Initiative for Human-Wildlife cohabitation in the PACA region - Call for projects

 

The preservation of wildlife within anthropized territories, a key issue for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

The Foundation focuses on issues related to cohabitation between humans and wildlife, with several projects supported around the world :

• WWF program on the Sino-Russian border for the conservation of the Amur Tiger through the creation of an anti-poaching zone and the reintroduction of preys;
• Program to help farmers in Tanzania adapt their practices to the presence and movement of elephants;
• In Canada, study of the behaviour and habitat of St. Lawrence’s belugas by the Marine Mammals Research and Education Group ;
• Protection of sea turtles in the partial reserve of Ponta Do Ouro in Mozambique, through monitoring, ecotourism, community self-sufficiency.

In 2017, the Foundation organized a forum in Monaco on the issue of taking into account wildlife in the management of a territory. This two-day workshop brought together scientific experts, but also political and institutional representatives, who were able to provide feedback or an opinion on the issue of human/wildlife conflict.

Please find the main lessons learned from these exchanges in the restitution booklet.  

An issue that also arises in the PACA region

The territory of the PACA Region includes a great diversity of environments and species due to its geographical and climatic variety, from coastal environments to alpine heights and the Provencal scrublands. 

In rural and mountainous areas, numerous human activities are carried out and contribute to the shaping of the landscapes. Ovine pastoralism, for example, maintains the openness of environments and a varied flora and associated fauna. However, the interactions between species and human activities that share the same territory can be conflicting. Wildlife, through its movements or its search for food, can, for example, cause damage to crops or breeding activities. Conversely, human activities such as mountain sports can disrupt the reproductive capacity of certain species.

While the « sanctuarisation » of heritage areas is unavoidable and proven, it is neither realistic nor desirable on a large scale. Over most of the territory, it is therefore essential to seek to maintain a balance between human activities and natural environments.

A call for projects to improve the relationship between wildlife and human activities

In 2020, the Foundation and its partners are launching a call for projects to identify and provide financial support to actors on the ground ready to carry out actions at their level. The objective of the projects must be to facilitate the coexistence between wildlife and human activities through :

• Field actions aimed at preventing or mitigating conflicts between wildlife and human activities;
• Actions to improve the knowledge of species in a conflicted shared territory;
• Actions to raise awareness of the general public and schoolchildren on the issues of cohabitation with wildlife;
• Actions to enhance the value of agricultural production and cultural, sporting or ecotourism activities related to wildlife.

The steering committee will select projects that meet several criteria:

• The projects must be located in the PACA region;
• The projects must be clearly for the benefit of a peaceful cohabitation between human and wildlife;
• Projects must be located in rural or mountainous areas and concern one or more of the following species: wolves, deers, wild boars, chamois, bighorn sheep, ibexes, foxes, mustelids, avifauna.
• Projects must not last more than 2 years from the beginning of their implementation;
• The projects must not exceed a total budget of 50 000 € excluding taxes (or including taxes for project holders not recovering VAT);
• Projects must have a minimum self-financing of 20%.
• The projects must not have the consequence of infringing wildlife conservation rules.

The call for projects is open to all types of applicants, except individuals.

Selected projects will benefit from financial support of up to €10,000. They will be highlighted by the communication actions of the Foundation and its partners. In this way, the project leaders will be part of a network of actors concerned by the same issues, offering opportunities for networking and new collaborations.

If you are interested, please download and fill in the form below. It should be filled in and sent, along with the required documents, at contact@fpa2.org with the subject line "application for wildlife projects" before October 30, 2020.

Our partners

The initiative is supported by a steering committee responsible for preparing the call for projects and selecting beneficiaries.

• The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is at the origin of this call for projects and ensures its coordination.
• An expert member of the National Council for the Protection of Nature brings his scientific and technical expertise.
• The Departmental Federation of Hunters brings the knowledge of hunting interests and stakes.
• The Departmental Chamber of Agriculture represents the perspective and problems related to the agricultural world.
• The LPO Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur brings the expertise of ecological and naturalistic issues to the fight against the decline of biodiversity.

Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and its partner the Sancta Devota Foundation provide the necessary funding to support the projects.

Through charitable works, institutions or associations, the Sancta Devota Foundation supports development aid projects in the fields of education, environmental protection, social integration, health and food security.

Download the form