Focus 9 okassets.panda.org/downloads/focus_9_ok.pdf- Kudu Zombo/ Campo Ma’an - Jengi: L’esprit...

Living Planet Report 2006

- Le D.G. de WWF visite le Cameroun

- WWF en Afrique Centrale

- WWF in Cameroon

- Kudu Zombo/ Campo Ma’an

- Jengi: L’esprit de la forêt

- Northern Sudannian Savanah

- Coastal Forests ProgrammeDr. James P. Leape, Director General, WWF

Time to make somevital choices

Il faut alléger notreempreinte écologique

sur notre planète bleue

Le Rapport planète Vivante 2006

Podium: WWF CARPO Staff wins UNESCO’syoung scientist award

CARPO FOCUSSpecial Issue - October - December, 2006

for a living planet R

Contents Editorial

CARPO FOCUSWWF CARPO, Rue Citronnelle,Panda House, BAT Compound,Bastos Yaoundé - Cameroun,

B.P: 6776; Tél +237 221 70 83. Fax 237 221 42 40

E-mail: [email protected]: www.panda.org

In welcoming the Directorof WWF International tothe region, we thought ofoffering our readers a cut ofthe huge cake that makes upthe Central Africa sub region.This could only be possiblethrough painting a generalpicture of the sub region withparticular attention to the allimportant Congo BasinForests area.WWF has been working inthese forests alongside abroad range of partners for more than two decades. At the region-al level, WWF helped convene Central Africa's leaders in two his-toric summits, resulting in Africa's first region wide conservationtreaty and millions of acres of new protected areas. WWF's workhas not only helped raise the necessary resources needed butalso contributed to the creation of a global partnership of govern-ments, aid agencies and conservation groups.Perhaps the tungsten filament of this issue is the Living PlanetReport 2006 which shows the natural state of the world and theimpact of human activity on it. As Dr. James P. Leape (DirectorGeneral of WWF International) notes, "it is not good news - thatwe are using the planet's resources faster than they can berenewed". The weight of ecological footprint is heavily being felt by poorcountries which are getting hotter. Droughts are becoming pro-longed. Inundations are becoming biblical. Tropical forest is van-ishing at a rate of 5% a decade, wrecking habitats and releasing3 billion tones of carbon dioxide a year, which is a fifth of globalgreenhouse emissions. There is need for a big change. WWF is working relentlessly with governments who are striving toreduce biodiversity loss by protecting vital habitats and species.We take this opportunity to applaud the government of Cameroonfor moving on to designate Lake Barombi Mbo as its secondWetland of International importance not long after the designationof Waza Logone flood plains.Finally, there is need to celebrate again in CARPO. After two of itsstaff won WWF outstanding conservation awards early this year,here comes another victory. Inogwabini Bila-Isia, (one of our DRCbased staff) picked up one of 26 research grants awarded byUNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. Permit meto underline that, WWF recognises that knowledge, experience,determination, credibility and global out reach either in the field orin policy work are ingredients needed to succeed in the uphill taskof conservation. This award is an indicator of our passion and per-severance to find the best solutions to save nature.

Laurent SoméRegional RepresentativeWWF CARPO

The full weight of ecological footprintEmpreinte écologique mondial:L'Afrique fait face à une catastrophe..3

Human footprint too big for nature ....4

l'Empreinte Ecologique de l'humanitéa plus que triplé ............................... 5

Conservation in the Heart of Africa ... 6

Central Africa: A Magical, MysticalPlace ............................................... 7

A Historic Convergence.................... 8

Conservation in the heart of Africa:Global Partnerships............................8

La conservation en Afrique Centrale:Un développement historique........... 9

WWF in Cameroon - Footprints of conservation.................11

Improving livelihoods for local peoplein North Cameroon: NorthernSavannah Project..............................14

L’esprit de la forêt: Jengi.................. 15

Coastal Forests Programme.............17

Barombi Mbo Crater Lake becomesCameroon's second Wetland ofInternational Importance...................18

Campo Ma’an - Kudo Zombo...........19

Le D.G. de WWF visite leCameroun........................................ 21

WWF CARPO Staff wins UNESCO’syoung scientist award...................... 22

Indigenous people's rights in Campo Ma'an management plan..... 23

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Chrono-environnement

CARPO Focus, Special issue October - December 2006

Face à l'épuisement programmé des ressourcesnaturelles, les gouvernements et les individus quisouhaitent mettre en oeuvre les concepts dudéveloppement durable ont besoin d'outils perti-

nents pour mesurer le résultat de leurs efforts.L'empreinte écologique est un de ces indicateurs. Ellemesure la pression qu'exerce l'homme sur la nature,sachant que chaque personne a un impact sur l'environ-nement de par sa façon de vivre. C'est un outil qui éval-ue la surface productive nécessaire à une populationpour répondre à sa consommation de ressources et à sesbesoins d'absorption des déchets. Selon le ''Rapport Planète Vivante 2006'' du WWF, l'hu-manité consommera en 2050 l'équivalent des ressourcesannuelles de deux planètes comme la terre. La destruc-tion de l'environnement atteint un rythme jamais vuauparavant. L'empreinte de l'humanité a commencé àdépasser la capacité de production et de régénérationdes ressources naturelles à partir des années 1980 et aété multiplié par trois entre 1961 et 2003. En 2003, ellereprésentait 2,2 hectares par habitant, alors que la Terrene peut offrir que 1,8 ha par tête, selon le rapport. Noussommes donc comme une entreprise qui puiserait dansson capital pour faire face à ses dépenses. Le WWF s'inquiète particulièrement de la croissancerapide de la consommation de combustibles polluants(pétrole, gaz et charbon), qui a été multipliée par neufentre 1961 et 2003. "Nous sommes gravement à décou-vert sur le plan écologique: nous consommons lesressources plus vite que la Terre ne les régénère", dit ledirecteur général du WWF, James Leape, appelant àfaire rapidement "des choix vitaux" pour l'avenir de laplanète. L'étude permet aussi de mettre en évidence de profondesdisparités écologiques entre les pays. L'empreinte parpersonne des pays à hauts revenus est en moyenne sixfois plus élevée que celle des pays à faibles revenus. Lespays riches (les Emirats Arabes Unis et les Etats-Unis entête) sont ceux qui ont les plus grands déficitsécologiques. Pourtant, l'impact d'une empreinteécologique mondiale démesurée, comme le réchauffe-ment climatique notamment, sera plus catastrophiquepour les pays pauvres. L'Afrique est probablement le continent le plus vulnérableà tous les effets négatifs du changement climatique etcelui qui est confronté aux plus grands défis d'adaptation.Cette vulnérabilité extrême s'explique par le fait que 70%de la population africaine vit de l'agriculture, dont les ren-dements dépendent à plus de 95% de l'eau de pluie.Souffrant déjà de sécheresses récurrentes, le rendementdes cultures céréalières pourrait baisser de 5% d'ici aux

