International Expert Workshop on Managing Challenges of Biosphere Reserves in Africa
Workshop proceedings
From 27 June till 2 July 2011, the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) with the support of the 
AfriMAB Secretariat, the German Commission for UNESCO (DUK), the UNESCO-MAB Secretariat and the Bavarian Management Center for the Rhön Biosphere Reserve, organised an International Expert Workshop on "Managing Challenges of Biosphere Reserves in Africa". The event took place in the context of the international conference "For life, for the future: Biosphere reserves and climate change" on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the 
UNESCO MAB Programme and of the 23rd session of the International Corrdinating Council of the MAB Programme in Dresden. It included a several-day study trip to the Rhön Biosphere Reserve. The project was implemented in the framework of the German Environmental Research Plan 2011 with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
Group Photos of the Workshop Participants (Pictures: Helene Röhl, Bettina Hedden-Dunkhorst)
Objectives of the workshop
- to promote the implementation of the MAB Programme on the national level
- to advance the notion of biosphere reserves in Africa
- to facilitate exchange among African biosphere reserve managers
- to support capacity building for the effective management of biosphere reserves
- to foster sustainable regional development in biosphere reserves
- to update management of biosphere reserves in Africa to a post-Seville and Madrid Action Plan (MAP) vision
- to support the activities of AfriMAB
- to strengthen the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
Agenda
Introduction
Addresses of Welcome
Prof. Dr. Beate Jessel, President of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bonn, Germany)
Dr. Roland Bernecker, Secretary General of the German Commission for UNESCO (Bonn, Germany)
Dr. Natarajan Ishwaran, Secretary of the UNESCO MAB Programme (Paris, France)
Welcome Remarks - Dr. Paul Makenzi, Chair of AfriMAB (Nairobi, Kenya)
Introduction to the workshop
Dr. Bettina Hedden-Dunkhorst, Head of Division of International Nature Conservation of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bonn, Germany)
Biosphere reserves and climate change
Attending the International Conference "For life, for the future: Biosphere reserves and climate change"
Managing challenges of biosphere reserves in Africa - Discussion
moderated by Prof. Dr. Beate Jessel, President of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bonn, Germany)
International financial support for biosphere reserves
Conservation trust funds in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges. The perspective of KfW Development Bank
Uwe Klug, Senior Project Manager in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Division of the KfW Development Bank (Frankfurt, Germany)
Carbon Finance: Emerging opportunities for biosphere reserves in Africa
Dr. Tadesse Woldemariam Gole, Director of the Yayu Biosphere Reserve and of the Environment and Coffee Forest Forum (Addis Abeba, Ethiopia)
Cooperation, communication and networks
Cooperation with the private sector locally, nationally and internationally: Opportunities and limitations
Dr. Lutz Möller, Head of Division of Science and Human Rights of the German Commission for UNESCO (Bonn, Germany)
AfriMAB for fostering cooperation and communication among African biosphere reserves
Dr. Paul Makenzi, Chair of AfriMAB (Nairobi, Kenya)
Wadi Allaqi Biosphere Reserve, Egypt
Ekramy El Abassery, Director of the Wadi Allaqi Biosphere Reserve under the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (Aswan, Egypt)
Education and research
The role of Biosphere Reserves in education and research: Experiences from Lake Chilwa wetlands
Dr. Chimwemwe Mawaya, Lake Chilwa Wetland Biosphere Reserve Manager and Head of Biology Department at the University of Malawi (Zomba, Malawi)
Monitoring and Evaluation as a basis for education and research in the Biosphere Reserve Luki, DR Congo
Laurent Nsenga, Director of the Luki Biosphere Reserve at WWF (Kinshasa, DR Congo)
Participation, coordination and cooperation in a biosphere reserve
Participation and coordination within Pendjari Biosphere Reserve, Benin
Djafarou Tiomoko, Director of the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve (Tanguiéta, Benin)
