Bonn, 3 February 2017 - Thanks to financial support provided by the AEWA Small Grants Fund (SGF), the Forestry Department (Direction des Ressources Forestières, DRF) of the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources (MERF) of Togo successfully organized a training workshop on waterbird counting and monitoring. The training, which took place on 7-8 July 2016 in Lomé, targeted the national waterbird counting network, of which 15 technical members participated, as well as relevant local riverine communities, which were represented by five participants. 

The programme of this two-day workshop included theoretical and practical sessions. The first day consisted of various presentations and discussions, including on, among others, bird identification and counting techniques, different monitoring tools and their use, the proper management of data resulting from bird counts, and challenges related to wetland conservation. 

The second day of the workshop was dedicated to a field trip, which allowed trainees to put into practice the knowledge they acquired on waterbird identification and counting techniques. Divided into four groups, the participants visited different sites - including the old Lomé wharf, the Bè lagoon, the Gbaga Channel, the Mare d’Afito and others - for practical bird observation exercises. After the field trip, each group presented the results of their practical exercises.   

The workshop also led to some recommendations targeting, among others, the development of an awareness-raising project on the conservation of wetlands and migratory waterbirds and the strengthening of synergies in the field of wetland management between the MERF, conservation NGOs and the higher education sector. 

The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat congratulates the DRF for its completion of this project to strengthen national capacity in the field of waterbird counting and monitoring and hopes that the impact of its work on the conservation of migratory waterbirds will be sustained.