années 2080 en Afrique. Le nombre de personnes men-acées par des inondations côtières atteindrait 70 millionsd'individus en 2080 alors que, d'ici la fin du siècle, plus de180 millions de personnes en Afrique sud-sahariennepourraient mourir de maladies directement attribuablesau changement du climat, comme le paludisme ou la mal-nutrition. L'écart entre la prise de conscience du réchauffement cli-matique qu'affichent les pays riches et les mesuresréellement mises en place est immense. Les pays indus-trialisés n'ont pas tenu les promesses faites à l'Afrique etleurs émissions de gaz à effet de serre ne cessent d'aug-menter. Alors qu'elle est le continent habité qui produit lemoins de gaz à effet de serre, l'Afrique va devoir faireface à une catastrophe annoncée si la communauté inter-nationale ne fait rien pour réduire l'empreinte écologiquemondiale et limiter rapidement les effets du réchauffe-ment climatique.La communauté internationale doit urgemment prendredes mesures pour réduire l'empreinte écologique et lesappliquer. Des mesures telles que la maîtrise de la démo-graphie, la diminution de la consommation, l'augmenta-tion des modes de production écologiques, une meilleuregestion des ressources naturelles et la préservation de labiodiversité sont absolument nécesaires. Les pays richessont appelés à tenir les engagements du Protocole deKyoto.

Pour ce qui est des pays africains, une urgente réflexionstratégique doit être menée afin de modifier les rapportsde force internationaux et de contraindre les pays richeset sur-consommateurs à adopter les positions africainessur la préservation de l'environnement. La réorientationdes échanges internationaux, des transferts substantielsde technologie, des soutiens financiers conséquents etdes partenariats à long terme devront être mis en place.

Par Dr. TCHAMBA MartinDirecteur TechniqueWWF Bureau du Programme du Cameroon

EMPREINTE ECOLOGIQUE MONDIALE:

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WWF's 2006 Living Planet Report, the bienni-al statement on the state of the natural world,says that on current projections humanity willbe using two planets' worth of naturalresources by 2050 - if those resources havenot run out by then. It also confirms the trendof biodiversity loss seen in previous LivingPlanet reports.

Already resources are depleting, with thereport showing that vertebrate species popu-lations have declined by about one-third in the33 years from 1970 to 2003. At the same time,humanity's Ecological Footprint - the demandpeople place upon the natural world - hasincreased to the point where the Earth isunable to keep up in the struggle to regener-ate. "We are in serious ecological overshoot, con-suming resources faster than the Earth canreplace them," WWF International's DirectorGeneral James Leape said. "The conse-

quences of this are predictable and dire." "It is time to make some vital choices," headded. "Change that improves living stan-dards while reducing our impact on the natu-ral world will not be easy. The cities, powerplants and homes we build today will eitherlock society into damaging over-consumptionbeyond our lifetimes, or begin to propel thisand future generations towards sustainableliving."The Living Planet Report, launched in Beijing,China, pulls together various data to compiletwo indicators of the Earth's well-being.The first, the Living Planet Index, measuresbiodiversity, based on trends in more than3,600 populations of 1,300 vertebrate speciesaround the world. In all, data for 695 terrestri-al, 344 freshwater and 274 marine specieswere analyzed. Terrestrial species declined by31 per cent, freshwater species by 28 percent, and marine species by 27 per cent.

The second index, the Ecological Footprint,measures humanity's demand on the bios-phere. Humanity's footprint has more thantripled between 1961 and 2003. This reportshows that our footprint exceeded biocapacityby 25 per cent in 2003. In the previous report(based on data to 2001), this figure was 21per cent. The carbon dioxide footprint, fromthe use of fossil fuels, was the fastest growingcomponent of our global footprint, increasingmore than ninefold from 1961 to 2003.

Countries of over a million people with thelargest footprint, in global hectares per per-son, are the United Arab Emirates, the UnitedStates of America, Finland, Canada, Kuwait,Australia, Estonia, Sweden, New Zealand andNorway. China comes mid-way in world rank-ings, at number 69, but its growing economyand rapid development mean it has a key rolein keeping the world on the path to sustain-ability.

The 2006 living planet report was launchedin Beijing, China in October 2006.

Human footprint too big for nature

"We are in serious ecologicalovershoot, consumingresources faster than the Earthcan replace them,"

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The world's natural ecosystems are beingdegraded at a rate unprecedented in humanhistory, according to a report releasedrecently by WWF, the global conservationorganization.

