Publications
Clustered Land Restoration Projects Increase Cloud Formation in West African Drylands
Land restoration projects in West African drylands, particularly those with intermediate forest cover (43%) and higher clustering, significantly enhance cloud formation through stronger mesoscale circulation. This discovery challenges the assumption that increased forest cover alone always boosts cloud formation; instead, spatial arrangement plays a critical role. Researchers used the WRF mesoscale atmospheric model to analyze 27 restoration scenarios in the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex, revealing that small-scale heterogeneity or high forest cover (85%) can inhibit cloud formation. These findings provide actionable insights for designing land restoration projects to maximize climate benefits, leveraging their potential to influence regional water and energy balances.
Effectiveness of Protected Areas in Limiting Agricultural Encroachment and Conserving Herbivores in West‐Central African Savannahs
Protected areas (PAs) in West and Central African savannahs, particularly those within connected networks like the W-Arly-Pendjari complex, significantly resist agricultural encroachment and support higher herbivore biomass compared to unprotected buffer zones. A study analyzing Landsat imagery (1973–2018) and wildlife census data for four focal species—African buffalo, roan antelope, hartebeest, and savannah elephant—revealed that core PAs largely preserved natural vegetation while surrounding landscapes saw substantial agricultural expansion. However, wildlife population trends did not always correlate with landscape integrity, highlighting the critical role of PA size, governance, and ecological connectivity in conservation outcomes. The research identifies three distinct PA typologies, each requiring tailored strategic approaches to enhance effectiveness beyond legal designation.
Survival in uncertainty: Population dynamics of a key Endangered leopard population in West Africa amid escalating security challenges
A critical leopard population in West Africa, one of the last strongholds for the Endangered species, is showing signs of recovery despite persistent security threats. Camera-trap surveys conducted biennially from 2017 to 2023 in Pendjari National Park within the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex revealed a rise in leopard density from 0.62 to 2.08 individuals per 100 km², with moderate survival rates and sufficient recruitment to sustain population growth. While nocturnal activity dominates, diurnal behavior has increased over time, suggesting potential adaptation or behavioral shifts. The study attributes this recovery to strengthened park protection measures since 2017, though it highlights alarming trends such as a lack of cub detection and rising illegal incursions, particularly poaching, which pose significant risks. Safeguarding this population requires urgent, integrated strategies including cross-border collaboration, enhanced protection of neighboring parks, community engagement, and equitable resource governance to mitigate escalating security challenges.
Grievances, greed or tactics? The political ecology of jihadist expansion in West Africa’s WAP complex
Jihadist expansion in West Africa's W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) complex is primarily driven by tactical military advantages, not environmental grievances or economic motives. Contrary to earlier hypotheses, the study finds that protected forest areas serve as strategic rear bases rather than being leveraged for local resistance or illicit economies like poaching or gold mining. Qualitative evidence from interviews and surveys with stakeholders in Benin, Niger, and Burkina Faso challenges the notion that conservation efforts exacerbate conflict, even in high-risk contexts. The research bridges political ecology and conflict studies, demonstrating that jihadist presence is more about securing operational advantages than exploiting local discontent.
Spotted! Remote camera traps used in a novel design reveal a perilous situation for the Critically Endangered Northwest African cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus hecki ) in a conflict‐affected protected area in Benin
A critically endangered subspecies of the Northwest African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki) faces severe population threats within the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex, Benin, due to violent extremism and conflict. Using a novel dual-placement camera trap design over three biennial surveys, researchers estimated a density of 0.26 ± 0.10 individuals per 100 km² across the study area, with zero detections in adjacent hunting zones. Pendjari National Park appears to be a core habitat for this subspecies, but its population is alarmingly small, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation intervention. The study highlights the effectiveness of low-risk fieldwork methods in conflict-affected regions and underscores the necessity of targeted protection and financial support to safeguard this iconic species and its prey.
