EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 - State, trends and threats to biological
diversity Togolese biological diversity is very rich in its various components that provide the main ecological services, foodstuffs and medicinal substances to populations. Unfortunately, strong pressures are exerted on its various elements, especially the ecosystems in which flora and fauna are found. Togo's biological diversity is composed of diverse ecosystems, flora and fauna. There are two main categories of ecosystems, namely terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems. Terrestrial ecosystems are formed by semi-deciduous forests, dry forests and open forests, gallery and riparian forests of Guinean and Sudanian savannas. As for aquatic ecosystems, they are made up of river, lake, marine, fish ecosystems, reservoirs and a particular ecosystem, mangroves.
The Togolese flora has 3491 terrestrial species and 261 aquatic species representing all the systematic groups currently recorded on the national territory. A single plant species, Phyllanthus rouxii (Euphorbiaceae) growing on the ferruginous hills north of Bassar is reported as endemic. Several species are threatened with extinction, endangered or vulnerable.

At the end of the latest investigations by researchers from the University of Lomé, new species have been identified, including Insects, Amphibians, and Reptiles (Amevoin et al., 2007; Anani, 2007; Anani, 2007; Segniagbeto et al. 2007; Segniagbeto et al. 2007 and Ségniagbeto, 2009). Consequently, the number of animal species recorded in Togo amounts to 3828 species instead of 3476 recorded in 2002 (PNAE (2002)). In the absence of an exhaustive inventory to establish a more complete list of species present, it is difficult to assess the variability of specific diversity. However, the strong
anthropogenic pressures on biological resources presuppose a loss of natural habitats, and therefore of a large part of biological diversity.

Togo also has a very varied range of animal genetic resources. Animal food resources consist essentially of domestic livestock, fishery resources and wild fauna. Ecosystems include protected areas. Considerable efforts have been made
to create classified forests in order to conserve natural resources such as soil, water, fauna and flora. Initially eighty-three (83) classified forests with an area of 793,288, 81 hectares were designated for this purpose, between 1938 and 1958.

With the implementation of Ordinance No. 4 of 16 January 1968, the State has radically changed its attitude towards the conservation of biological diversity and the consideration of the vital needs of populations. The conversion of some of the classified forests into national parks and wildlife reserves was carried out in an authoritarian manner with population movements in order to free up land for conservation. Thanks to the turmoil that the country experienced during the 90s, all the symbols of conservation of diversity were called into question. Thus, 27% of classified forests are completely occupied (76,661.69 ha) either by local populations or by forest plantations, 55% (692,464.69 ha) of classified forests are, in part, the object of human and physical occupations. While 18% (24162.17 ha) are not affected and have retained
their entire extent (fig 6).

At the end of the work and discussions with stakeholders in the conservation of natural resources, as part of the implementation of the program for the rehabilitation of protected areas, the government has set itself the objective of restoring and securing 578,245,741 hectares, or 10.21% of the national territory, in order to conserve and rationally exploit biodiversity and to improve the living conditions and environment of populations and to guarantee future generations, resources.
natural resources sufficient for sustainable development. Up to now, 7.22% of protected areas have been requalified Overall, there is strong pressure, mainly due to the influence of local populations. The main pressures identified are poaching, fishing, logging, logging, agricultural practices, and other human activities caused by population
growth, uncontrolled bushfires, and the harvesting of non-wood forest products.
Illegal activities are difficult to monitor and law enforcement is weak. The threat assessment is shown in Figures 8, 9, and 10. These threats have the direct consequences of the transformation of habitats, the loss of biological diversity, in particular the decline of animal populations, the deterioration of ecosystem functions or functioning processes, etc. The very pronounced trends towards an increasingly greater degradation of biological diversity have negative impacts on the environment and the human well-being of populations, which are becoming increasingly poor (61.7% of the Togolese population).

The Togolese coast is very eroded with an average erosion speed estimated at 10 m/year in 1982. The degradation of freshwater and marine environments and the overexploitation of plans have resulted in a reduction in the size of catches and the accelerated rarefaction of species observed in all fisheries.

2 - Main measures taken to achieve the three objectives of the Convention and to achieve the 2010 objective: the goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan of the Convention on Biological Diversity In order to achieve the three objectives of the Convention and to achieve the 2010 objective, the goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Togo adopted its Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity, together with an action plan that integrates Others environmental programs such as the National Environmental Action Plan (PNAE) and the National Environmental Management Programme (PNGE). The biodiversity action plan is divided into four (04) priority areas: (i) the Legal and Institutional Capacity Building Program (PRCJI); (ii) the Program to secure the national conservation system; (iii) the Ex-Situ Conservation Support Program; and (iv) the Program to Support the Sustainable Use and Equitable Sharing of Biodiversity Resources.