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Le WWF a initié les Rapports Planète Vivanteen 1998 pour mieux faire connaître la situa-tion du monde naturel et l'impact des activ-ités humaines sur celle-ci. Depuis, nous

avons constamment raffiné et développé nosmesures de l'état de santé de la Terre. Les nouvelles ne sont pas bonnes. Le RapportPlanète Vivante 2006 confirme que nous utilisonsles ressources de la planète plus vite qu'elles nepeuvent se renouveler - les dernières donnéesdisponibles (pour 2003) indiquent que l'EmpreinteEcologique de l'humanité, notre impact sur laplanète, a plus que triplé depuis 1961. A présent,notre empreinte excède d'environ 25% la capacitédu monde à se régénérer. Les conséquences de notre pression croissante surles systèmes naturels de la Terre sont à la foisprévisibles et funestes. L'autre indice de ce rapport,l'Indice Planète Vivante, montre une perte rapide etcontinuelle de biodiversité - les populations devertébrés ont décliné de presque un tiers depuis1970. Ceci confirme les tendances précédentes.Le message de ces deux indices est clair et urgent: nous avons excédé la capacité de la Terre àsoutenir nos styles de vie pendant les 20 dernièresannées et nous devons arrêter. Nous devons équili-brer notre consommation et la capacité de la natureà se régénérer et à absorber nos déchets souspeine de dommages irréversibles.Nous savons où commencer. Le facteur le plusdéterminant de notre empreinte est la manière dontnous générons et utilisons l'énergie. Le RapportPlanète Vivante indique que notre dépendance vis-à-vis des combustibles fossiles pour répondre à nosbesoins énergétiques continue de croître et que lesémissions à effet de serre représentent à présent

48% - presque la moitié - de notre empreinte glob-ale.Nous savons aussi, grâce à ce rapport, que le défide réduction de notre empreinte s'inscrit au cœur denos modèles de développement économiqueactuels. En comparant l'Empreinte Ecologique àl'Indice de Développement des Nations Unies lerapport montre clairement que ce que nos accep-tons en ce moment comme développement " élevé" est bien loin de l'objectif déclaré du développe-ment durable. Des pays améliorent le bien-être deleur population tout en contournant l'objectif dedurabilité et entrent dans ce que nous appelons la "surexploitation " - utilisant plus de ressources quece que la planète ne peut soutenir. Il est inévitableque ce chemin limite les capacités des pays pauvresà se développer et des pays riches à maintenir leurprospérité.Il est temps de faire certains choix vitaux. Mettre enœuvre des changements qui améliorent le niveaude vie tout en réduisant notre impact sur la naturene sera pas facile. Mais nous devons reconnaîtreque ce sont les choix d'aujourd'hui qui condition-neront nos opportunités futures pendant longtemps.Ce sont les villes, les centrales nucléaires et lesmaisons que nous construisons aujourd'hui quipiégeront notre société dans une consommationpréjudiciable ou qui propulseront cette génération etles suivantes vers un mode de vie durable.La bonne nouvelle est que c'est possible. Nous dis-posons déjà de technologies pour alléger notreempreinte, y compris de technologies pour réduiresignificativement les émissions de dioxyde de car-bone qui contribuent au réchauffement climatique.Et certains ont commencé. Le WWF travaille avecdes compagnies de premier plan qui agissent pourréduire l'empreinte - diminuant les émissions de car-bone et promouvant la durabilité dans d'autressecteurs, des pêches aux forêts. Nous travaillonsaussi avec des gouvernements qui luttent pourenrayer la perte de biodiversité en protégeant deshabitats vitaux sur une échelle sans précédent.Mais nous devons faire plus. Le message duRapport Planète Vivante 2006 est que nous vivonsau-dessus de nos moyens et que ce sont les choixque chacun de nous fera aujourd'hui qui déter-mineront les possibilités des générations qui noussuivront.

James P. LeapeDirecteur général du WWF International

l'Empreinte Ecologique de l'humanité a plus que triplé


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The issue at stake!

Conservation in the Heart of Africa

Deep inside Central Africa's forests traditional hunter-gather-ers known as BaAka pygmies sing, drum and dance inhonor of the Jengi, or the Spirit of the Forest. The Jengi ismother, father and guardian, feeding, housing and protecting

the BaAka while nurturing their souls. They attribute their almost mys-tical knowledge of the forest and its wildlife to the Jengi, and pledge toprotect it at all costs.WWF has been working in these forests alongside the BaAka andother indigenous people for more than two decades. Hundreds of ded-icated conservationists run health and education programs, equip andtrain park staff, run antipoaching patrols and develop ecotourism.Atthe regional level, WWF helped convene Central Africa's leaders intwo historic summits, resulting in Africa's first region wide conservationtreaty and millions of acres of new protected areas.. And globally,WWF's work has helped raise millions of dollars in support from theUnited States and European Union and create a global partnership ofgovernments, aid agencies and conservation groups.

The forest is mother, father andguardian, feeding,housing and pro-tecting thousandsof people inCentral Africa

BaAka pygmies in Central Africa gearing up for a net hunting expedition


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Central Africa: A Magical, Mystical Place

The BaAka occupy asmall part of the 470million acre CongoBasin, the Earth's sec-

ond largest rainforest andhome to some of its most spec-tacular and endangeredwildlife. About 400 mammalspecies live here, including theworld's largest populations oflowland gorillas, chimpanzees,bonobos and forest elephants.More than 655 bird species flyunder the dense canopy andover 10,000 plant species takeroot in the forest floor - manywith medicinal properties andexisting only here. The BaAka share this land with60 million other people from avariety of ethnic groups, about70 percent of who rely on natu-ral resources for their liveli-hoods. Central Africa also harborsvast economic wealth. By2015, 25 percent of the US oilsupply will come from theregion. Vast reserves of miner-als still remain to be untappedand there is a huge potentialfor the sustainable productionof hydropower. The forestsalso play a critical role in regu-lating the world's climate.