Understanding the conservation challenges of armed conflicts in protected areas: insights from the W–Arly–Pendjari Complex in Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger
Armed conflicts, particularly those involving violent extremist groups like Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, pose severe threats to conservation efforts in the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex, a critical transboundary World Heritage site spanning Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger. A study using the participative Delphi technique identified political, economic, and social factors—especially local community marginalization—as key drivers of insecurity. The research highlights that military action and regional cooperation are essential to counter terrorism, while conservation managers should adopt community-focused strategies to reduce vulnerability and counter local alliances with extremist groups. These findings underscore the need for adaptive management approaches to mitigate the negative impacts of violent extremism on protected areas.
Dynamiques des changements environnementaux des réserves forestières transfrontalières sous l’emprise des groupes terroristes : cas du complexe W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) entre le Bénin, le Burkina Faso et le Niger
Terrorist occupation of the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex—spanning Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger—has significantly altered environmental dynamics. Satellite analysis from 2002 to 2022 reveals increased degradation in areas controlled by armed groups, while neighboring villages experienced vegetation recovery due to population displacement. This study quantifies these changes, correlating them with the location and evolution of terrorist attacks using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The findings underscore the dual impact of terrorism on biodiversity conservation and local livelihoods, highlighting how strategic control over transboundary forest reserves disrupts both ecological stability and socio-economic mobility.
Illegal wildlife trade: An analysis of carnivore products found in markets in Benin and Niger
A study analyzing illegal wildlife trade (IWT) in Benin and Niger revealed widespread circulation of carnivore products, including multiple lion skins, with a significant portion originating from international trade. While some products likely originated from the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex—a critical refuge for threatened species—trade patterns were more strongly influenced by proximity to international transport hubs than to the complex itself. This suggests extensive cross-border trafficking, posing severe threats to local populations of carnivores such as African civets, servals, leopards, and hyenas. The findings provide a baseline for monitoring IWT and assessing intervention strategies to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.
Perilous state of critically endangered Northwest African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki) across the Sudano‐Sahel
A critically endangered subspecies of the Northwest African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki) persists at alarmingly low densities, with estimates ranging from 0.17 to 0.37 individuals per 100 km² in two key strongholds: Pendjari (W-Arly-Pendjari Complex) and Zakouma (Greater Zakouma Ecosystem). Using camera trap surveys and spatially explicit capture-recapture methodologies, researchers detected only nine cheetahs during the dry season in Pendjari (2021), four in Zakouma (2023), and none in Siniaka Minia. These findings suggest an overall population size of 68 ± 29 individuals across the studied areas, among the lowest recorded for cheetahs in Africa. The study highlights severe threats from human encroachment and livestock presence, emphasizing the urgent need for regional conservation strategies, genetic monitoring, and international awareness to prevent further decline.
Indirect interactions between climate and cropland distribution shape fire size in West African grasslands
Climate and land use changes interact to shape fire size in West African grasslands, with proximity to cropland limiting fire spread despite higher wet season grass production driven by rainfall. The study used remotely sensed data on burned area, rainfall, cropland distribution, and vegetation dynamics to test hypotheses about these interactions. Findings reveal that while climate factors like rainfall influence fire size, this effect diminishes near croplands due to fuel breaks created by agricultural land use. This suggests that the spatial distribution of stressors is crucial for predicting their combined impacts on ecosystem functioning.
Cost effective assessment of human and habitat factors essential for critically endangered lions in West Africa
Lion occupancy in the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) complex, West Africa's last stronghold for critically endangered lions, is highest in areas with abundant riparian forest cover, minimal proximity to hunting concessions, and significant pastoralist activities. This study used a cost-effective, scalable occupancy framework combining spoor and line transect data to identify key landscape-level factors limiting lion distribution and prey density. Notably, prey density correlated strongly with evapotranspiration, while hyaena occupancy was inversely related to anthropogenic pressures but positively linked to dense vegetation and overall prey abundance. The findings underscore the critical role of transboundary conservation strategies in mitigating threats like illegal hunting and grazing, offering actionable insights for large carnivore preservation.
