A recent study published in the journal Nature on 10 April 2024 provides encouraging news for biodiversity conservation in the Congo Basin. Led by Utrecht University in the Netherlands, with the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the research highlights the positive impact of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests on the region’s wildlife.
Toute l'actu sur la protection de l'environnement
A recent study published in the journal Nature on 10 April 2024 provides encouraging news for biodiversity conservation in the Congo Basin. Led by Utrecht University in the Netherlands, with the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the research highlights the positive impact of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests on the region’s wildlife.
The results of the study, which lasted five years and involved hundreds of local employees, are unequivocal. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forest concessions are home to a larger population of threatened large mammals than non-certified forests. In fact, certified concessions have seen a significant increase in the number of large mammals such as gorillas and forest elephants, compared with non-certified areas. This increase is particularly notable for mammals weighing more than 220 kilograms, such as gorillas and forest elephants, with a 2.7-fold increase compared to non-certified areas.
These findings underline the crucial importance of FSC-certified forest concessions in protecting the wildlife of the Congo Basin. As well as providing a haven for critically endangered species, these certified forests play an essential role in seed dispersal, nutrient cycling and forest carbon storage in the region.
The challenges of FSC certification
However, the study highlights the persistent challenges facing biodiversity conservation in the region. In particular, the impact of illegal hunting on wildlife remains a major concern. Despite proactive measures taken by FSC-certified forestry companies, such as blocking old logging roads and supporting alternative sources of protein for local communities, illegal hunting continues to threaten biodiversity in the Congo Basin.
These results underline the crucial importance of responsible forest management in conserving biodiversity. FSC-certified forest concessions offer a concrete example of how wildlife conservation can be reconciled with sustainable economic development. Sustainable forestry practices support not only biodiversity, but also local communities and help combat climate change by preserving tropical forests.
Despite the obvious benefits of FSC certification, it is still largely concentrated in northern countries, with little involvement of tropical forests in southern countries. What’s more, small-scale forestry operations, particularly family or community forestry, are often excluded from the certification process, which limits their access to international markets.
Fanta Mabo
A new funding mechanism to protect the forests of the Congo Basin has been launched. Presented on 22 September 2023 at the UN Climate Summit in New York, the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Forest Fund (IIFF) will enable these groups to play a leading role in securing, protecting and managing the forests on which they depend. The $5 million initiative, launched by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN), is dedicated to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which holds around two-thirds of the forest in the Congo Basin.
The link between human rights and biodiversity is becoming clearer in Africa. In a study published in 2021, the Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) notes and deplores the low level of climate finance allocated to indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in tropical countries. Over the last ten years, they have received an average of only around 270 million dollars a year. This is equivalent to less than 1% of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) earmarked for climate change mitigation and adaptation over the same period. It also represents only 30% of what has been identified as necessary for transformational land reform in just 24 tropical countries.
But for IPLCs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the situation should improve. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the RFN have set up a fund that can be accessed directly by these peoples. This is the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Forest Fund (IIFF). Launched on 22 September 2023 at the United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York, this $5 million fund will enable indigenous forest peoples, particularly those from the Equateur and South Kivu provinces (Aka and Twa), to play a leading role in securing, protecting and managing the forests on which they depend. These groups are jealous of their ‘lands’ and have a long tradition of opposing deforestation and the illegal trade in wildlife. The creation of this facility demonstrates our commitment to facilitating financing opportunities for indigenous peoples and local communities while respecting their values and their role in protecting the forests of the Congo Basin. Communities play a central role in the protection of high integrity ecosystems and, in turn, high integrity ecosystems are essential to the well-being of communities, as their endogenous knowledge, traditions, livelihoods and land tenure systems are deeply linked to these DRC forests », explains Jean-Paul Kibambe, Country Programme Director for WCS DRC. And yet these first peoples, who witness illegal logging and mining in the forest on a daily basis, are often forgotten by the international community.
Part of the new funding will be used to combat the abusive evictions of indigenous peoples in the DRC and to give them direct access to capital (without intermediaries) to develop community forestry and their historically ecological practices. The launch of the Fund was also made possible by seed funding from the Bezos Earth Fund set up by US billionaire Jeff Bezos, the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) and the UK government’s €288 million Forest Governance, Markets and Climate Programme (FGMC).
Fanta Mabo
DRC: launch of a $5m support fund for indigenous forest peoples
A new funding mechanism to protect the forests of the Congo Basin has been launched. Presented on 22 September 2023 at the UN Climate Summit in New York, the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Forest Fund (IIFF) will enable these groups to play a leading role in securing, protecting and managing the forests on which they depend. The $5 million initiative, launched by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN), is dedicated to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which holds around two-thirds of the forest in the Congo Basin.
Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park has been awarded Gorilla FriendlyTM certification. The award of this ecolabel means that the protected area in the north of the Republic of Congo guarantees the application of best practice in all tourism or research operations involving gorillas, to safeguard the well-being of the primates and ensure the active inclusion of the park’s neighbouring communities.
Threatened by habitat loss and poaching, gorillas represent an important cultural, ecological and economic resource, the protection of which provides an opportunity to involve neighbouring communities. Those in charge of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park have understood this ecosystemic role. The protected area in the far north of the Republic of Congo has just been awarded Gorilla FriendlyTM certification.
Awarded by the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN) and the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), this certification is obtained after a process of verification of protocols and their application in the field, and requires an annual audit. It ensures that the management of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park follows the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines on best practice for great ape tourism and incorporates the criteria of the World Council on Sustainable Tourism.
« Gorilla Friendly » certification rewards decades of work devoted to habituating four (and soon five) groups of gorillas to the presence of humans, which has led to major advances in our understanding of their ecology and social structures, and which enables the park to offer a unique tourist experience. »The World Conservation Society (WCS), which has been managing Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park since 2014 under a public-private partnership (PPP) signed with the Congolese Ministry of Forest Economy, is delighted.
