A research Institution on environmental and cultural diversity studies and preservation
Address
| Headquarter Via G. Tomasi di Lampedusa 33 - 00144 Rome - Italy VAT 97859230589 |
West Africa Headquarter Avépozo - Ibokome - Front Hotel Tropicana- BP 6057 - Lomé Togo 10 Esa Ekpo Street, Odiok Itam, Off Uyo-Itu Highway, P.O.Box 1877 Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State Nigeria Burkina Faso Office 110, Rue 15.693 Ouaga 2000 Ouagadougou, BP 3379 Burkina Faso
Nigeria Office
Specializing in West Africa
INSTITUTE FOR DEVELOPMENT ECOLOGY CONSERVATION AND COOPERATION
News and Blog
14th January 2025
The Regional International Workshop on Combatting Wildlife Trafficking of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles in Sub-Saharan Africa
We are pleased to inform you that the event will be held from 21st to 23th January, 2025 in Lomé , Togo (West Africa)
The workshop is financed by USAID and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and will be held in cooperation by Turtle Survival Alliance, IDECC and AGBO ZEGUE NGO. The event will be hosted at the University of Lomé.
Turtles represent one of the most imperiled animal groups on earth. Of the world’s 342 species of tortoises and freshwater turtles, more than half face the threat of extinction. Habitat loss and the legal and illegal trade of turtles and turtle products (for food, pets, and traditional medicines, etc.) continue to drive sharp declines in turtle populations globally. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recognizes the need for smaller regional workshops to help address localized/regional trade issues relative to Tortoise and Freshwater Turtles (TFT). Among some of the world's most trafficked animals, TFT species primarily from South Asia, North America, and Africa are targeted for trade for a number of reasons including as pets, food, and traditional medicine. If we are to identify successful interventions to this threat then it is key to bring this information together, recognize what is known, and importantly what gaps remain in our knowledge. The purpose of the proposed workshop in Lomé (Togo, West Africa) is to begin the process of addressing these issues for the Sub-Saharan African regions.
This workshop focuses on convening individuals from across Africa with the knowledge and expertise to develop more detailed maps of the trade in these species, including the identification of key gaps and potential interventions to combat illegal trade in TFTs.
The trade in these species is often transnational and so requires representation from source, transit, and consumer countries to ensure as full a picture of the trade chains as possible.
This workshop advances the objective of the USFWS’ 2022 USAID-DDI Critical Capacity Partnership Annual Workplan to advance combating international wildlife trafficking of TFTs by supporting partnership building, knowledge exchange, and capacity building for TFT conservation practitioners and researchers globally.
20 February 2023
IDECC PRESIDENT NOW EDITOR - IN - CHIEF OF THE AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
26 January 2023
A SPECIAL VOLUME OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL " CONSERVATION " DEVOTED TO IDECC CONTRIBUTIONS
We are pleased to announce that a selection of scientific contributions by IDECC members has been published by international journal " Conservation" a peer-reviewed open acess publication by MDPI.
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/conservation/special_issues/idecc
A NEW IDECC - IUCN - AUN - EVENT ON HIPPO CONSERVATION IN NIGERIA
I16-17 January 2023
The conservation status of hippo populations is threatened in West Africa. Our research associate Dr. Lynne Baker has organized , jointly with IUCN/SSC hippo specialist group and the American University of Nigeria , a stakeholder workshop for a project on hippo conservation in Nigeria. We congratulate Lynne for this outstanding initiative.
Meet the new Public Affairs Manager
Olowu Poroye Peter is a mass Communication Expert. He was with NICON insurance Plc for over 15 years until retirement in 2006. Now an agropreneur and a management consultant. He is also the secretary general of Nigeria powerlifting association.
A PRESUMED EXTINCT GIANT TURLE REDISCOVERED BY IDECC IN SOUTH SUDAN
27 February 2019
The Nubian Flapshell Turtle, Cyclanorbis elegans is one of the rarest turtle species in the world, and was even considered as possibly extinct since no free-ranging individuals has been recorded in the last years. Here, we are pleased to announce that, in August 2017, a team of scientists from IDECC, AERD and the University of Juba, was able to rediscover this exceedingly rare species in a few localities in South Sudan, along the White Nile river course. These turtles were found in very large stretches of the riverbed, with the presence of seasonal and permanent wetlands (ponds and swamps) in the surroundings, and with abundant bank vegetation joint with quite fast river current. In about 18 months of field research, we recorded 16 individuals, including living ones and shells of individuals that were recently captured and killed by local Bari fishermen communities. Indeed, these turtles are hunted and eaten by local communities for subsistence and traditional medecine, and are under serious threats by overfishing and habitat loss. This discovery has received considerable media coverage, and indeed IDECC’s president (Luca Luiselli) has become a 2019 National Geographic Explorer. IDECC and its partners (AERD and the University of Juba) are now conducting a big project in order to create a novel protected area, purposely planned for saving this turtle species from extinction, in collaboration with RAINFOREST TRUST, the MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND WILDLIFE, and the MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT of the Republic of South Sudan.