Forest FearsWith all of these resources it isno surprise that the CongoBasin is under intense pres-sure. Around 3.7 million acresof forest are lost each year toagriculture, unsustainable log-ging, road and infrastructuredevelopment, oil exploitationand mining. Studies show thatif current trends continue, twothirds of the Congo's forestscould be lost within 50 years.

The Congo Basin is the Earth's secondlargest rainforest and home to some of itsmost spectacular and endangered wildlife.The region is blanketed by a patchwork quilt of logging conces-sions. While the logging itself is usually selective and does littledamage, the associated roads, infrastructure and migrationdegrade the surrounding landscape and result in massivewildlife depletion for the bush meat trade.

Wildlife species such as parrots, crocodiles and lizards are alsohunted for trophies, fetishes and the pet trade. Elephants arestill poached extensively for their meat and ivory.

Clearing for agriculture and mining for diamonds and coltan (acompound found in many electronic instruments such as mobilephones) also destroys large parts of the Congo Basin eachyear.

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Conservation in the heart ofAfrica: Global PartnershipsWWF works with businesses across CentralAfrica and the world to encourage them to oper-ate in a more ecologically friendly way. InGabon's Minkebe Forest, park rangers and log-ging company staff patrol logging roads lookingfor illegal bush meat. Next door in Cameroonfour timber companies joined the Central AfricaForest & Trade Network, part of a global initia-tive organized by WWF to promote responsibleforestry.

An alliance between WWF and the World Bankis yielding results in the Congo Basin. Theorganizations use their combined expertise andglobal influence to establish effective forestmanagement in transboundary protected areas,build trust funds to finance conservation, andinfluence logging companies to operate in amore sustainable way.

On the scientific front, WWF led the develop-ment of a Congo Basin Biological Vision that isrecognized as the blueprint for much of theregion's conservation. Bringing together thebest minds in science, policy, business and fieldwork, this vision is about conservation at alarge, ecoregional scale within boundaries setby nature, not politics.

A Historic ConvergenceThe recent signing of Africa's first region-wideconservation treaty by 10 heads of state inBrazzaville, Republic of Congo, was a historicwatershed in the Congo Basin. The treatymeans that conservation activities throughoutthe Congo Basin will now be centrally coordi-nated, resulting in unprecedented cooperationacross borders on numerous crucial issues.But the treaty wasn't the only major develop-ment at the Brazzaville Summit. WWF workedclosely with environment ministers fromCameroon, Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville tosecure passage of the TRIDOM Accord - atransborder agreement that will help conserve7.5 percent of the entire Congo Basin. A thirdWWF-championed agreement was also signedat the summit -- The Sangha River TrinationalAccord allows the free movement of park staffbetween three contiguous parks in Cameroon ,CAR and Congo Brazzaville.These accords mean that park rangers nolonger have to watch helplessly as poachersescape across international borders - they cannow work with their colleagues from othercountries to apprehend them. Such cooperation was just a dream six yearsago when many of the same heads of state metin Yaoundé Cameroon for the first historic sum-mit, co-chaired by WWF. The Yaoundé processhas resulted in millions of acres of new protect-ed areas, new initiatives to tackle the bushmeat problem and an increase in the involve-ment of indigenous people in conservation. The "Yaoundé Process" also sowed the seedsfor two major developments -- the $53 millionCongo Basin Forest Partnership - a US govern-ment initiative of which WWF is a partner -- andthe creation of 13 national parks in Gabon cov-ering almost 11 percent of the country.

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Le Bassin du Congo renferme le quart des forêts tropicales dumonde et constitue, après l'Amazonie, la deuxième plus grandeétendue de forêt tropicale humide.- Cette région recèle d'innom-brables espèces végétales et animales, parmi lesquelles les

gorilles, les éléphants et les léopards. D'une superficie de plus de 190millions d'hectares, les forêts recouvrent presque la totalité de l'AfriqueCentrale, et s'étend sur six pays - le Cameroun, la Guinée Equatoriale,le Gabon, la République Centrafricaine, la République du Congo(Brazzaville) et la République Démocratique du Congo. Abritant plus de 50 % de la flore et de la faune de l'Afrique, les forêtsdu Bassin du Congo revêtent une importance sur les plans local,national et mondial. Au niveau local, les forêts constituent une sourceessentielle pour l'alimentation, les matériaux et l'abri pour plus de 20millions de personnes, et jouent un rôle important dans les systèmes decroyance de nombreux peuples de la forêt. Extrêmement riche enressources naturelles, le Bassin du Congo revêt une importance con-sidérable pour les économies nationales. La production de pétrole brutde la région a dépassé les 4 millions de barils par jour en 2000 - plusque l'Iran, le Venezuela ou le Mexique. Il existe également d'abon-dantes réserves de minéraux, et d'énormes potentiels pour l'exploita-tion durable de l'énergie hydroélectrique. S'agissant de son importancesur le plan mondial, les forêts du Bassin du Congo ne sauraient êtresous-estimées. Outre leur riche et singulière biodiversité, les forêtsjouent également un rôle essentiel dans la régulation du cycle clima-tique de la planète.

La conservation en Afrique Centrale: Un développement historique

Extrêmement richeen ressourcesnaturelles, leBassin du Congorevêt une impor-tance considérablepour les économiesnationales

La Deuxième Sommet sur les Forêts,(Brazzaville Février 2005)


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les forêts du Bassin du Congo en péril

En dépit de leur prodigieuse valeur, les forêtsdu Bassin du Congo sont en péril. La régionperd 1,5 millions d'hectares de forêt chaqueannée en raison de l'exploitation forestière nonrationnelle, la construction des routes et la miseen place de certaines infrastructures, l'exploita-tion pétrolière et l'extraction minière. Ces activ-ités représentent environ le tiers des 4 millionsd'hectares de forêts détruites chaque année enAfrique - une surface deux fois plus grande quela Belgique. Si l'on n'y met pas un frein, environ70 % des forêts de la région pourrait disparaîtred'ici à 2040. Les espèces vitales tant pour lefonctionnement de l'écosystème que pour lasubsistance de la communauté locale sont vic-times de braconnage pour le commerce de laviande de brousse et trafic international (tel quele trafic de l'ivoire).

