The Trans-boundary project for biodiversity is to enhance governance for the benefit of natural resources and people in the Boma-Gambella landscape/IGAD Secretariat

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development –IGAD has signed a grant agreement with the European Union worth 4.4 million euro to support the conservation of Boma-Gambella landscape.

The Trans-boundary project for biodiversity is to enhance governance for the benefit of natural resources and people in the Boma-Gambella landscape.

The executive secretary of the IGAD, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu and Head of the European Delegation to Djibouti, Ambassador Aidan O’Hara signed the agreement in Djibouti on Sunday.

In his opening remarks, Workneh praised a ‘long-standing friendship’ between IGAD and the European Union that had “grown from strength to strength.

He said the project is the latest in a long line of partnerships and shared initiatives between IGAD and the EU to preserve all that is good in the region and also address the challenges that we face.

On the other hand, Ambassador O’Hara commended IGAD Secretariat for “the cross-border approach it is taking to tackling regional challenges”.

He also emphasized the need to involve local communities in the implementation of the program.

According to the project framework, IGAD will be in charge of the coordination of this transboundary project while the Wildlife Conservation Society—WCS will be the implementing partner.

WCS is currently working on biodiversity conservation on the Boma side of the landscape in South Sudan.

The project team will be based in Juba, South Sudan.

The Boma-Gambella landscape consists of a mosaic of interacting ecosystems on either side of the South Sudan-Ethiopia border.

The landscape is globally renowned for its diverse wildlife populations and its rare and threatened species.

Its defining characteristic is the vast herds of white-eared kob that migrate seasonally between Boma National Park in the east of South Sudan and Gambella National Park in South West Ethiopia.