More details of this project are available at
A METHODOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF TROPICAL TURTLES THREATS
25 January 2019
As previously announced, from 12 – 14 january 2019, the international workshop on turtle threat methodology in the tropics, co-organized by IDECC, Turtle Sanctuary and CRES, was held in Hanoi, Vietnam. The workshop was a success from the scientific point of view, and a livery theatre for discussion on standardization methodologies for enhancing the objectivity in conservation assessments. The delegates, coming from all continents and including some of the world leading authorities in the field, analysed as diverse aspects of conservation biology as field ecology, distribution data, population census data, economic trends, etc. A major paper, coming out from the joint works of the delegates, will soon be written and eventually published.
INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP IN VIETNAM
28 December 2018
A METHODOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF TROPICAL TURTLES THREATS
Hanoi, 12-13-14 January 2019
IDECC is pleased to announce to be co-organizer of an international workshop entitled “A methodological assessment of tropical turtles threats”, in Hanoi, 12-15 January 2019. The workshop will focus primarily on methodological aspects of tropical turtle research, and on ways for a homogenization of field protocols across study areas and continents. Some of the leading world authorities in turtle and ecological research will attend to this event, including for instance: Anders Rhodin, Peter Paul Van Dijk, John E. Fa, William Magnusson, Nataljia Ananjeva, etc.
We will inform of the proceedings of this event later, in this web page
IDECC CONFERENCE IN JUBA SOUTH SUDAN
1 November 2018.
New West African Headquarter just opened in Lomé
12 July 2018
IDECC Institute has just opened the new West African Headquarters at Avépozo - Ibokomo - Front Hotel Tropicana - BP 6057 - Lomé TOGO
IDECC's Teaching at the University of Lomé - Togo
11 July 2018
We are glad to report of an important achievement of our Institute . Indeed, by JUne 2018, President Luiselli and Vice-President Dendi have been involved as professors of Data Management, Statistics and Population Biology in the Master Course (post-graduate level) in "Ecology and Natural Resources Management" of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lomé, Togo. Thanks to our colleagues at the University of Lomé for allowing us to make this academic experience.
IDECC's landing in Vietnam
27 March 2018
We are proud to announce that our Institute has now started to make research also on Vietnam Forests. We have signed official research agreements with a public University in Hanoi (CRES) and the international NGO Turtle Sanctuary, based in Paris.
A Community Forest managed by BPC and IDECC
05 February 2018
We are pleased to announce that, in agreement with the local community Institutions and funded by UNDP, CEPF, GEF and BirdLife Interrnational BPC and IDECC have started to jointly manage the Mbiakong Community Wildilife Sanctuary in Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. This area is important because it includes a remnant forest patch with threatened fauna such as Cercopithecus sclateri, Tragelaphus spekii, Trichecus senegalensis,Osteolaemus tetraspis, Kinixys erosa and Kinixys homeana. This Wildlife Sanctuary will be subjected to not only science-mediated management actions but also ecological research studies
Inaugurated the CEPF Tortoise Project
01 September 2017
Today the project on conservation and ecology of the threatened tortoises of Nigeria, funded by CEPF - Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, and carried out by BPC and IDECC, has been officially inaugurated in Uyo in the presence of all the relevant authorities and agencies. This project will last two years.
For more details about this project, see:
Meet the new BPC-IDECC Nigerian Headquarter
07 April 2017
Just opened the new offices, laboratoires and guest house of Biodiversity Preservation Center - IDECC in UYO, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
ACTA OECOLOGICA - International Journal of Ecology announces :
February 8th 2017
Guinean Forests of West Africa: Ecology and Conservation
Guest Editors:
Luca Luiselli (Rivers State Univ. Science &Technology) & John E. Fa ( Manchester Metropolitan University)
click here....