EspoirNéanmoins, de récents évènements offrent l'op-portunité d'inverser radicalement ces ten-dances négatives. Lancée en 1996, une pre-mière initiative prometteuse a été dans ledomaine de la collaboration régionale lorsqueles Ministres en charge des Forêts, les ONG etles organisations internationales signèrent unedéclaration en faveur de la conservation desforêts - Le Processus de Brazzaville. Cela futsuivi par le Sommet de Yaoundé sur les Forêtsen 1999, qui porta la conservation des forêts ausein de la région à un niveau politique plusélevé. A l'issue du sommet, les Chefs d'Etat desix pays d'Afrique Centrale signèrent laDéclaration de Yaoundé en présence desreprésentants de la communauté interna-tionale, y compris la Banque Mondiale, lesNations Unies et la Commission Européenne.Cette Déclaration contenant les engagementsspécifiques en matière de conservation et degestion durable des forêts a débouché sur desréalisations concrètes en termes de conserva-tion, y compris la création de millionsd'hectares de nouvelles aires de forêts pro-tégées, la sécurisation des financements, lacoopération transfrontalière, et la mise sur pieddu Conférence des Ministres en charge desForêts en Afrique Centrale (COMIFAC). Un sep-tième pays d'Afrique Centrale, en l'occurrence,la RDC, a depuis lors signé la Déclaration de

Yaoundé.

élargissement des engagementsPendant la Deuxième Sommet sur lesForêts,(Brazzaville Février 2005) les gouverne-ments de l'Afrique Centrale ont célébrer cesréalisations et en même temps renforcer leurengagement commun d'assurer la conserva-tion des forêts du Bassin du Congo. Ce nouvelélan comprend la signature du tout premiertraité régional sur la conservation et la gestiondurable des écosystème forestier en Afrique,notamment le Traité COMIFAC; la signature etla ratification de l'Accord TRIDOM, une initiativetripartite et transfrontalière de conservation; etl'élargissement du Processus de Yaoundé envue d'inclure l'Angola et Sao Tome et Principe.Les pays participants ont également renouvelerleurs engagements à prendre des mesures envue d'accélérer la création d'un nombre accrud'aires protégées, renforcer le contrôle du bra-connage, du commerce de la viande debrousse et l'exploitation illégale, et promouvoirla gestion durable des forêts

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WWF in Cameroon - Footprints of conservation

WWF has beenpresent inCameroon since

the 1980's. Its full engage-ment started in 1989 withthe implementation of theKorup project, which ledto the creation of the firstforest national park inCameroon.

The signature of a bilateral agreement betweenthe Cameroon Programme of WWF and WWFNetherlands in April 1995 permitted tremendousgrowth of the programme and expansion intoother areas. The conservation organisationsigned its country agreement in 1992 and theWWF Central Africa sub regional programmeoffice agreement in 2004 with the governmentof Cameroon. To crown these functional instru-ments, WWF and MINFOF signed a partnershipagreement in 2005.The Cameroon Country Programme Office haswitness a tremendous growth, from 4 staff in1990 to more than 120 presently.

Goal

WWF Cameroon Country Programme seeks toconserve biodiversity (genetic, species andecosystem diversity) and biological process inthe country in harmony with the needs and aspi-rations of Cameroonian people.To this end WWF works to conserve key forest,savannah ecosystems and viable population ofselected species of global concern while ensur-ing best practice and promoting innovative nat-ural resource management approaches. Theprogramme also works to promote changes inattitude and behavior towards the environment,building the capacity of Cameroonian conserva-

tion professionals, developing and disseminat-ing policies that enable conservation and sus-tainable use of natural resources in Cameroon.

WWF Main Field Projects inCameroon

Jengi South East Programme:

WWF Cameroon Country Programme Officehas been active in the southeast of Cameroonsince the early 1990's. Its first involvementfocused mainly on elephant inventories. As amajor partner of the Global Environment Facility(GEF) National Biodiversity Programmelaunched in 1995, WWF then focused on theestablishment of three new forests parks(Lobéké, Boumba-Bek and Nki). But it was soonrealized that whilst the support of WWF to themanagement of those protected areas, thespeed and nature of current commercial loggingwill result in three islands in a sea of devasta-tion, with among other disastrous impacts,increasing conflicts between protected areasand local communities. Consequently, WWF'svision of what it should be doing broadened andfrom 1998, WWF included sustainable forestmanagement and collaborative managementand benefit sharing issues among its core

“We shan't save all we should like to but we shall save a great deal more than if we had never tried.”Sir Peter Scott, one of the founding fathers of WWF


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Coastal Forest Programme:

The Coastal Forests Programme includes three provinces of Cameroon - the South West, Littoraland South Provinces. The region is ecologically rich and contains important "hot spots" of peculiarbiodiversity. It includes the coastal forests of Cameroon highlands, cross river gorillas, Ebo etc. Theprogramme seeks to promote the conservation of important biodiversity resources in the CoastalForests of Cameroon through the identification and management of key sites, ecosystems andspecies, with the participation of the Government of Cameroon, NGOs and local communities.

