Sènankpon Tcheton
Environmental Social Scientist Researcher
Global Change Institute
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
“The current uncertain times in marine ecosystems offer an opportunity to be creative and bring about novel thinking and way of doing to sustain human-nature relationships”
Sènankpon Tcheton, 2023
“Conserving marine biodiversity without conserving its associated local knowledge is a short-term solution in the quest for sustainability in Africa”
Sènankpon Tcheton, 2024
About me
Who am I ?
I am an environmental social scientist researcher with global transdisciplinary interests in the ways societies relate to the natural environment and deal with contemporary sustainability challenges. I am interested in the interface between Indigenous and Local Knowledge, Future Methods, and Marine Ecosystem Sustainability in Africa. My current research looks at the contribution of Indigenous and Local Knowledge in exploring the desirable futures of mangroves ecosystems in the Mono Transboundary Biosphere Reserve in West Africa.
Experiences
From Research to Action: My Path as an Environmental Social Scientist
Consultant/Protect and restore the ecological heritage in the East Morango Forest Landscape in Ghana
Activity: Conduct a socio economical survey and ecological study of the landscape/Wildlife assessment with camera traps
Activity: Study the governance structure of protected areas within the landscape
Project: Protect and restore the ecological and cultural heritage in the East Morango Forest Landscape, Ghana
Organisation: Noé NGO/47, rue Clisson 75013 Paris, France/ https://noe.org/ Contract 2207_CONT_NOE_Stephane_Tcheton_GH
Mission: Preserve Biodiversity
Intern/Urban Green Spaces and Community well-being in South Africa
Activity: Plant Mapping and wildlife monitor
Project: Assess the visitor satisfaction towards ecosystem services provided by the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve
Organization: Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ)/ http://klipriviersberg.org.za/
Mission: Caring for Biodiversity for Future Generations
Assistant Project manager/ Project RADAR-BE in Benin
Activity: Fieldwork on collecting hunted wildlife sample from wildlife trader and poachers in the forests and parks Benin.
Project : RADAR-BE "Impact écosystémique et durabilité de l’exploitation de la viande de brousse dans les îlots forestiers du Bénin". Contract C-002/2019/Stéphane/Tcheton/RADAR-BE
Organization: Laboratory of Applied Ecology (LEA)/University of Abomey-Calavi; https://www.leabenin-fsauac.net/fr/accueil/
Project Assistant/ Sustainable use of Biodiversity and Forest in Benin
Activity: Sustainable forest conservation; Protection of endangered wildlife species; Meeting with Stakeholders.
Project : “Appui à la conservation et à la valorisation du patrimoine naturel et culturel des Aires et territoires du Patrimoine Autochtone et Communautaire’’dans les forêts Kétou et AdjaOuèrè du Bénin’’
Organization: Benin Environment and Education Society BEES-NGO/ Porto Novo/BP 779; www.beesong.org/
Mission: Sustainable management and valorization of wetlands in Benin.
Bushcamp Nature Animator in National Park W in Benin
Activity: Organization of “Bushcamp” visits to W Park for primary and secondary schoolchildren
Activity: Community IEC campaigns (Information-Education-Communication).
Project: Use and distribution of 500 copies of the Human Lion Conflict Mitigation toolkit
Organization: Wildlife and Conservation Research Unit WildCRU / Oxford University/ martialkiki@gmail.com
Project manager/ Lion Guards Project in W National Park in Benin.
Activity: Use of "LocusMap" for the installation of photo traps in the WAP Complex (W-Arly-Pendjari)
Activity: Collection, treatment, and analysis of the data taken by the cameras trap on the big carnivores from WAP ecosystem (W- Arly-Pendjari).
Project: “ Lion Guards in W National Park.”
Organization: ADDBIO-NGO, BP 716 Natitingou, Benin: Contract C-001/2018/ADDBIO
Mission: Use of camera traps for estimating the wild animals' richness in Western Africa.
Intern/ GIS & Remote sensing.
Activity: Achievement of geographical location, land use and pedological maps.
Activity: Interactive Mapping on local farmers distribution in the North of Benin.
Activity: Risk mapping and crisis situation, Web alert and strategic communication.
Activity: Use of Remote sensing to contribute to sustainable conservation of wildlife in Benin.
Organization: Carto-SIG-Environment: Carré 2257/2258 Kouhounou, 10BP1178
Mission: Research Office in risk and disaster management in Benin.
Intern/ Bio-monitoring Service (BMS)
Activity: Diagnosis of the (EMS) functioning and proposal of sustainable solutions approaches.
Activity: Characterization of large ungulates footprints in the W / Benin Biosphere Reserve.
Activity: Pratical guide of large ungulates footprints identification in the W / Benin Biosphere Reserve.
Activity: Conduct of forest inventory and wildlife counting activities. Ethnobotanical survey.
Organization: Direction of W National Park (DPNW / Benin), Kossarou.
National Direction responsible for the W National Park management.
School Education
Dates: From July 2022 to July 2025
Program: Oppenheimer Generations Future Ecosystems for Africa Program
Title of qualification awarded: PhD Program in Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences
Principal subjects: Enhancing the resilience of African ecosystems and the well-being of its people through thought leadership and evidence-based research on the continent.
Name and type of organization: Global Change Institute/University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Funders: Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation, 2022; Tellus Foundation Scholarship, 2024
Dates: From September 2019 to September 2021
Program: Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree in Sustainable Territorial Development (STEDE)
Title of qualification awarded: MSc in Sustainable Territorial Development
Principal subjects: Comprehensive assessment of SDGs/Project Planning and Evaluation/ Sustainable Territorial Strategies
Name and type of organization: University of Padova, Italy/ Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium/ University Pantheon Sorbonne Paris, France/ University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Funders: European Commission Erasmus Scholarship, 2019
Dates: From October 2013 to June 2016
Program: Bachelor’s degree (BSc) in Wildlife and Protected Areas Management
Title of qualification awarded: BSc in Wildlife and Protected Areas Sustainability
Principal subjects: Wildlife and Protected Areas Management/Sustainable conservation of Biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystems
Name and type of organization: University of Parakou, Benin
Funders: Benin Government Scholarship, 2013
My projects
A journey of research and impact
Future Ecosystems for Africa
Future Ecosystems for Africa supports research to impact conservation and
Solving the Sustainability Challenges at the Food-Climate-Biodiversity Nexus
Solving-FCB is to support and facilitate the
Solving the Sustainability Challenges at the Food-Climate-Biodiversity Nexus
Seeds of Good Anthropocenes
Seeds of Good Anthropocenes gather seeds from diverse research disciplines
EVENTS
Recent and Upcoming events
Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS III) Conference, 12-15 August, 2024, Montreal, Canada
UNESCO strives to promote sustainability through its programs on World Heritage and Biosphere Reserves. The latter are conceived as model...
Research Visit at the Centre for Coastal Management – Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (CCM-ACECoR), 1 November-15 December 2023, University of Coast (UCC), Ghana
In the framework of my research studies, I, Sènankpon Tcheton, a Ph.D. student at the Global Change Institute of the...
IPBES Nature Futures Framework Workshop, 14-16 November 2022, Wits Rural, South Africa
The Future Ecosystems for Africa (FEFA) program co-funded the IPBES Nature Futures Framework workshop in partnership with the PBL Netherlands...
GALLERY
Expeditions images
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