Establishing Marine Protected Areas and Institutional Reform for the 30×30 Agenda in Togo

Togo has begun to advance its 30×30 ambition by launching its first Marine Protected Area (MPA) initiative, revising legal frameworks for protected areas, creating a dedicated national protected areas agency, and supporting community forests around key conservation sites. These steps reflect progress in both spatial and institutional dimensions of conservation and position Togo to build momentum toward expanding its protected and conserved area network.

Laying the Foundation: Marine Protection and Institutional Reform in Togo

In recent years, Togo has made multiple complementary moves to strengthen its protected area system and align with the global 30×30 target. On the quantitative front, Togo announced the launch of its first formal Marine Protected Area around Agbodrafo in late 2025 under the West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) programme. This MPA is intended to cover approximately 950 km², linking coastal, mangrove and marine ecosystems and supporting both biodiversity conservation and local livelihoods.

Institutionally and legally, Togo has revised key legal instruments. For example, the Country Dossier for Aichi Target 11 notes that Togo has adopted laws on maritime areas under national jurisdiction (Law n° 2016-007) and on fisheries and aquaculture (Law n° 2016-026), which provide a basis for marine conservation. At the same time, the protected area system is being rationalised. A UNDP and GEF supported project aimed at strengthening the national protected area system emphasised a targeted estate of approximately 578,250 hectares after rationalisation of older, less effective sites. Togo has also created or is in the process of creating a national protected areas agency (Office National des Aires Protégées, ONAP) to centralise and enhance management effectiveness of the protected area network.

On the community dimension, Togo supports creation of community forests and participatory management around protected areas. The rationalisation project emphasised development of value chains such as bee keeping, small game farming and tourism, as well as participatory management committees around protected areas to integrate local livelihoods and conservation. These mechanisms aim to strengthen recognition of local land use rights, participatory governance and sustainable financing of conservation.

Regionally, as a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Togo has committed to the regional 30×30 agenda, and national initiatives link with broader West African marine conservation efforts.

Outcomes and Lessons

Togo’s nascent efforts show that even countries starting from modest protected area coverage can create meaningful pathways toward 30×30 by integrating spatial expansion, legal reform and community participation. Key lessons include that initiating flagship marine conservation sites can galvanise stakeholders and generate institutional momentum, that legal and institutional reforms such as agency creation and protected area rationalisation are critical to ensure that expansions are effective, and that bridging conservation and livelihoods through community forests and value chain development enhances local support and financial sustainability. Aligning national actions with regional frameworks such as ECOWAS and WACA also strengthens coherence and access to technical and financial resources. For countries with limited resources, Togo demonstrates that laying the institutional and legal groundwork alongside early spatial initiatives is a viable strategy to progress toward 30×30.