Kudu/Zombo CampoMa'an Programme:

Located in the South of thecountry, WWF is working in theCampo Ma'an area to strength-en the capacity of governmentagents to manage and protectthe National Park and itsperipheries for the interest ofthe people of the area, as wellas increase awareness of tar-get stakeholders on environ-mental issues and bring themin as partners. The overallobjective of the project is tocontribute to the conservationof the Atlantic EquatorialCoastal Forests through thesafeguarding of the biodiversi-ty of the Campo-Ma'anNational Park

Kudu Zombo programme manager, Bertin TCHIKANGWA concerts with a Bagyeli pygmycommunity near Campo Ma’an Park

Coastal Forests programme Manager,Dr. Atanga Ekobo warms up to aplanned concertation with some localchiefs about the proposed status ofKupe forest.

WWF in Cameroon


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WWF in Cameroon The first interventions of WWFCameroon Program Office on theconservation of the biodiversity inthe northern part of Cameroonwere concentrated in the Far NorthProvince of Cameroon and particu-larly in the Waza Logone area, withthe focus on elephant programme.In the North, the first involvementas a project with a WWF teambased in the region started in1997. This establishment was facil-itated by the fact that in 1995, theGlobal Environment Facility (GEF)National Biodiversity Programmestarted its field programme inwhich the WWF-CCPO was one ofthe major partners.

Northern Sudanian Savannah Programme

The conservation of biodiversity of the network of the protected areas in the northern Sudaniansavannah (Faro, Bénoué and Bouba Ndjida Savannah Belt) of Cameroon was one of the maininterests. During this period, the project has achieved many goals in research, capacity buildingand management plans. Recently, in mid 2005, the project extended its activities to include treeregeneration to contribute to the fight against desertification with an objective to plant some 90Thousand trees in close collaboration with local stakeholders. This latest initiative is an off springof a partnership signed between WWF and MTN, a telephone network in Cameroon.WWF is also giving significant technical and material support to the management of the MengameGorilla Sanctuary.

Tree for Life - Children in North Cameroon present plants from a WWF nursery.

Over the years WWF hasworked relentlessly with the

competent government depart-ments in Cameroon to executeactivities in domains such as:

Protected Areas managementSpecies management

National wildlife policiesPolicy Issues

Sustainable ForestManagement & Certification

Community Forests

Working together for the conservation and sustainable management of naturalresources for the benefit of the people of Cameroon. Picture shows WWF RegionalRepresentative Laurent Somé (l) & Cameroon’s Minister of Forest & Wildlife, ElvisNgolle Ngolle (in suit) during the launching of the Campo Ma’an National Park man-agement plan.

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Improving livelihoods for local people inNorth Cameroon: Northern Savannah Project

The Sudanese savan-nah area comprises oflarge expanses ofacacia woodland with

most trees deciduous - charac-terised by turf grasses, shrubsand herbs. The area also hostsa series of disjoint seasonallyflooded grasslands and peren-nial swamps. It also supportslarge populations of mammalsand birds that migrate season-ally given long periods of dryseason. Significant loss oforiginal wooded savannahhabitats has occurred butpatches of intact habitatremain relatively untouched.Threats include seasonal shift-ing cultivation, over-grazing bylivestock and uncontrolledimmigration, over-cutting ofwood for domestic energy use,devastating wild fires, trophyhunting and poaching.Preserving the land's capacityto provide a prosperous life tothe people is at the foundationof WWF's work in the areathrough its Northern SavannahProject: the maintenance of afunctional natural habitat andhealthy populations of ani-mals; the prevention of outsidepoaching; the recovery ofthreatened species; givinglocals support to earn incomefrom a sustainable type of agri-culture and livestock breeding;

encouraging the planting oftrees for the dual purpose ofchecking the advancing desertand generating income. WWF has been instrumental inhelping design a coherentmanagement plan for the con-servation of the near-byBenoue National Park whichhas become the blueprintadopted by the Cameroonservices in charge of environ-ment protection. Since 2002,the project is in the process ofimplementing the manage-ment plan in collaboration withvarious stakeholders and withthe support of WWF-Netherlands. This WWF project uses acoherent strategy that inter-connects all stakeholders inthe area without creating animbalance. Satisfying the inter-est and aspiration of all can becomplicated. Wildlife existencerequires a continuity of undis-turbed habitat. At the sametime people need to pursue alivelihood that depends almostentirely on the same habitat.The project is not only seekingto protect isolated protectedareas, but also connectingthem through corridors of rela-tively undisturbed habitat.This, in turn, requires findingways for people to live with themovements of these animals -maybe even to pursue a liveli-hood that might benefit fromthe presence of this wildlife,but does not decimate theirexistence in the process.

There are over a million people living in the rugged savan-nah - sahelian area of North Cameroon, with a rightfulexpectation of a prosperous life. This includes a right tohunt, to fish, to cut trees - to live off the land.

Young girl of the borroro ethnic group inNorth Cameroon colourfully dressed on abright market day. WWF works with localsin many parts of the North to improvelivelihoods through direct participation inconservation initiatives.


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L’esprit de la forêt: JengiLocalisationCe programme est situé dans la régionécologique forestière du Bassin du Congo, àl'extrême sud-est de la République duCameroun. Cette zone est abondamment richeen espèces fauniques et d'autres ressourcesnaturelles.

ContexteLe Bureau National du Programme WWF pourle Cameroun est présent dans le sud-est depuisle début des années 1990. Il s'était penché prin-cipalement sur l'inventaire des éléphants etensuite sur la création de trois nouveaux parcs(Lobéké, Boumba-bek et Nki). En 1988, le pro-jet comptait parmi ces activités clés, la gestiondurable des forêts, la co-gestion et l'accès auxressources et les questions de partage desbénéfices.

