Go4BioDiv

• Name: Nagassi, Antoine
• Nationality: Benin
• Country of Residence: Benin
• Town: Mamoussa / Tanguiéta
• E-Mail: not public
• Profession: student
• Educational Background:
  student
• Where I live and how I view my environment:
  I live in Tanguiéta, a small town in the rural area of Northern Benin, situated next to the Pendjari National Park which is protected in cooperation of the Park administration and several associations of the Park-bordered population. Thanks to this cooperation people coming to visit the National Park today have the chance to discover a lot of animals that are living a good life. In my environment there are huge old Baobab and Neem trees, which are quite useful for medical and nutrition purposes. Due to the climate change I observe more and more problems in the daily life of my village like for example the shortage of water during the dry season which prevents us of carrying out our economic and social activities in the way we used to do it.
• Biodiversity means to me personally:
  Biodiversity means to me a variety of flora and fauna that often impressed me deeply. All the different species of insects, flowers, birds, water living mammal animals, herbs and trees are forming a fascinating kind of society. Each day I feel how much I depend on this complex system that surrounds me and that it is very lucrative for different human activities. Biodiversity implicates for me that all of these species can live freely and reproduce in a natural way. Bio means life and in this way concerns also human being. If we want to engage for biodiversity we do not only have to take care of the flora and fauna surrounding us but also for the human beings next to and even far away from us.
• My Symbol of biodiversity:
  My symbol of biodiversity is the Mare Bali in the middle of the Pendjari National Park. This pool or waterhole is very impressive to me because there I’ve seen diverse beautiful animals which are coming to drink in the pool and a lot of old trees and beautiful plants that grow around the water point. The Mare Bali is very important especially in the dry season for feeding the animals because it’s one of the water points that lasts even after month of dryness. In this way it’s a symbol of life and diversity of life.
• My motivation for participating:
  I want to get to know how other countries are protecting their biodiversity. I wish to work after my studies in the field of environmental protection because this subject is something that keeps my mind and heart awake since I was a small boy. I remember that my grandfather often taught me to take special care of trees because the destruction of trees had many bad consequences for human beings. I remember also a moment when people near to my family’s house started to cut a huge old tree. I asked why they are doing this and if the next day they will plant another tree. They were beating me while saying that I’m not allowed to ask this question. Now I’m not longer the little boy and I’m able and ready to pose all these questions and protect my environment actively. The summit will help me to discover new ideas and methods for the preservation of all the beautiful and important species living around us.
• How did I show I am ready to "Go 4 BioDiv":
  I have been engaged for several years in the field of biodiversity conservation: I participated in meetings of the village associations trying to find solutions for the problems of nature destruction and poaching in the Pendjari National Park. Together with my father, who is the president of one of the village associations for natural protection in our area, I was consulting peasants in harmonizing their needs with the challenges of nature preservation. Furthermore, I participated in the sensitization work of the village association to combat the use of insecticides and traps, traditional hunting, as well as the extraction of wood within the Park. Since 2003, I have accompanied my father as a wildlife guard, too. All this activities helped to increase my motivation for environmental protection and showed me different ways of engagement.
• My message to other participants:
  I’m very happy to take part at this international summit especially because it’s the first time in my life to have the chance to meet so many different young people from all over the world and exchange with them. I hope that by exchanging our ideas and experiences we’ll find new solutions which could help each of us to reduce the threats that the biodiversity meets in the world. Let’s work together for us and the futures generations! I’m looking forward to pass lots of good moment with all of you in the Bavarian Forest and in Bonn.