Obituary: Bonaventure Guedegbe, National Focal Point in Benin for the MAB Programme
©UNESCOM. Bonaventure Guedegbe
Dr Bonaventure Guedegbe, who held the position of National Focal Point in Benin for the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme as Head of the Department of Environmental Assessment in the Benin Environmental Agency (ABE), passed away on Sunday, 28 August in Paris.
Dr Bonaventure Guedegbe was one of the founding members of the African network of biosphere reserves (AfriMAB) in 1996. Since then, as national focal point for MAB in Benin, he has served the programme with motivation and dedication. He was directly involved in drafting the Charter and Rules of the network, which were adopted in 2010, and contributed to the legal recognition of biosphere reserves in national legislation and regulations. In particular, Dr Bonaventure Guedegbe authored the publication, Evaluation du cadre institutionnel et législatif de gestion des Réserves de Biosphère de la zone ouest africaine francophone.
After his retirement, Dr. Bonaventure Guedegbe dedicated his time to continuing his work in spite of his failing health. His final project was the establishment of a transboundary biosphere reserve between Benin and Togo in the Mono river area.
Dr Bonaventure Guedegbe played an instrumental role in the MAB Programme. His passing is a great loss both for the MAB Programme and the AfriMAB Network.
The entire MAB UNESCO team wish to pay tribute to this great colleague and express their sincere condolences to his family.
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