Les populationsNombre d'ethnies autochtones ont pour refugecette forêt sur lequel elles en dépendent pourleur subsistance: Les Baka : chasseurs - cueilleurs6 groupes ethniques qui pratiquent l'agriculturesur brûlisPrincipales activités- la culture des produits d'alimentation et de

rente- la chasse pour la subsistance- la pèche- la cueillette

Les menaces- L'exploitation forestière à but commercial en

utilisant des pratiques non durables- La sur-exploitation des ressources fauniques- L'expansion des activités agricoles indus-

trielles et l'agriculture sur brûlis- L'exploitation minière non durable

Conséquences directes- Destruction massive des espaces forestières- Construction non-autorisée de plusieurs kilo-

mètres de route d'exploitation forestière- Disparition de l'habitat naturel des espèces

fauniques

Objectifs- La gestion durable de la faune dans des zones

à usage multiples est assurée.- La gestion efficace des aires protégées dans le

cadre d'une collaboration est assurée.- La gestion durable des activités d'exploitation

forestière est renforcée à travers un solidepartenariat avec le gouvernement et le secteurprivé.

- Un programme de suivi écologique systéma-tique en vue d'examiner l'état des lieux de l'en-vironnement à travers les activités d'exploita-tion est opérationnel

- Les initiatives de conservation transfrontalièressont améliorées dans le cadre de la collabora-tion avec des partenaires clés et les différentesinstitutions gouvernementales.

Réalisations- Classement de trios parcs nationaux, Lobéké,

Boumba-Bek et Nki- Elaboration participative d'un plan de zonage

aboutissant à l'établissement de 3 parcsnationaux, 14 zones d'intérêt cynégétique àgestion communautaire, 22 unités d'exploita-tion forestière et 9 zones de chasse profes-sionnelle

- La mise en place d'un système de suiviécologique fondé sur la performance dans lesparcs nationaux en vue de surveiller ladynamique des populations fauniques

- Création de 14 zones d'intérêt cynégétique àgestion communautaire (ZICGC) gérées parles populations locales pour subvenir à leursbesoins et générer des revenues à partir de lachasse sportive

- L'élaboration des plans d'aménagement pour 5ZICGC pilotes

- Un programme de suivi écologique opéra-tionnel dans les 3 parcs nationaux

- Audit préalable réussit de deux sociétés d'ex-ploitation forestières, SEFAC et Decolvenaeresur un étendu de 523.000 ha par le FSC

- Ratification de l'accord du TNS par le Cameroun- L'accord du TRIDOM signé par les gouverne-

ments du Gabon, du Cameroun et de Congo-Brazzaville

- Engagement par la USAID d'un montant de 13millions USD pour le financement du TRIDOMet les paysages de la TNS pendant une péri-ode de 5 ans.


WWF in Cameroon

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- Approbation officielle par le Gouvernementcamerounais de 1.500.000 ha de massiveforestière de Ngoyla-Mintom comme conces-sion de conservation

- Engagement du FEM d'un montant de 10 mil-lions USD pour le financement du programmede planification inter-zonage du TRIDOM pen-dant 7 ans

- Elaboration d'un plan de zonage pour leTRIDOM

Perspectives- Elaboration des plans d'aménagement pour

les parcs nationaux de Boumba Bek et Nki- Renforcement de capacités des institutions

locales de gestion afin de promouvoir la ges-tion participative et transparente des recettesissues des forêts communautaires

- Négociation des droits d'accès des peuplesautochtones forestiers aux ressourcesnaturelles

- Mise en place d'un système de suivi pour lemonitoring des changements des moyensd'existence et des bienfaits de la conservationà l'égard des populations locales

- Mise en place d'un réseau pour les projets deforesterie communautaire

- Consolidation des données biologiques etsocio-économiques de WWF et de la GTZ enune seule base de données SIG centralisée

- Renforcement des communications des pro-jets aux niveaux local, national et international

- Appui technique aux initiatives de SMF-C par-ticulièrement la certification de FSC

- Mise en œuvre des activités transfrontalièresdu TRIDOM

- Promotion de la mise en place d'un fonds fidu-ciaire pour la TNS

- Développement à long terme des mécanismesde financements pour les aires protégées etles activités de terrain en cours.

Les Baka : chasseurs - cueilleurs

Base WWF de Ndongo - Moloundou

Formation: Les agents de santé

Appui technique aux initiatives de SMF-C

La principale zone de protectionde la TNS est constituée des airesprotégées de Lobéké (Républiquedu Cameroun), de Dzanga-Ndoki(République centrafricaine) et deNouabalé-Ndoki (République duCongo), couvrant une surfacetotale de 7,750 km2.


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WWF in Cameroon

This WWF programme is situated on the South west coastof Cameroon and covers a total surface area of 4,481,070ha.

The protected areas of Mt Bakossi, Kupe, Muanenguba,Nlonako, Mt Cameroon, the Ebo and Makombe lowland forestand the Ndongore mangroves covers a total surface of 419,445ha, more than 9% of the programme area.

Significant biodiversity featuresThe Programme site is part of four different important regions:- The Cameroonian highland forests- The cross- sanaga-bioko coastal forests- The Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests- The Central African mangrovesThreatsThe major threats are:- Unsustainable bush meat hunting- Overexploitation of timber resources- Overexpansion of palms, rubber and banana plantationsProgramme goalTo promote the conservation of important biodiversity resourcesin the coastal forests of Cameroon, through the identification andmanagement of key sites, ecosystems and species with the par-ticipation of the Government of Cameroon, NGOs, and CBOs.ObjectivesThe goal is translated on the field through the following objectives- Sustainable wildlife use such as bush meat trade and conser-

vation of threatened species- Sustainable forest management and certification- Expansion and management of protected area network in the

highlands and coastal forests of Cameroon- Support to conservation oriented community based initiatives.

Some Achievements- Land use plan highlighting potential conservation sites devel-

oped and approved by government of Cameroon;- The gazettement of the Bakossi forest National Park signed by

the Cameroon Government;- Integral Ecological Reserve statues by adjacent communities

for the Kupe forest Proposed;- 424 bee farmers trained through the TOBA Common Initiative

Group in Mt. Kupe and Yabassi areas;- 340 snail farmers organized into 16 snail farming groups- Creation of Mt. Kupe Hunters and Tappers Association in

Nyassoso facilitated;- Creation of Onge community forest by the adjacent communi-

ty during a consultative meeting endorsed;- Environmental education clubs in four government secondary

schools developed and supported.

