European Union grant for Conkouati-Douli National Park

Oct 22, 2022 | NEWSROOM

PRESS RELEASE

Brazzaville, Tuesday, September 27, 2022. As a prelude to the launch of the project entitled “Converging socio-economic interests and ecological issues in the management of the Conkouati-Douli National Park“, a ceremony of the grant contract was organized this Tuesday, September 27, in the premises of the Delegation of the European Union. Implemented by the NGO Noé, this project aims to ensure sustainable management of the flora and fauna of the Conkouati-Douli National Park while improving the living conditions of the communities in and around it.

It is co-financed by the European Union to the tune of 810,000 euros in the form of grants, or about 529 million CFA francs, which represents 84% of the total cost of the project (967,838 euros). Within the framework of the cooperation between the Republic of Congo and the European Union, the NGO Noé will work for the implementation of this project alongside the Ministry of Forest Economy, its partners and other stakeholders. The Conkouati-Douli National Park (CDNP) is an area of 5,050 km2 of rich and diverse ecosystems and an eco-development zone of about 7,000 people spread over 30 villages.

The NGO Noé has the mandate for the integrated management of the PNCD since April 2021 (delegation of management by the Ministry of Forest Economy) and will carry out the project with the general aim of improving the conservation of ecosystems and endangered species in the park, converging economic interests and ecological issues. In this context, the EU grant will allow Noé and its partners to implement activities in and around the park with a particular focus on community development, sustainable fisheries, and participatory processes in park management.Specifically, the project activities are structured around three specific objectives:

The communities of the parc have economic benefits, and are actively involved in its sustainable management of natural resources. Conflicts between humans and wildlife are reduced, artisanal fishing is strengthened and a new green industry is established. The potential of tourism is developed within the framework of a strategy for the conservation of natural resources and the environment of the parc.

CONGO : Participatory mapping workshops underway

In a large outdoor space, between the mud houses built in the heart of one of the villages in the Conkouati-Douli National Park in Congo, a few dozen men, women and children form a circle. In the centre, they have laid out two large pieces of blue fabric on the...

Metal Snare Straps, a deadly scourge for wildlife in Congo

When an animal is lucky enough to survive a metal snare trap, it most often goes limp as a result of mutilation. When less fortunate, it agonizes, dying slowly from injury,stress and panic, dehydration or starvation, or from being eaten by predators.Unfortunately, the...

CHAD : THE DAYLY LIFE OF COMMUNITY AGENTS

Their names are Alioum, Abakar, Nouraddine... There are 12 of them working full time, crisscrossing the Binder-Léré Protected Area Complex in Chad by motorcycle, right up to its green heart, the Zah Soo National Park, created in 2022. They are community agents, and...

Nomad tents: when the wooden structure becomes metallic to decrease deforestation

Louwa Goukouni Hassane sits happily with our community worker and translator at the foot of the new tent her family gave her daughter Amina for her wedding. The structure, covered with straw mats, stands next to the parents' and family's tents in the Fini-Fini camp in...

March 8th: International Day of Women’s Rights

The International Day of Women's Rights, which was formalized by the United Nations more than 45 years ago and whose origins are linked to the history of workers' struggles and women's demonstrations at the turn of the 20th century in North America and Europe, is an...

Zah-Soo, a national park under strong pastoral pressure

The National Park of Zah Soo, located in south-western Chad in the Mayo-Kebbi West province, was created in March 2022 when the core zone of the Binder-Léré Wildlife Reserve and its periphery (north, south-east) was converted into fully protected areas. This process...

Focus on a challenge of the Conkouati-Douli National Park: cassiterite

Less known to the general public than gold, cassiterite, which is present in the park, is one of the most precious minerals in the world. Cassiterite is used to produce tin, which is an important component of many products such as electronics and automotive parts,...

When the clay oven combines ecology and economy

In sub-Saharan Africa, where millions of people have little access to electricity or gas, firewood and charcoal are the main sources of energy for cooking, accounting for three-quarters of the total energy demand. The 150,000 people who live in and around the...

About 4,100 dorcas gazelles in the Termit Massif

The photographic traps set up in the Termit Massif in the Termit and Tin-Toumma Nature Reserve in Niger allowed for a precise monitoring of dorcas gazelles in 2022. The analysis of the data collected leads to an estimate of 1.37 gazelles/km², which corresponds to...

Creation of Zah Soo National Park in Chad

Zah Soo National Park, the 4th National Park of Chad, with an area of 815 km², is a still intact core area of the Binder-Léré Wildlife Reserve. Located in the southwest of Chad, in a gradient of unique ecosystems of Sudano-Sahelian environments, this mosaic of...