Workshop 2025

Workshop for Developing an Action Plan for Conservation of Common Hippopotamus in 13 West African Countries

The workshop to develop an Action Plan for the conservation of the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in West Africa was held from 10 to 12 March, 2025 in Abidjan, Riviera 2, Résidence M’Maya, Côte d'Ivoire. This workshop, organized by the Centre Suisse de Recherche Scientifique in Côte d'Ivoire, in cooperation with the Hippopotamus Specialist Group (HSG) of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN – SSC), saw the participation of 49 researchers, conservationists, government representatives and NGOs from 13 West African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, as well as those from Czechia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and USA. 

The objective of this workshop was to develop a detailed regional Action Plan for the conservation of the common hippos in West Africa, by bringing together key stakeholders to assess the current status of populations, identify major threats and promote inter-country collaboration for the implementation of effective strategies for the protection and sustainable management of this emblematic species.

This ultimate goal can be achieved through the following specific objectives:

1. Assess the status of common hippo populations in West Africa;
2. Identify the main threats to the common hippo and its habitats;
3. Develop a detailed action plan for the conservation of the common hippo at the national and regional level;
4. Establish a framework for collaboration between the different countries in the region.

Based on data collection the overall population of common hippopotamus in all 13 West African countries is estimated as of 7,000 individuals. Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire represent the strongholds keeping each the population of more than 1,000 individuals. The main threats to the population in West Africa are habitat degradation, habitat loss, and human-hippo conflict. A framework for collaboration between the participating countries was established to develop an Action Plan for the conservation of the common hippos at the regional level. Furthermore, this workshop was a springboard for reflection that led to the formulation of important points such as the Vision, objectives, results and actions that will serve as a solid basis for the development of an effective Action Plan.

Institutions that supported the workshop