News: Preservation
A significant advancement in the conservation of UNESCO World Heritage Sites was achieved through the largest regional initiative to date in the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex, spanning Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Between November 24 and December 8, 2020, satellite collars were successfully placed on 25 elephants and 14 antelopes in Pendjari National Park (Benin) and W National Park (Niger). This innovative monitoring approach aims to bolster the protection of these species, thereby safeguarding the Outstanding Universal Value of the site. The initiative represents a milestone in cross-border conservation efforts within this vast complex.
Comparable space use by lions between hunting concessions and national parks in West Africa
Despite higher human presence and road density, lions in West Africa exhibit comparable space use between national parks and hunting concessions. A large-scale camera survey across the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex revealed that lion occupancy was driven primarily by prey availability, which remained consistent between these land-use types. While national parks are typically intended as refuges from human pressures, this study found no spatial avoidance of hunting concessions (HCs), possibly due to the lions' reliance on depleted prey populations and preferred habitat characteristics in HCs. The research combined occupancy modeling with structural equation modeling to analyze 21,430 trap-nights from 2016 to 2018, assessing the relative effects of environmental, ecological, and anthropogenic variables. Key findings suggest that enhancing water availability and reducing human disturbance at park edges could indirectly influence lion space use, offering potential management interventions for this Critically Endangered species in degraded landscapes.
Gastrointestinal parasite community in the critically endangered West African lion
A comparative analysis of gastrointestinal parasite communities in West African lions, particularly those in the critically endangered W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) population, reveals lower species richness than previously observed in Southern and East African lion populations. The study identified at least five distinct parasite species from fecal samples collected in Burkina Faso and Niger, using fecal flotation and sedimentation tests. This finding suggests potential impacts on lion health and resilience due to prey depletion and habitat fragmentation, emphasizing the need for further research into the ecological and conservation implications of these parasites.
First camera survey in Burkina Faso and Niger reveals human pressures on mammal communities within the largest protected area complex in West Africa
A first-of-its-kind camera survey in Burkina Faso and Niger reveals that human activities, particularly livestock grazing and resource gathering, significantly impact mammal behavior within the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex, the largest protected area in West Africa. While these pressures did not affect species richness or composition, they notably reduced mammal activity, with wild ungulates showing the greatest sensitivity to livestock presence. The study highlights the complex interplay between human and natural systems, shifting the WAP's conservation mandate from nature protection alone to a dynamic coupled ecosystem approach.
Local Perceptions of Interactions Between Elephants and Borassus Aethiopum Mart. (Arecaceae) in the Pendjari National Park in Benin
A significant increase in elephant populations within the Pendjari National Park, part of the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex, has been linked to high poaching pressure in transboundary parks. This migration has led to substantial pressure on tree species, including Borassus aethiopum, a dioecious palm. The study, involving 53 respondents from different socio-professional categories, found consensus among administrators, ecoguards, and local professional hunters regarding the relationship between elephants and B. aethiopum. The research suggests that a regional approach to protect elephant populations could mitigate migration and its impacts on vegetation. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather perceptions on causes, damage, consequences, and management options.
Protection status and national socio‐economic context shape land conversion in and around a key transboundary protected area complex in West Africa
A key transboundary protected area complex in West Africa, the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex, shows significant spatial heterogeneity in anthropogenic pressure, with high protection status areas more effective at preventing land conversion. The study, using a novel methodology to compare land cover change across large remote areas, found widespread agricultural expansion outside protected areas over 13 years. Differences in cropland expansion rates between countries suggest a link to rural population growth. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive assessments that leverage remote sensing data to better understand and monitor the ecological outcomes of transboundary conservation efforts.
Transboundary protected areas management: experiences from W-Arly-Pendjari parks in West Africa
Transboundary collaboration in the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex has proven effective in enhancing biodiversity conservation across West African nations. Funded initiatives, including those by the European Union and Global Environment Facility (GEF), have facilitated harmonized management strategies, regional patrol systems, and biodiversity surveys, significantly reducing threats to protected areas. A key achievement is the establishment of a regional coordination system that unites stakeholders from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, alongside innovative small grant programs supporting rural livelihoods linked to conservation efforts. This model demonstrates how transboundary approaches can strengthen long-term biodiversity protection, offering a replicable framework for global conservation funding.
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