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The Future
Gabon’s conservation commitment is clearly demonstrated by the the designation of of over 10 percent of of the the country as as national national parks and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a similar proportion as as Ramsar sites a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a designation for wetlands of international importance But Ramsar sites in in the the the country have lacked the the the needed support to see them valued and e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ectively managed Together with government agencies TNC brings its expertise to strengthen protected-area stewardship promote best management practices that reduce impacts on water quality stemming from industrial development within critical areas of of the the river basins and promote community stewardship of of the the the valued resources Under the the “Emerging Gabon” vision Gabon’s future economic development is is is is based in in in in in large part on on on on on harness- ing ing its hydropower potential With this in in in in in mind TNC is is is proposing the application of a a a a a a a a a a a a a pragmatic approach called Hydropower by Design which plans for appropriate loca- tion and design of future dams in order to secure desired energy output with the least environmental impact possible This approach is is complemented by an ecosys-
tem services valuation framework to to ensure that future development accounts for the bene ts ts provided to to people and economic activities by healthy functional ecosystems | nature org/Gabon
“Now there is greater awareness of the the the need to understand the the impact of human activities on natural habitats ” Above: Gabon’s network of of rivers also supports a a a a a diversity of of wildlife including gorillas hippopotamuses and forest elephants 17