Strategy 1: Defining norms & best practices
© Maegan Fitzgerald
Conservation managers need access to the best techniques to implement programmes to counter the impacts of artisanal mining, human-wildlife conflict, forestry, agriculture and other threats. Defining norms and best practices for carrying out conservation activities should be rooted in the best available science. This strategy presents recommendations to enable those working to conserve great apes to apply best practice to a range of high priority threats.
:Status Key
Objective
Objective 1.1: By 2022, best practice standards for artisanal mining are defined and applied by all actors in the region.
​
Objective 1.2: By 2024, West African countries with chimpanzee populations have harmonised policies on artisanal mining.
​
Objective 1.3: By 2022, stakeholders of artisanal mining i.e. national environmental agencies (NEAs), mining-focused NGOs and miners, are aware of the laws surrounding artisanal mining and are educated on best practices for reducing impacts on chimpanzees.
Status
Objective
Status
Objective 1.4: By 2022, update and apply best practices for mitigating negative human-chimpanzee interactions.
​
Objective 1.5: Within the first year of its publication, all relevant stakeholders are aware of the best practice guidelines for mitigating negative people-chimpanzee interactions.
Objective
Objective 1.6: By 2022, best practices for mitigating the impacts of agricultural, logging and mining development have been defined and published, or updated.
​
Objective 1.7: By 2026, 100% of projects active in areas of ape habitat adhere to best practices for mitigating impacts of agricultural, logging and mining development.
​
Objective 1.8: Within the first year of its publication, 100% of stakeholders involved in infrastructural, agricultural and extractive industry projects in West Africa implement best practice in ESIAs.
Status
Objective
Objective 1.9: By 2024, 100% of industrial development projects adopt the mitigation hierarchy and implement the management plans presented in their ESIAs.
​
Objective 1.10: By 2025, all regulatory governmental bodies are aware of ESIA standards for chimpanzee monitoring and best practice guidelines and use these guidelines in their evaluation of ESIAs.
Status
Objective
Objective 1.11: By 2024, a regionally relevant set of fire management standards is defined and implemented by all national environmental agencies (NEAs).