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Stages

TERMS OF REFERENCE

For student research helping conservation of Chimpanzees in the Boé-sector of Guinea Bissau

1. Introduction

The Boé region lies in the South- Eastern corner of Guinea Bissau. The region is cut off from the rest of the country by the Rio Corubal. To the South and the East the Boé province shares the international boundary with Guinée Conakry.

The isolated position and the general lack of resources are impediments to development, but also create favourable conditions for the conservation of natural and cultural values. The biodiversity of the Boé is the region’s major asset: as a source of food security and for potential tourism development but also for income generation in balance with the environmental potential such as bee-keeping and traditional medicine.

The biodiversity is intact albeit under stress of human exploitation and climate change. Chimpanzee is the flagship species for biodiversity conservation in the Boé. About 700 are estimated (2007) to live in the valley forests of the Boé.
The local Fula communities still value their cultural heritage although under the pressure of population growth and immigration from Guinea Conakry, the social tissue is coming under more and more stress. Hunting of primates, including chimpanzees, is still a taboo under the Muslim faith, but it occurs sporadically nowadays, partly in response to an increasing demand in pet-animals.
Apart from hunting, threats to the conservation of the Boé and the well-being of its populations include:
• The demographic pressure. The population of the Boé is exploiting the resources to the limits of the carrying capacity of the area. This situation is aggravated by the influx of immigrants from neighbouring Guinée Conakry, notably of large cattle-owners.
• The construction of a tarred road through the Boé, with a bridge crossing the Rio Corubal at Tche Tche.
• The opening of a bauxite mine.

The German PADIB project and its successor, Banthal Boé, have promoted integrated rural development of the Boé, and such with limited success. Until this day, no one has taken up the challenge to manage integrally the natural richness of the Boé to the benefit of biodiversity conservation and of the local communities. Therefore, Dr. Goedmakers and Mr. Wit decided to initiate a programme to preserve the population of Chimpanzees in the Boé to the benefit of our planet. This programme is dedicated to their son David who died in August 2006 at the age of 18.
The programme will follow the principles of the ecosystem approach as endorsed by the Conference of Parties of the CBD.

Since 2006 a number of activities started under this initiative, including:

• The establishment of two NGOs: Chimbo in The Netherlands and Daridibó in Guinea Bissau.
• A characterisation study of the Boé executed by an expert of IBAP, funded by WWF-NL.
• Fact-finding/ project-identification missions at least every half year.
• An awareness programme both in the Boé and on a national level funded by the Netherlands Committee of IUCN. A representative of Daridibó in charge of this project is stationed at Beli, the administrative centre of the Boé.
• Student research:
- desk- research on Chimpanzee conservation in their natural environment and the existence of similar projects and areas with a goal to preserve Chimpanzees in the wild, the potential for tourism development centred on Chimpanzee observation in the wild, communication relevant issues, etc..
- field-research on the importance of hunting and bush-meat for local livelihoods
- desk research on the legal aspects of negative effects of bauxite mining for the environment and the local population

2. Objectives

At this initial stage of the programme, many aspects remain to be studied that will contribute to a better understanding of the Boé needed to achieve sustainable results of a conservation-cum-development programme for the Boé.

Chimbo offers research and internship positions for students willing to investigate the different subsystems in the Ecosystem Approach and their interactions. These include:
• For the natural system:
- Study of geology and soils
- Hydrological assessments
- Inventories of flora and fauna,
- Vegetation research, vegetation mapping
- Biology and ecology of key biotic components, in particular of Chimpanzees: food choice over the season, daily rhythm of activities, mortality, etc.
- etc.

• For the use of the natural system:
- Market research for natural products from the Boé: honey, bamboo, medicinal plants, ethnobotany, etc.
- Vegetation management, shifting cultivation, use of fire, forest destruction, etc.
- Land use mapping
- Human – wildlife conflicts
- Veterinary aspects of bushmeat use
- Animal husbandry issues
- Impacts of grazing and increasing cattle populations on the vegetation of the Boé
- Tourism development

• For the management of the natural system and its uses:
- Traditional management practices of water, land and vegetation
- Interaction between modern and traditional laws and regulations
- Village level organisations
- Management of community forests and –lands
- Management of immigration and installation of cattle-owners from Guinée-Conakry
- Etc.

• On general issues:
- Communication used as a tool for conservation
- Development of a business plan for conservation
- Etc.

3. Expected outcome

Each student will have to be produce a report (in English or French) containing the following elements:

After an introductory chapter, the methodology should be given: which villages and village territories were visited, which persons were spoken to (name and functions/activities), what kind of questions were asked, etc.. In the next chapter the results are given, as quantified as possible. A discussion chapter evaluates the results, their reliability, their importance for the Chimbo initiative, etc. This chapter ends with a section of conclusions, and of recommendations. The report will be completed with a number of annexes.

The student is expected to give a short overview of his/her major findings and recommendations to the local and national stakeholders before leaving the country and present his/her final report to the board of Chimbo.

4. Logistics/ organisation of the research

Students will not receive any salary from Chimbo or Daridibó . International travel to and from the Boé will have to be paid for and organised by him or herself.

Students will be guided by Chimbo-staff, before leaving and mainly by email during their stay in the Boé (during the missions of Chimbo-staff to Guinea Bissau a visit to the Boé is generally included).

He/she should consult on a weekly basis with Mr. Amadou Sane, Daridibó’s representative at Beli.

Chimbo will help him find a good translator (Fula – English preferably, otherwise Fula – French) and pay for these services.

Housing in a local hut will be arranged on a case by case basis, depending in which village the student will stay.

Students will be provided with a bicycle for their local transport. Travel to and from the regional capital of Gabu and to and from Bissau, will be by public transport (if no email service is available in the Boé, these costs will be carried by Chimbo).

Students will be responsible for all security arrangements themselves. This includes health and travel insurances, timely taking of malaria prophylaxis, etc.

5. Further information

Interested students can contact us at info@chimbo.org for further information.