Evaluation of the AFD “Protected Area” conservation and development intervention contributions (2000-2017). Synthesis of the final report

Since 2000, the AFD and the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM) have committed financial agreements in direct support to the establishment and management of protected areas (PA). One of the objectives of these interventions was to show that the conservation of biodiversity not only made it possible to preserve an outstanding biodiversity and the related major ecosystem services, but that it could also improve the living conditions of populations in various ways.
The main objective of this evaluation is to analyze the extent to which it is possible and realistic for projects supported by the AFD and the FFEM to achieve biodiversity conservation objectives while also meeting socio-economic development needs of local populations. Based on the funding of experiments undertaken, the evaluation analyzes the strengths and constraints/weaknesses the projects encountered, recommends improvements to support methods and means, and develops a series of operational and strategic recommendations for the future.