Socioeconomic and Environmental Assessment of the Community from the Dulombi - Boé - Tchetche complex (DBT)

Guinea-Bissau

The project "Support for the Consolidation of a System of Protected Areas in the Forest Belt of Guinea-Bissau" aimed to strengthen the National System of Protected Areas through the creation and management of five new protected areas (two national parks and three wildlife corridors) in the continental interior of Guinea-Bissau, in the Dulombi-Boé-Tchetche (DBT) Complex.

The main objective was to conduct a Socioeconomic and Environmental Impact Assessment to provide information on the potential range of impacts resulting from the creation of protected areas and the most likely responses of affected populations should changes occur, through:
- Assessment of the opportunities and risks associated with the establishment of protected areas within the DBT Complex;
- Strengthen the management capacity of the DBT Complex to improve the livelihoods of local communities;
- To generate a range of development options based on the preservation and enhancement of natural and human capital, with a direct return for local communities, through participatory governance at the national, regional and local levels.

Strategic options for protected areas focus on valuing and managing ecosystem services, as well as ensuring conditions for more diversified agricultural production, integrated into an optimized value chain.
The classification of the DBT Complex as a protected area is a significant advantage, as it can support a range of opportunities identified during the Socioeconomic and Environmental Assessment.
Governance has been identified as playing a key role in implementing development strategies for protected areas. Furthermore, decentralized stakeholder participation at different levels should be included.

Definition of Critical Decision Factors (CDFs) | This workshop took place at the IBAP headquarters (Bissau, Guinea-Bissau - 09/11/2015). Local stakeholders were invited to participate in the workshop with the aim of defining the CDFs. Technical staff from IBAP and CAIA, as well as national institutions related to the study, were invited to participate.
Strategic Options Development | These sessions took place at IBAP headquarters (Bissau, Guinea-Bissau - 06/11/2015, 09/11/2015 and 10/11/2015). Local stakeholders were invited to participate in these sessions, with the aim of defining strategic options. Technical staff from IBAP and CAIA, as well as national institutions related to the study, were invited to participate.

The fieldwork took place at the DBT Complex over seven days (November 12-18, 2015). Throughout the fieldwork, interviews and consultation meetings were held in the communities included in the sample, with the aim of analyzing the socioeconomic characteristics of the communities and their governance systems.

National Presentation of Results and Validation of Strategic Options | This session took place at IBAP headquarters (Bissau, Guinea-Bissau - 02/12/2015). Local stakeholders participated in this session to present the results of previous sessions. Technical staff from IBAP and CAIA, as well as national institutions related to the study, were invited to participate.

Regional Presentation of Results and Validation of Strategic Options | Two regional sessions were held in Bafatá and Gabú (Guinea-Bissau, December 3-4, 2015). Local and regional authorities, as well as community representatives, were invited.