ABCG FY2014 Annual Report for USAID

The consortium members are African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Conservation International (CI), the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), World Resources Institute (WRI), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The ABCG receives funding through the Biodiversity Analysis and Technical Support (BATS) Agreement of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID's) Bureau for Africa, Office of Sustainable Development (AFR/SD). The goal of ABCG's BATS component is to support USAID AFR/SD, Africa Missions, and African organization partners to increase their effectiveness in tackling major existing and emerging threats to Africa's biodiversity and contributing to sound development and security based on wise use of natural resources and maintenance of ecosystem services. The overarching objective is to undertake analysis, provide technical support, and conduct outreach in Biodiversity Analysis and Technical Support. ABCG was granted a six-month no-cost extension to USAID's Cooperative Agreement No. RLA-A-00-07-00043-00 for the Biodiversity Analysis and Technical Support (BATS) program. The amendment extended the period of performance through March 31st, 2015. This extension report covers the period October 1st, 2014 to March 31st, 2015, and includes material deliverables as described in the 2014 ABCG Work Plan to USAID. The Wildlife Conservation Society, together with Conservation International and World Wildlife Fund, completed work related to refinement of regional maps for elephants, chimpanzees, and gorillas based on newly updated models for chimpanzees and gorillas. Regional map models for apes (Western Lowland Gorillas and central Chimpanzees) have since been published in an IUCN Species Survival Commission publication, entitled Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of Western Lowland Gorillas and Central Chimpanzees 2015-2025. A higher resolution distribution model for elephants was also previously developed and published in the report entitled Testing approaches to define High Conservation Value thresholds in Gabon: Final report (Sept 2011-March 2015). Task B: Managing Extractive Industries to Protect Biodiversity focuses on high conservation value forest assessments. Large mammal mapping updates were completed, and regional map models for apes (Western Lowland Gorillas and central Chimpanzees) have been published. A higher resolution distribution model for elephants was also developed and published. ABCG hosted 12 brown bag events during the extension period, promoting networking, awareness, information sharing, and experience exchange among U.S.- and Africa-based civil society partners and individual enthusiasts. The events included presentations on diverse project circumstances, revealing key generalizations, and ABCG's own climate change adaptation talk on the project documenting human responses to changes in weather and climate in Africa, at a USAID-sponsored Adaptation Community. The ABCG Work Plan to USAID (Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group, 2013) outlines the deliverables for the BATS program. The plan includes material deliverables that were not concluded during the regular fiscal year spanning October 1st, 2013 to September 30th, 2014 due to a delay in the disbursement of activity funds. This extension report includes these material deliverables, which were completed during the extension period. The ABCG is an avenue for fulfilling the BATS program's goal, which is to build capacity within the USAID Bureau for Africa, its field missions, and its partners to more effectively incorporate biodiversity conservation into programming decisions. The ABCG's BATS component supports USAID AFR/SD, Africa Missions, and African organization partners to increase their effectiveness in tackling major existing and emerging threats to Africa's biodiversity and contributing to sound development and security based on wise use of natural resources and maintenance of ecosystem services.