In addition to these priority areas, there is the special program relating to the management of Transhumance and Pastoral Development. Of all the programs developed, one hundred nineteen (119) activities have been defined. Until 2008, only 39.8% of the activities identified were carried out (fig 10).

With regard to the work programme on protected areas, out of the one hundred twenty-four (124) activities identified, ninety-one (91) are dedicated to the parties. Togo partially carried out thirty-one (31) activities, or 34.9% (fig 11). In addition to these programmes, projects taking into account biological diversity are being implemented. These are (i) the Climate Change Project, (ii) the Ozone Layer Protection Project, (iii) the Persistent Organic Pollutants Project, (iv) the Biosafety Project, (v) the Epidemio Surveillance Project, (vi) the Volta Basin Integrated Management Project, (vi) the Volta Basin Integrated Management Project, (iii) the National Program of Decentralized
Environmental Management Actions (PNADE) in phase startup.
Other programs, in connection with the Convention on Biological Diversity, are implemented by the State. CVDs, NGOs and other associations involved in environmental management have been set up. These programs mainly concern the implementation (i) of the project Support for the implementation of the Forest Development Master Plan

Sustainable Ecofloristic Zone IV of Togo, (ii) the Reforestation and Forest Management Project based on the valorization of former teak plantations, (PRAF), (iii) the Sustainable and Participatory Management of Forest Resources Project in the Missahoé Classified Forest and (iv) the Program for the Rehabilitation of Protected Areas, which essentially aims to restore these areas through a sustainable management framework for biological diversity. Several activities carried out in the field include measures aimed at the conservation of biological diversity, even if Togo has not defined measurable objectives in its national strategies and action plans, just as it has not developed national indicators for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

3 - Areas in which implementation at the national level has been more or less effective The significant progress made in the implementation of priority actions relates to activities for the in-situ conservation of biological diversity by the State and other development actors, in particular civil society organizations and various associations. Indeed, in order to secure the protected areas that are the object of desire of local populations, a national commission for the verification and revision of the boundaries of protected areas was created by decree No. 92-071/PM of 11 March 1992. The implementation of consultation strategies with the various actors resulted in the establishment of six (6) priority protected areas in the national system of protected areas and the organization of local populations into 60 Village Associations for Participatory Management of Protected Areas (AVGAP) and their structuring into 8 UAVGAP for better involvement of local communities in the management and use of biological diversity. In the context of the management of the environment and natural resources, Togo has adopted legal texts including (i) the constitution
of 14 October 1992, which enshrines the right of Togolese citizens to a healthy environment; (ii) law No. 2008-005 of 30 May 2008 on the framework law on the environment, which establishes the legal framework for environmental management in Togo; (iii) law No. 2008-009 of 19 June 2008 on the forest code; (iii) law No. 2008-009 of 19 June 2008 on the forest code; (ii) law No. 2008-005 of 30 May 2008 on the environmental framework law; iv) Decree No. 2006/PR of 5 July 2006 establishing the list of works, activities and documents of planning subject to environmental impact studies; (v) Decree No. 2003/237/PR of 27 July 2003 relating to the establishment of a standardized framework for the management of protected areas; (vi) Decree No. 99-189/P-RM of 5 July 1999 establishing the environmental impact assessment procedure; and (vii) Order No. 17/MERF/CAB of 21 May 2005 fixing traffic rights in protected areas and management arrangements.

Therefore, project developers currently respect environmental impact assessment procedures prior to the execution of their projects. This makes it possible to preserve biological diversity.

4 - Main obstacles encountered in implementation
The main obstacle in the implementation of actions for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity relates to the state of impoverishment of populations who most often use natural resources to ensure their survival. This reduces the impact of actions carried out on the ground. To this can be added the fact that some projects and programmes, announced above, could not be implemented due to lack of funding. The lack of information on the existence of a national strategy and plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity is, to some extent, an obstacle, as a large part of the population is unaware of their existence.

5 — Future
priorities Togo's future priorities in terms of the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity can be summed up: (i) the development and adoption of a national strategy for the rehabilitation and participatory management of protected areas, (ii) the promotion of integrated management of the coastal zone; (iii) the prevention and management of natural disasters; (iv) the promotion of participatory management of natural resources; (v) the reduction of human pressure on natural resources; (vi) the strengthening of national capacities for environmental management and (vii) the strengthening of subregional and international cooperation in environmental management, (viii) the fight against desertification and climate change, (ix) the management and rational use of wetland resources, (x) the promotion of income-generating activities and (xi) the development of resource
mobilization mechanisms.