The national animal extinct in the country
Thanks to its rich diversity of ecosystems, Togo is home to numerous animal species.
There are no fewer than 196 species of mammal and 676 species of bird. Two species of amphibian are endemic to Togo(Arthroleptis brevipe and Hyperolius laticeps). Thanks to its deep waters, its marine fauna is also exceptionally rich. Four species of migratory turtle come to lay their eggs or feed on the Togolese coast, but dolphins and whales can also be seen. Its many waterways attract hippos, crocodiles and manatees.
Unfortunately, this rich fauna is under constant threat, not least from habitat destruction and, to a lesser extent, poaching. Elephants are the main victims, stripped of their precious ivory. Poaching of elephant tusks, however, remains superficial in Togo today, which acts more as a hub for Central Africa, where the pachyderm population has fallen by 60% in just ten years. Togo has the region's only deep-water port, where the precious tusks are shipped to Asian markets. It is estimated that over 40 t of ivory were seized in Togo between 2008 and 2018. The government is embarrassed by this black market, which it strongly condemns, and although it regularly carries out seizures, it partly attributes the decline in tourism to this activity. The giant so beloved by tourists is in short supply, with an estimated population of just 115 individuals in protected areas, concentrated in particular in the strictly protected area of Fazao-Malfakassa National Park.
Yet poaching is not the main burden weighing down Togo's animals. The destruction of habitats, both aquatic and terrestrial, and in particular deforestation, are clearly responsible for the hecatomb suffered by these species. While chimpanzees, Derby elands and leopards have disappeared in the wild, the desertion of the African lion, the country's national animal, is particularly symbolic.
The ecological paradise in the grip of human exploitation
Togo's elongated shape and tropical climate give it great environmental diversity. In the north, there is an expanse of savannah, while the coast is more marshy, with fascinating mangroves formed by mangroves whose immense aerial roots help to fix them to the ground. Human development has not spared this fragile ecosystem, notably due to port activities, the Nangbéto power dam and the extension of areas dedicated to agriculture.
It is this same human development that explains the phenomenon of deforestation, which today threatens the local flora and fauna. Every year, some 2,500 hectares are replaced by agricultural, industrial or urban zones. The demographic explosion is largely responsible, but so is poverty, which leads to the over-exploitation of natural resources, unsustainable farming practices and the over-exploitation of wood for charcoal fuel, on which the population largely depends.
However, the Ministry of the Environment and Forest Resources is working to rectify this phenomenon, with a commitment to reforest 1.4 million hectares by 2030. Efforts are already making themselves felt: from 9,300 ha of trees felled each year in the 1990s, the figure dropped to 2,500 in the 2000s. At the same time, nurserymen are working hand in hand with the government, and have produced 10 million seedlings of various species by 2021, to be replanted. However, many ecologists do not consider this progress to be up to the challenge.
Natural parks in Togo
Yet there are still places in Togo where nature can flourish without having to worry about man, as the country has a number of nature reserves and parks, covering 14% of its territory. However, some areas are open to the public and are only lightly regulated, so it is estimated that only 10% of the territory is actually protected.
The largest of the three national parks is Fazao-Malfakassa, founded in 1975 and renowned for its numerous antelope species. This area was once home to a very large elephant population, which has been drastically reduced due to poaching. The smallest park, Fosse aux Lions, is located in a savannah area in the north of the country. Like Togo, it is home to many species despite its modest size. Warthogs, antelopes, elephants and monkeys live happily here.
Today, the Kéran National Park covers 64 ha, but there was a time when it was almost three times as large. After the 1960s, the park was expanded several times, without the local population being consulted or involved, so that they went from being the beneficiaries of the project to its victims. To extend the park's boundaries, local people were evicted and lost their agricultural land, without being offered any alternative solutions. On top of this, many animals, especially elephants, were leaving the park and ransacking agricultural areas, due to the lack of fencing. Instead of a sustainable project, the park sowed the seeds of poverty, hunger and instability. Native hostility reached a point of no return in 1990 when a population uprising took place against a backdrop of political instability, destroying areas of the park and killing animals en masse, so that the park's boundaries had to be drastically reduced in 1999. Today, institutions are trying to develop ecotourism in the region, so as to reconcile social and environmental issues.
The country most threatened by climate change
According to the JRC, the European Union's scientific and technical research laboratory, Togo is the country with the highest vulnerability score to climate change. The political response is well underway, and financially supported by the European Union through several projects. Together, they have launched the Programme d'appui à la lutte contre le changement climatique (PALCC), which the European Union's AMCCC+ is funding to the tune of 10 million euros. This comprehensive program includes an overhaul of energy management, particularly coal, which is still widely used, and the conservation of protected areas. To ensure its sustainability, the program makes sure to include the local population, in particular local residents, in projects concerning national parks, and to prevent a disaster like that of the Kéran National Park from happening again. Once again, Togo is learning from its mistakes and showing real ambition to build a sustainable environmental policy.
