IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library
   

 

View printer friendly
Iucn/Paco,
Parks and reserves in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - evaluation of the management effectiveness of protected areas
2010  Full Book

The protected areas network of the Democratic Republic of Congo covers about 11% of the national territory. It includes diversified landscapes, from upland forests, thick and wet, to savannah areas and includes five world heritage sites. DRC PAs are globally representative of the regions' ecosystems. Despite the high pressure on them, the biodiversity is very rich and is still home to emblematic species such as Okapi, Gorilla, Congolese peacock, etc. In addition to their biological importance, protected areas remain essential for bordering populations, insofar as they draw many resources for their subsistence (medicinal plants, subsistence fishing, wood, honey, etc.) and contain many sites of cultural or spiritual importance with high value for the bordering population. But these protected areas are also tragically coveted and this can be seen in the field by a multitude of pressures (farming, illegal use of the protected areas pasture, traditional mining in protected areas, settlement of populations in the protected areas, etc.), the illegal exploitation of flora resources (for timber and firewood) and pollution (coming from surrounding mining industries). Poaching, which is present in all the protected areas assessed, has increased for the last five years in most of them. This recrudescence is mainly linked to the evolution of the climate of insecurity that favours authorities' corruption and seriously hinders parks' surveillance and control. Harvesting is done by both bordering populations and gangs settled in some parks. Most protected areas do not have any management document and, apart from the protected areas supported by partners, funding remain very low and human resources insufficient. This evaluation seems to highlight three categories of protected areas management effectiveness in DRC: - the most advanced ones, effectively supported by partners: Garamba, Kahuzi Biega, Okapi, Lomako and Virunga; - those which are still far from ensuring their primary function of conservation: Kundelungu, Ma‹ko, Salonga and Upemba national parks, Itombwe natural reserve, the Mangroves park, Nsele integral reserve and Bombo Lumene and Bushima‹e hunting domains; - those which are practically virtual in the field: Basse Kando, Bili Uere, and Manga‹ hunting domains, and Mont Hoyo integral reserve. This first analysis should be confirmed by a refined comparison based on quantified data, some of which already exist, particularly in the sites supported by international partners. Participants have made many recommendations. They are essentially directed to ICCN and are about improving the planning and coordination of actions (within the institute, with partners and among all the actors). Of course, this requires more means: financial, technical, but mostly human, particularly through a more enhancive use of the competencies available, but also through an ambitious training programme for the staff. These means also include an improved knowledge of the situation in order to be able, in the end, to measure the impact of the work done. Also, they underline the need to develop new behaviours (including at the highest level of the State) or modes of management with partners (public, private and communities). Even if they do not take up all the challenges identified in this document, we can consider that their implementation will enable to make important progress towards the conservation of protected areas in DRC.

PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here

 

(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union)