Monitoring & Evaluation
Protected-area staff are trained to run biodiversity surveys and log data into a monitoring system that measures management effectiveness — using presence/absence indices, valuable for endangered species.
Component 1Surveys
The Challenge
Nature doesn't stop at the border
At present there is no cross-border collaboration in forest management or wildlife conservation between the two countries, which run different legal and administrative systems.
The project brings together the statutory bodies with the mandate to protect forests and wildlife — the Forest Services and Wildlife Divisions of Ghana's Forestry Commission, and SODEFOR and the national parks service (OIPR) in Côte d'Ivoire — to establish a common management plan for the Trans-boundary Conservation Area.
LinkingBia · Diambarakro · Bossematié
The Work
One corridor, many interventions
Delivered across three components — from monitoring and restoration to conservation in the production landscape.
Shared Management Plan
Bringing Ghana's Forestry Commission together with SODEFOR and OIPR in Côte d'Ivoire to establish one common management plan for the Trans-boundary Conservation Area.
Cross-borderTFCA plan
Ecosystem Restoration
Enrichment planting and assisted natural regeneration restore a 1 km-wide wildlife corridor between Bia and Diambarakro, Diambarakro and Bossematié, and Bossematié and Beki.
Component 21 km corridor
CREMA & Community Forests
Two new Community Resource Management Areas are established on the Ghanaian side, while Côte d'Ivoire strengthens its Community Forests — all monitored for compliance with the shared plan.
Tree ownershipCommunity-led
Human–Wildlife Conflict
Most West African forest elephants now live in small reserves ringed by farms, exposing crops to raiding. Farmers and wildlife staff are trained in environmentally friendly ways to manage the conflict.
Component 3Crop-raid mitigation
Cocoa Agroforestry
Through a trainer-of-trainers model, farmer representatives in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire learn sustainable agroforestry and shade management — easing the deforestation driven by cocoa expansion.
Shade managementTrainer of trainers
In Focus · People & Elephants
Reducing conflict, restoring coexistence
Human–wildlife conflict arises when wildlife needs collide with human ones — costing both residents and animals. Around small forest reserves, elephants and farmers live in close, difficult proximity.
- 01Small reserves
Forest elephants confined to reserves surrounded by farmland.
- 02Crop-raiding
Proximity exposes farms to damage and elephants to hunting.
- 03Training
Farmers and wildlife staff learn environmentally friendly management.
Programme Structure
Three components, one connected landscape
The GEF/FAO transboundary programme is organised around three reinforcing components spanning both countries.
01
Capacity & Monitoring
Stronger protected-area management, monitoring and evaluation.
02
Restoration
Tree-ownership schemes, CREMAs and wildlife-corridor planting.
03
Production Landscape
Conflict management and sustainable cocoa agroforestry.
Explore More
Other thematic areas
Support the Corridor
Keep the corridor open, keep the peace
Help sustain cross-border conservation that protects forest elephants and the communities who share their landscape.