Stakeholder participation in the establishment of biosphere reserves: The case of local communities in the proposed Kimbi-Dumbo-Nyos conservation zone, Cameroon
Thomas Tata, President of the Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme - Cameroon (Geneva, Switzerland)
Development of biosphere reserves
Management issues for starting a Biosphere Reserve: Experiences from the Middle Zambezi Biosphere Reserve
Willie Nduku, Middle Zambezi Biosphere Reserve Coordinator (Harare, Zimbabwe)
Developing a management plan for the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve: Challenges and opportunities
Dr. Rupert Baber, Chair of the Management Committee of Waterberg Biosphere Reserve (Vaalwater, South Africa)
Attending selected parts of the 23rd Session of the International Coordinating Council of the UNESCO MAB Programme, inter alia, Approval of new Biosphere Reserves in Ghana and Togo
Challenges and lessons learned from establishing and managing a transboundary Biosphere Reserve: The case of Mount Elgon (Uganda, Kenya)
Martin Nsubuga, Director of the Ugandan Mount Elgon Biosphere Reserve at the Ugandan Commission for UNESCO (Kampala, Uganda)
Mount Elgon transboundary ecosystem
Anastasia Mwaura, Manager of the Kenyan Mount Elgon Biosphere Reserve at Kenya Wildlife Service (Kitale, Kenya)
Excursion to the Rhön Biosphere Reserve The Rhön UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (Multivision Show)
Addresses of Welcome
Michael Geier, Head of the Bavarian Management Center of the Rhön Biosphere Reserve (Oberelsbach, Germany)
Torsten Raab, Head of the Hessian Management Center of the Rhön Biosphere Reserve (Wasserkuppe, Germany)
Introduction to the Rhön Biosphere Reserve
Dr. Doris Pokorny, Deputy Head of Bavarian Management Center of the Rhön Biosphere Reserve (Oberelsbach, Germany)
Education for sustainable development at the Visitor Information Centre "Haus der Langen Rhön"
Klaus Spitzl, Chair of the Bavarian Rhön Nature Park and Biosphere Reserve Association (Oberelsbach, Germany)
Production of organic beer by Rother Bräu
Georg und Tobias Weydringer, Managing Director and Master Brewer at Rother Bräu (Hausen, Germany)
Gensler Organic Farm & the Rhön Indian Hotel
Christof Gensler, Manager of the Christof Gensler private partnership (Poppenhausen, Germany)
Conservation and sustainable use of agro-biodiversity: the Rhöne Apple Initiative
Adam Zentgraf, Deputy Head of the Rhön Apple Initiative (Hausen, Germany)
Production of organic soft drinks by Bionade
Cornelia Obitz & Rüdiger Omert, Bionade public relations division (Ostheim, Germany)
Martin Ritter Organic Farm & elderberry cultivation
Martin Ritter, Owner of the Farm (Ostheim, Germany)
Local energy cooperatives
Andreas Bauer, Office Manager at Agrokraft GmbH (Bad Neustadt/Saale, Germany)
Promoting sustainable development
Management of natural resources: Development factor of local communities
Moustapha Mbaye, Director of the Delta du Saloum Biosphere Reserve (Dakar, Senegal)
Promoting sustainable income generation activities in wetlands: The example of Songor Biosphere Reserve
Dickson Agyeman, Manager of the Songor Biosphere Reserve (Ada, Ghana)
Towards Togo's first Biosphere Reserve: Oti-Keran/Oti-Mandouri
Amah Atutonu, Coordinator of the Oti-Keran/Oti-Mandouri Biosphere Reserve nomination dossier for the Togolese Ministry of Environment (Lomé, Togo)
Biosphere Reserve Mananara Nord for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development of the resident population
Willy Mora, Manager of the Mananara-Nord Biosphere Reserve (Mananara, Madagascar)
Improvement of living conditions in East Usambara Biosphere Reserve
Stephen Mmasi, Manager of the East Usambara Biosphere Reserve (Amani, Tanzania)
Promotion of sustainable development and income generation in the Mount Nimba Biosphere Reserve
Abou Cissé, Director of the Mount Nimba Biosphere Reserve at Guinean Agency for Biological Diversity and Protected Areas (Conakry, Guinea)
Conclusion
Working groups
1) Management aspects
2) Sustainable development
3) Rhön Communiqué: English version | French version
Workshop conclusion
Dr. Bettina Hedden-Dunkhorst, Head of Division of International Nature Conservation, German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bonn, Germany)
Contact
Section I 2.3 International Nature Conservation
Contact: 
Florian Carius
