Press Release
“Joint conservation efforts between Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia receive major EU support to preserve the largest remaining forest block in West Africa”
Monrovia, Liberia, July 2, 2025–On the occasion of the official launch of the NaturAfrica TGKS project, high-level representatives from Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and the European Union, local authorities, and conservation stakeholders will come together to mark the beginning of a transformative new phase for biodiversity conservation in the Taï-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo (TGKS) transboundary forest complex.
This €6.2 million project, funded by the European Union under the flagship NaturAfrica initiative, will span four years, working across both countries to improve forest conservation and local community livelihoods in one of the most biologically diverse regions in West Africa.
Led by the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), the project will be implemented in close collaboration with the Ivorian Office of Parks and Reserves (OIPR) in Côte d’Ivoire and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) in Liberia. WCF, Notre Forêt Notre Avenir (NOFNA), and various specialized service providers will work together to achieve the project’s ambitious goals.
Globally, the NaturAfrica West Africa regional programme will directly support the integrated management of fourteen protected and proposed protected areas, including Taï National Park, Cavally Nature Reserve, and classified forests in Côte d’Ivoire, as well as Grebo-Krahn, Sapo, and Proposed Kwa National Parks, multiple community forests, and forest concessions in Liberia.
With a three-pillar approach, the project aims to:
- Protect Biodiversity: The project will help safeguard endangered wildlife and fragile ecosystems by improving law enforcement, creating ecological corridors, supporting community surveillance groups, and investing in essential infrastructure.
- Boost Green Livelihoods: Local communities — with a focus on women — will benefit from new income opportunities through activities such as beekeeping, eco-friendly farming, sustainable forest product trade, ecotourism, and scientific research.
- Strengthen Cross-Border Cooperation: By encouraging collaboration between authorities and communities on both sides of the border, the project will help build stronger, more inclusive forest governance across the entire landscape.
The official launch ceremony will take place during the Bilateral Steering Committee meeting between Liberia and Ivory Coast for the TGKS landscape, underscoring the joint commitment of both countries to transboundary forest governance. The event will be honored by the presence of Conservateur Général Adama Tondossama, General Director of the Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves (OIPR), Hon. Rudolph J. Merab Sr., Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) of Liberia, as well as other members of the Bilateral Steering Committee, high-level representatives from Liberian government institutions, and invited dignitaries from both sides of the border.
The TGKS Forest Complex is home to the critically endangered West African chimpanzee and other iconic species, and provides vital ecosystem services for thousands of people. Yet, it remains under serious threat from illegal logging, mining, poaching, and agricultural encroachment. Through NaturAfrica TGKS, the EU and its partners aim to support Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia safeguarding this globally important landscape while ensuring that conservation brings tangible benefits to the people who live in and around the forest.
This project builds on and complements other EU-supported conservation efforts in the region, including the SUSTAIN project in southeastern Liberia, and embodies the EU Green Deal’s commitment to biodiversity and climate action through locally-led solutions. The NaturAfrica TGKS partnership represents a historic opportunity to protect one of Africa’s last great forests while building a more resilient and equitable future for the region.