Synopsis
The Guinean forests of West Africa (GFWA), the belt of tropical moist broadleaf forests along the coast running from Sierra Leone and Guinea in the west to the Sanaga River of Cameroon in the east, are among the most mega-diverse regions of the world. These forests contain an exceptional diversity of species of vascular plants, as well as vertebrates and invertebrates; a large number of species are endemic to this region. As a consequence, GFWA is considered an important biodiversity hotspot as well containing nine distinct ecoregions. Ensuring the long-term survival of the GFWA is of global conservation importance , as well as a centre for important pure and applied ecological studies, representative of one of the most developed regions of the African continent and the one with the highest human population density. In addition, the fragility of the ecological conditions of the region is further exacerbated by (i) the numerous industrial installations that directly or indirectly affect the natural forests (for instance, in the Niger Delta that is one of the main petrochemical extractive areas of the world), (ii) the extensive exploitation of forest products (for instance, world's cacao exports are for over 50% coming from this region and particularly from Ivory Coast; palm oil production is also significant), and (iii) the considerable exploitation of forest wildlife for domestic consumption and the bushmeat trade. Last but not least, GFWA have been the centre of much discussion of the potential links between zoonotic diseases and forests, especially since the 2014-2015 Ebola virus outbreak that caused about 9000 deaths and that originated in the westernmost sector of this region.
Given all of these reasons, GFWA has attracted much scientific interest for tropical ecologists and conservation biologists, and much has been published in international journals and by multilateral agencies such as UNDP, UNEP, FAO, IUCN, etc. In this collection of articles, we will present a much needed synthesis and authoritative view of the main ecological issues affecting GFWA. These include community ecology, conservation biology, ecological economy, freshwater biology, and the relationships between wildlife and diseases on human populations.
We have already received very positive comments on this project idea from several established GFWA scientists in 11 different countries (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, France, Italy, UK, USA, Spain, Germany). We are confident that we will be able to gather a critical mass of high quality manuscripts for the planned issue. For this reason, it is our pleasure to invite you to write a paper (either original or a review) on the tropical forest ecology of Western versus Central African forests. Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to contribute. Our idea is to have all papers submitted by 01 September 2017, so that we can publish the manuscripts at the end of the year or at the beginning of 2018.
IDECC will take a lead position in the publication of this special volume, as both its president (L. Luiselli) and its scientific staff member J. E. Fa will serve as the guest editors.
Those who are interested in submitting papers, can contact directly Luca Luiselli at:
Acta Oecologica is one of the foremost journals of ecology worldwide, and will publish this volume in its normal series.
Sincerely yours
Luca Luiselli & John E. Fa
WWF-US ecoregions covered by our special issue
Upper Guinean forests
Western Guinean lowland forests (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire)
Guinean montane forests (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire)
Eastern Guinean forests (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin)
Lower Guinean forests
Nigerian lowland forests (Togo, Nigeria)
Niger Delta swamp forests (Nigeria)
Cross-Niger transition forests (Nigeria)
Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests (Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea)
Cameroonian Highlands forests (Nigeria, Cameroon)
Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests (Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea)
13 March 2017
Showcasing the rich natural endowments of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
PREAMBLE:
Akwa Ibom state remains one of the richest states of Nigeria in terms of biological diversity and contains one of the most-threatened rainforest environment/ecosystem in Nigeria. The state is recognised as a centre of high biological diversity in floral and faunal resources. Based on the foregoing, the world leading conservation organisations, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (the IUCN) and Conservation International (CI), proclaimed the area as a part of a biodiversity hotspot (Upper Guinean forests of West Africa) for the world which must be protected and promoted for posterity.
The high level of species diversity of the area is synonymous with the Gulf of Guinea region which plays host to the Guinea current that washes the longest shorelines of Nigeria in Akwa Ibom state and determines the rich fisheries resources of the state as well as the phenomenal attraction of other marine animals, like sea turtles and cetaceans.
Amongst the most important wildlife species of global conservation concern are the Sclaters Monkey, the Red-capped Mangabey, the hinge-back tortoises, the Long-snouted Crocodile, and the African Manatee amongst others.
Nollywood's actress Omolola Toluwalase will be the testimonial of the event
The foregoing together with the rich culture, cuisine, and hospitality of Akwa Ibom state is being celebrated as the world marks World Biodiversity Day and the World Environment Day with the themes; ‘Mainstreaming Biodiversity, sustaining people and their Livelihoods’, and ‘Connecting People to Nature, in the City, and on the Land from the poles to the Equator’.
