The Republic of Guinea, known as the “Water Tower” of West Africa, is the source of many transboundary rivers critical for agriculture and livelihoods across several countries. The natural region of Upper Guinea, home of the Niger River and the Upper Niger National Park are key for agricultural activities and livelihoods across the region.

However, Upper Guinea and more specifically the region of Faranah suffer from land degradation due to ecoclimatic variations, agricultural expansion, logging for fuelwood and charcoal production, unsustainable agro-sylvo-pastoral practices (shifting cultivation, overgrazing), etc. In order to preserve the rich biodiversity and water resources of this region, the FAO Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism is working with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the National Directorate of Water and Forests (DNEF) to develop and implement strategies for forest and landscape restoration (FLR), based on the thorough assessment of restoration opportunities identified through the “Restoration Opportunity Assessment Methodology” (ROAM).

This important activity will be piloted in the region of Faranah under a FAO-funded Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) entitled “Forest and Landscape Restoration in Guinea.” Amongst other things, this project seeks to set the ground for scaling up restoration at country level. By capturing relevant data, including those collected in the field, jointly with local stakeholders, the project will directly feed the ROAM process in Faranah. The capacities of national institutions – National Directorate of Water and Forests (DNEF), Centre for Environmental Observation, Monitoring and Information (COSIE) and Guinean Office of Parks and Reserves (OGUIPAR) – to lead and implement a ROAM process will be built. This will enable stakeholders to replicate the ROAM process in other prefectures of Upper Guinea and the Guinea Forest Region. Intensive consultations between FAO, WRI and COSIE ensured that this activity was properly aligned with national priorities and enabled careful selection of relevant ROAM key products, including:

• a list of types of FLR intervention;
• the mapping of potential and priority areas for FLR;
• an analysis of tree cover using Collect Earth;
• a cost–benefit analysis of FLR;
• an estimate of the quantities of additional carbon sequestered through FLR.

An inception workshop for this ROAM process was organized in Conakry on 6 February 2020 with major FLR actors in Guinea (government staff, Faranah communities, private sector, United Nations agencies, research institutes, NGOs, etc.). As part of this activity, technical capacities were strengthened: after showcasing multiple examples of ROAM processes in several countries, participants implemented exercises aimed at collecting the needed baseline information, and analysed key success factors enabling restoration in the country.

Through this ROAM process in Faranah, national counterparts will be empowered with the capacities to fulfil their role in this government-led initiative, and in the implementation and sustainability of future restoration projects in Guinea.

For more information contact: [email protected]

Mohamed Fadiga (FAO)