April 30, 2026 – Global Affairs Canada must determine whether the proposed Women Pro-Forests: Climate Change Adaptation in the Moyen-Bafing National Park under the UPA-DI, a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; } located in the development zones comprising rural communities of the Moyen‑Bafing National Park in Guinea, is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Global Affairs Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

Written comments must be submitted by May 30, 2026 to:

Environment Specialists 

Global Affairs Canada 

200 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau (QC) J8X 4B7

Email: CommentsIAARegistry-CommentairesRegistreLEI@international.gc.ca

The proposed Project

This project aims to improve climate change adaptation for women, young women, and their families in the Moyen-Bafing National Park. Achieving this objective relies on the increased adoption of nature‑based solutions that support biodiversity, for the benefit of women and young women. The project seeks to sustainably improve the economic opportunities of beneficiaries through nature‑based, climate‑smart agroforestry solutions that are respectful of forest biodiversity. It also aims to strengthen inclusive and equitable governance of forest biodiversity in support of adaptation to climate change for women, vulnerable young women, and their families.

Project activities notably include support for community-based reforestation and forest corridor and habitat restoration programs in key areas of the Moyen-Bafing National Park; the establishment of support services to help remove barriers to climate change adaptation related to unpaid care work; and the provision of training on feminist climate justice and women's environmental rights.

The project includes the following physical activities and infrastructures:

1) Development of 21 Farmer Field Schools (FFS): FFSs are collective learning sites aimed at promoting nature‑based solutions for vegetable and food crop production. They include:

• Preparation of agricultural plots with an area of 902 m² (41 m × 22 m), including selective clearing of herbaceous and shrubby vegetation, spot stump removal where necessary, and site clearing (removal of stones, branches, and debris).
• Installation of a temporary wire-mesh protective fence around each plot, with a perimeter of 126 meters and a height of 1.50 m, supported by wooden or metal posts, to protect plots from livestock intrusion and wildlife. The gradual establishment of living hedges is planned to replace the fences in the medium term (3 to 5 years).
• Ridging and installation of drainage channels and temporary soak pits for the management of rainwater and irrigation water.
• Sowing and transplanting of vegetable or food crops, as well as soil mulching.
• Type of land: existing or fallow agricultural land that has already been developed and is known to local communities, located within the National Park development zone (away from high‑biodiversity and conservation areas).

2) Development of 7 Farmer Beekeeping Schools (FBS): FBSs are collective learning sites aimed at promoting nature‑based solutions for honey production. They include:

• Light clearing of plots with an area of 2,500 m² (50 m × 50 m), without clearing or stump removal, in order to preserve vegetation beneficial to pollinators.
• Installation of a temporary wire-mesh protective fence around each plot, with a perimeter of 200 meters and a height of 1.50 m, supported by wooden or metal posts, to protect plots from livestock intrusion and wildlife. The gradual establishment of living hedges is planned to replace the fences in the medium term (3 to 5 years).
• Installation of Kenyan top‑bar hives (25 hives per FBS), placed on metal stands approximately 1.5 m above the ground to protect colonies and facilitate management.
• Type of land: agricultural or semi‑developed land, often located along the edges of wooded areas favorable to beekeeping, within the National Park development zone (away from high‑biodiversity and conservation areas).

3) Construction of 4 shea butter production hubs (processing of shea nuts), in 4 different villages, each comprising:

• A shelter: a building with a total area of 80 m² for storage and warehousing, also serving as office space.
• Drying area: an adjacent outdoor concrete surface with an area of 45 m², enclosed by a fence to protect products from animals, with a height of 2 meters and a total length of 52 meters.
• Concrete sludge‑drying structure: area of 18 m², comprising one settling basin, one water recovery basin, one sludge collection basin, and one drying bed.
• Type of land: developed land located within villages, situated in the National Park development zone (away from conservation areas).

4) Fencing for the protection of 3 vegetable production plots, each plot including:

• Installation of a wire-mesh fence 700 meters in length and 2 meters in height to secure a 3‑hectare vegetable farming perimeter.
• Type of land: existing or fallow agricultural land that has already been developed and is known to local communities, located within the National Park development zone (away from high‑biodiversity and conservation areas).

5) Construction of 4 honey production centers, in 4 villages, each comprising:

• A shelter: a building with a total area of 80 m² for product storage and warehousing, also serving as office space.
• Type of land: developed land located within villages, situated in the National Park development zone (away from conservation areas).

6) Rehabilitation of 2 potable water points (existing wells and boreholes), including:

• Improvement and rehabilitation of the drinking water supply system from a borehole in Téguéréya Centre village, including relocation of an elevated water tank, installation of a solar pump, and installation of public standpipes.
• Extension of the borehole distribution network with the installation of a drinking water supply system for a vegetable production plot in the village of Ley Kimbili.

7) Construction of 7 new irrigation boreholes, with two design options depending on the results of yield tests. The first option would include a borehole equipped with a solar pump and a water conveyance system that may exceed 100 meters in length to deliver water to agricultural plots. The second option would include a borehole equipped with a hand pump and an adjacent elevated water tank.

• Type of land: all new boreholes will be located near the agricultural infrastructures planned within the shea and/or honey development hubs. These sites are accessible via existing tracks (developed land). Land zoning: public land located within the PNMB development zone and therefore without protected status.

The project also includes the repair of 12 additional potable water boreholes and the construction of two storage facilities for vegetable products, each with an area of 80 m², on developed land. These structures are not subject to the law, as they comply with the conditions and thresholds described in the Ministerial Exclusion Order.

The intervention area of the Femmes Pro Forêts (FproF) project corresponds to the boundaries of the Moyen-Bafing National Park (PNMB) in Guinea. These are areas where infrastructure development is permitted and are characterized by:

• a tropical climate marked by a prolonged dry season and an intense rainy season, with annual rainfall between 1,500 and 2,000 mm and temperatures ranging from 10 to 33 °C;
• clay‑loam, sandy‑clay, or organic‑matter‑rich soils suitable for food and vegetable crops;
• vegetation cover composed of shrub savannas, secondary forests, and agricultural fallows.

All installations will be located outside areas of high ecological value and fully protected zones of the PNMB, as well as on previously used or developed land, without the need for expropriation or heavy construction. Implementation of the works will comply with Guinean environmental regulations and with good agricultural and apicultural practices in rural areas.