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Good practice Imported

Fondation des Savanes Ouest-Africaines: A Trust Fund for the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex

Benin · Tanguiéta · See the Benin profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 18% 60/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Created in 2012 by Benin's government, IUCN and international donors, FSOA finances ranger patrols and community programmes across the W-Arly-Pendjari savanna complex spanning Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger, backed by KfW, AFD, FFEM and GEF funding.

~€32 million
KfW set-up phase contribution
€12 million
AFD/FFEM financing convention, 2023-2026
€1.12 million
FSOA disbursed to Pendjari/W National Parks, Benin (2023)
Fondation des Savanes Ouest-Africaines: A Trust Fund for the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
Fondation des Savanes Ouest-Africaines (FSOA), with KfW, AFD/FFEM and the Government of Benin
Period
2012–ongoing
Keywords
conservation finance, protected areas, anti-poaching, trust fund

Context

FSOA is a conservation trust fund established in September 2012 by the Government of Benin and IUCN to provide long-term, non-earmarked financing for the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex, ~30,000 km2 of savanna shared by Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Activities

Germany's KfW has been the anchor donor (~€32 million during set-up, plus €6 million since); France's AFD and FFEM signed a €12 million financing convention for 2023-2026; FSOA channelled €1.12 million directly to Pendjari and W National Parks in Benin in 2023.

Results

The Foundation's funding structure and multi-donor governance are documented in detail across donor and NGO sources.

Conclusions

Public reporting does not publish independently verified ecological outcome data (poaching trends, wildlife population counts, or fire-management results), so this entry is scored on financing evidence rather than unverified conservation claims.

Implementation
Indicative cost
High (€500k–€5M)
Time to results
Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills
FSOA governing board, IUCN, national park management (Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger)

Conditions for success

  • multi-donor, non-earmarked long-term financing structure

Common failure modes

  • no independently verified ecological outcome data (poaching, wildlife counts, fire management)

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

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