In February 2023, the park was expanded to include the Triangle de Djéké, an unlogged forest rich in gorillas, home to the three habituated gorilla groups and the Mondika research site. The Djéké Triangle includes a community sustainable use zone, allowing for the continued collection of non-timber forest products and traditional fishing.
Fanta Mabo
CONGO: Nouabalé-Ndoki Park receives Gorilla Friendly certification
Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park has been awarded Gorilla FriendlyTM certification. The award of this ecolabel means that the protected area in the north of the Republic of Congo guarantees the application of best practice in all tourism or research operations involving gorillas, to safeguard the well-being of the primates and ensure the active inclusion of the park’s neighbouring communities.
La Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), annonce son adhésion à la Coalition for Aquatic/Blue Foods, une initiative internationale visant à accroître l’importance des aliments bleus intelligents face au climat et la dégradation de la biodiversité marine. Par cette alliance, l’organisation non gouvernementale (ONG) américaine dont l’objectif est la préservation de la nature en Afrique, entend travailler avec les gouvernements et les communautés pour promouvoir la pêche durable.
La Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), va promouvoir les systèmes alimentaires bleus et intelligents auprès de ses partenaires africains. C’est tout le sens de son adhésion à la Coalition for Aquatic/Blue Foods, une initiative internationale visant à accroître l’importance des aliments bleus intelligents face au changement climatique et la dégradation de la biodiversité marine. « Nous aiderons les pêcheurs, leurs communautés et leurs gouvernements à défendre la vision de la coalition. Notamment l’adoption de la pêche à petite échelle pour leur nutrition, la préservation de leur biodiversité ainsi que leur croissance économique » promet l’organisation non gouvernementale (ONG) américaine dont l’objectif est la préservation de la nature en Afrique.
Lancée le 30 juin 2022 à Lisbonne (Portugal) lors de la Conférence des Nations Unies sur les océans, la Coalition for Aquatic/Blue Foods est une étape clé vers la réalisation du plein potentiel des aliments bleus pour mettre fin à la malnutrition et construire des systèmes alimentaires respectueux de la nature et résilients au changement climatique.
Les membres de cette coalition reconnaissent que les aliments bleus, c’est-à-dire les poissons, les crustacés, les plantes aquatiques et les algues capturés ou cultivés dans des écosystèmes d’eau douce et marine, jouent un rôle central dans la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle de milliards de personnes à travers le monde. Par ailleurs le secrétariat de la Conférence des Nations Unies sur les océans estime que 800 millions de personnes dépendent des systèmes alimentaires bleus pour leurs moyens de subsistance.
Cas du Mozambique avec le WCS
Bien avant d’intégrer la Coalition for Aquatic/Blue Foods, la WCS accompagnait déjà le gouvernement Mozambicain dans la promotion de la pêche artisanale durable. La WCS a notamment contribué à l’élaboration du nouveau règlement de la pêche maritime au mozambique, en y introduisant des améliorations qui permettront la pleine opérationnalisation de la cogestion de la pêche et la légalisation des zones de récupération des ressources temporaires et permanentes.
Boris Ngounou
AFRIQUE : WCS rejoint la Coalition for Aquatic/Blue Foods, pour la biodiversité
La Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), annonce son adhésion à la Coalition for Aquatic/Blue Foods, une initiative internationale visant à accroître l’importance des aliments bleus intelligents face au climat et la dégradation de la biodiversité marine. Par cette alliance, l’organisation non gouvernementale (ONG) américaine dont l’objectif est la préservation de la nature en Afrique, entend travailler avec les gouvernements et les communautés pour promouvoir la pêche durable.
The Niassa Special Reserve in northern Mozambique is home to the world’s largest population of Taita falcons. Although the site was not part of the range of this bird of prey, 37 individuals were discovered there by researchers from BirdLife South Africa. Conservationists are calling for increased protection of Niassa to protect the breeding population of Taita falcons, Africa’s rarest raptor.
The level of protection for the Niassa Special Reserve in northern Mozambique may increase in the coming months. The protected area, which was not listed in the range of the Taita falcon, is now its main stronghold. Thirty-seven individuals of Africa’s rarest raptor species were discovered nesting on cliffs overlooking the Niassa Forest, the territory where they hunt small avian prey.
The discovery was made during a study conducted in April 2022 by a team of researchers from the South African branch of BirdLife, an international non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to the protection of nature and birds in particular. The study was funded by the Peregrine Fund, an organization that works to conserve and breed threatened and endangered raptors around the world. It aimed to accurately assess the extinction risk of the Taita falcon, after the recent disappearance of a breeding population of the species on the rocky cliffs of Batoka in northwestern Zimbabwe.
Protecting the breeding population of Taita falcons
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), an American NGO whose goal is the preservation of nature in the world and particularly in Africa, participated in this study. And in agreement with the BirdLife South Africa team, the researchers recommend that the level of protection of the Niassa Special Reserve be increased in order to preserve its breeding population of Taita falcons.
Classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, the Taita falcon, whose scientific name is Falco fasciinucha, is considered the rarest raptor species in Africa. It breeds sporadically from southern Ethiopia to northeastern South Africa. There are however scattered records of small populations in Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Fanta Mabo
MOZAMBIQUE: the largest population of Taita falcons discovered in Niassa
The Niassa Special Reserve in northern Mozambique is home to the world’s largest population of Taita falcons. Although the site was not part of the range of this bird of prey, 37 individuals were discovered there by researchers from BirdLife South Africa. Conservationists are calling for increased protection of Niassa to protect the breeding population of Taita falcons, Africa’s rarest raptor.