BPC Nigeria, IDECC and their partners at home and abroad hereby cordially invite you to be a part of the great Nature celebration. The celebration will take place in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State (Nigeria) from 9th to 11th June, 2017.
The following are the proposed Mission, Vision and Objective of this event:
Proposed Mission : Building a sustainable future for nature conservation in Nigeria.
Proposed Vision : Sustaining Biodiversity for a better future.
Proposed Objective :
a)Identify, document and showcase the unique biological diversity of Nigeria.
b)Sensitize and promote in situ conservation across the landscapes of Nigeria.
c)Publish and place at the disposal of all relevant groups and government information and perspectives that would assist in the formulation of policies for promoting and conserving the Nigerian biodiversity & environment.
d) To analyze patterns of human behaviors, social relations & cultural preferences as this affects the Nigerian biodiversity, environment & tourism.
WORLD ANIMAL DAY 4th October, 2016
UMBRELLA WEB FOR WEST AFRICA NGOs
Dispersion and loss of scientific information that is spread over a myriad of local and small-scale NGOs is one of the main reasons behind the relatively scarce success of conservation and environmental initiatives throughout West Africa. This is due to the fact that, in many cases, neighbouring NGOs are uninformed of what actually another NGO is doing, and very often the same actions/activities are replicated without any centralized support. IDECC vision is that, instead, it would be necessary to implement a coordination of the aims, activities and researches carried out by the various NGOs working in the territory of West Africa, in such a way to maximize as much as possible the physiological performance of the various organizations and to enhance the synergy and the sharing of the information, for the mutual benefits of either the target communities/habitats/species or the agencies/organizations working on them.
On 4th October 2016, IDECC partecipates and co-sponsors the World Animal Day 2016, to be held at the campus of the University of Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. The event will strive at enhancing positive perception towards wild animal populations, with emphasis on the development of conservation policies. The event is co-sponsored also by the UNDP - UNited Nations Development Programme, GEF Global Environment Facility, the GEF Small Grants Programme, Tropical Research Conservation Centre, and Biodiversity Conservation Centre Nigeria.
TURTLE RACE
In this regard, IDECC aims to promote the creation of a kind of umbrella network where all the eventually interested environmental/ecological/conservation agencies/NGOs operating in West Africa would (i) join in order to minimize the loss of information due to poor communication/connection and (ii) coordinate the efforts in order to attract international funds as they become available.
We therefore invite all the interested parties/NGOs to contact us by writing at the following email address: info@ideccngo.org. Any information/data/opinion on your side would be welcome!
December 01 2016
The turtle race: Uyo, Nigeria. Pelusios niger used for traditional event
The foregoing together with the rich culture, cuisine, and hospitality of Akwa Ibom state is being celebrated as the world marks World Biodiversity Day and the World Environment Day with the themes; ‘Mainstreaming Biodiversity, sustaining people and their Livelihoods’, and ‘Connecting People to Nature, in the City, and on the Land from the poles to the Equator’.
BPC Nigeria, IDECC and their partners at home and abroad hereby cordially invite you to be a part of the great Nature celebration. The celebration will take place in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State (Nigeria) from 9th to 11th June, 2017.
The following are the proposed Mission, Vision and Objective of this event:
Proposed Mission : Building a sustainable future for nature conservation in Nigeria.
Proposed Vision : Sustaining Biodiversity for a better future.
Proposed Objective :
a)Identify, document and showcase the unique biological diversity of Nigeria.
b)Sensitize and promote in situ conservation across the landscapes of Nigeria.
c)Publish and place at the disposal of all relevant groups and government information and perspectives that would assist in the formulation of policies for promoting and conserving the Nigerian biodiversity & environment.
d) To analyze patterns of human behaviors, social relations & cultural preferences as this affects the Nigerian biodiversity, environment & tourism.
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A research Institution on environmental and cultural diversity studies and preservation
Address
| Headquarter Via G. Tomasi di Lampedusa 33 - 00144 Rome - Italy VAT 97859230589 |
West Africa Headquarter Avépozo - Ibokome - Front Hotel Tropicana- BP 6057 - Lomé Togo 10 Esa Ekpo Street, Odiok Itam, Off Uyo-Itu Highway, P.O.Box 1877 Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State Nigeria Burkina Faso Office 110, Rue 15.693 Ouaga 2000 Ouagadougou, BP 3379 Burkina Faso
Nigeria Office
Specializing in West Africa