RIT leader.

As the KBA standard is a relatively new concept, RIT took the opportunity to train conservationists across the hotspot on this standard. One example of successful trainings was a two-day workshop organized by BirdLife in 2019. The workshop held in Ethiopia, brought together participants from various regions in Ethiopia. The training focused on understanding the process of proposing KBA sites, including a site monitoring session, to initiate  discussions on setting up a KBA National Coordination Group in Ethiopia.

“KBA is a strong global advocacy tool for site conservation. As KBAs identify key sites for global biodiversity conservation, any threat to wildlife within a KBA will be automatically understood as a threat to global wildlife preservation. Due to the global importance placed on KBAs, stronger cases can be made for fundraising for conservation action at these sites”, explains Samuel Temidayo Osinubi, Conservation Programs Coordinator at BirdLife Africa.

“Besides, KBAs can support the strategic expansion of protected area networks by governments and civil society, and they can also serve to identify sites under international conventions, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity or the Ramsar Convention,” adds Temidayo.

Reaping The Benefits

The Misuku Hills in Malawi, were listed in the CEPF investment strategy as a priority KBA. At this KBA, a CEPF funded project implemented by the Action for Environmental Sustainability (AfES) from July 2014 to March 2017 has had a tremendous impact on forest conservation efforts. Additionally, the project has improved economic fortunes of local communities through sustainable agricultural practices and pooling of resources through formation of village banks.

Community forest area in Misuku Hills, Malawi, with many new saplings planted © Paul Buckley

“Despite the project ending, a lot of activities are still continuing to date including 25 Village Savings and Loan Associations (also known as VSLAs or village banks) with about 453 members. The village banks have positively impacted local communities’ livelihoods in many ways, for example, one group is able to save an average amount equivalent to $1110 per year. The village bank funds are then used to provide small loans to its members for starting up small scale businesses which have resulted in improved income for the members”, notes Elton Kunjirima, AfES field officer. 

“These funds have been used for worthwhile activities including assisting the members’ farm inputs and equipment and also supporting orphans. Village bank members are using the loans to establish businesses including selling bananas and other farm products in addition to making sieves. The members of the village banks are also engaging in conservation activities, acting as volunteer local guards and planting trees in the village forests,” concludes Agnes Kanyika a village bank member.

Other types of conservation action at KBAs included management planning; designation as (community) protected areas; the application of safeguards such as Environmental Impact Assessments; Payment for Ecosystem Services agreements; and the development of ecotourism products. In total, 83 KBAs across 13 countries benefited from targeted conservation at activities in the Eastern Afromontane hotspot.

“The CEPF Eastern Afromontane programme is over, but this does not mean the end of conservation efforts in the hotspot. Local communities been supported and trained over the years so that they can develop sustainable conservation projects autonomously over time. I am convinced that we will see many KBAs that are better managed and protected, in the Eastern Afromontane Hotspot in coming years”, concludes Maaike.


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