Coastal Forests Programme

Mt. Muanenguba towers aboveNkonsamba town in the Littoral

Snail farming has become a major incomegenrating activity.

Tree planting by students of the NyassosoEnvironment club.

One of the twin lakes of Muanenguba.

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WWF in Cameroon

Barombi Mbo Crater Lake becomes Cameroon'ssecond Wetland of International Importance

Shortly after Cameroonsigned the instrumentenabling the country'saccession to the RAM-

SAR Convention on Wetlands(on January 13, 2006) and des-ignated the Waza Logone FloodPlain as a Wetland ofInternational Importance, thegovernment has designated asits second: the Barombi MboCrater Lake (415 hectares,04°40'N 009°23'E). According to Ramsar's LuciaScodanibbio, based on theRamsar Information Sheet pro-vided with the site designation,the site forms with three othercrater lakes in the SouthwestProvince of Cameroon the so-called "Afrotropical CameroonCrater Lakes Ecoregion”. It isfamous among biologists for theoccurrence of 12 endemic fishspecies, rendering it one of theplaces with the highest densi-ties of endemic species per

area in the world.For evolutionary biologists, thelake represents one of the fewexamples where new specieshave evolved within the con-fines of a small area by "sym-patric speciation". LakeBarombi Mbo is also importantdue to the presence of freshwa-ter sponges, one of which(Corvospongilla thysi) is alsoendemic. It is an importantsacred site to the Barombi tribe:the social and cultural life of theBarombi Mbo People is inti-mately linked to the use of theresources of the lake throughfishing, mythology and trans-port, and to the surroundingland through farming. It is also asource of clean water for themetropolis of Kumba and itsenvirons. Over-fishing, introduc-tion of foreign fish to the ecosys-tem, pesticide spraying ofcocoa-trees within the catch-ment area and deforestation onthe crater rim are the main(potential and actual) threats tothe site. The elaboration andimplementation of a manage-ment plan needs to occur.

Support from WWF Cameroon,the WWF Global FreshwaterProgramme, and Ramsar'sSwiss Grant for Africa was help-ful to the authorities in makingthis important designation.

There are presently 1,630Ramsar sites in 153 countries,covering a surface area of145,620,862 hectares.

The elaboration of management plans for wetlands is now the next step!

Cameroon isRAMSAR's151st contractingparty

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Campo Ma’an - Kudo Zombo WWF in Cameroon

BackgroundSituated within the Atlantic Equatorial Coastal Forest Eco-regionin the South province of Cameroon the WWF Kudu ZomboProgramme (in local Yassa and Bulu dialects translates to"Marine turtle and the great mandrill" ) is made up of the Campo-Ma'an National Park (CMNP) (264,064 ha) and its multiple-usezones which together constitutes one of the most diversifiedforests in Africa. The proximity of the programme area to neigh-bouring Equatorial Guinea makes it an ideal ground for transboundary conservation initiative.

BiodiversityThe area plays host to more than 1500 vegetal species (of which45 are endemic), 80 medium and big size mammal species(amongst which are endangered species such as forest ele-phants [loxodanta africana cyclotis], gorilla [Gorilla gorilla], man-dril and chimpanzee [Pan Troglodytes]), 302 birds, and 122 rep-tiles. The rare grey-necked rockfowl (Pithacartes oreas) is alsofound in the park, while the presence of untouched beaches pro-vide the setting for marine turtles nestingThe area is also very rich in natural scenic landscapes made upof incredible falls and kilometres of untouched beaches with hightourist value.The richness of the biological diversity of the landscape makes itattractive for the enhancement of conservation activities. It alsopresents huge potentials for the development of ecotourism andscientific research.

ThreatsWildlife and forest resources of the region are subject to seriouspressures deriving from overexploitation of wildlife, unsustainablelogging practices and discordant land/ resources use and man-agement.

The PeopleThe total population of the project area is estimated at 60,853inhabitants distributed into 163 towns, villages and labourers'encampments. An important part of this population (25,000) ismade up of immigrant workers employed by two logging compa-nies and two big agro-industrials (rubber and palm oil). It is hometo seven ethnic groups: the Bulu and Ntumu (composed mainlyof hunters and farmers), the Batanga and Iyasa (fishermen), theBakola/Bagyeli (pygmies), and the Mabea and Mvae (farmers,hunters and fishermen). The Bakola/Bagyeli people constitute anindigenous minority marginalized by neighbouring tribes withinthe landscape and estranged from mainstream society due toweak institutional integration policies. However, all the peopledepend strongly on the natural resources (marine and forest) fortheir livelihood.

Gateway to Campo Ma’an Park

Scenes like this are common at the CampoMa’an area which is an importatant habitatfor marine turtles

Raw materials from the forest are used toproduce different needs such as this fish-ing basket.

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WWF in the Campo Ma'an Area

WWF intervention in the Campo Ma'an area began in 2003although activities geared towards biodiversity managementeffectively commenced in 1996 with the creation of the Campo-Ma'an Biodiversity Conservation and Management Project (GEF-World Bank). When it ended in 2002, the creation of the Campo-Ma'an National Park in 2000 seems to have been the only majorachievement of the project which was executed by SNV andTROPENBOS. In 2003, WWF was selected by the Foundation for theEnvironment and Development in Cameroon (FEDEC) to buildon experiences, achievements, and lessons learned from thedefunct GEF sponsored project. After strategic ground work and reflection, it was soon realizedthat in order to guarantee the effective protection and enhance-ment of the resources of the Park, a landscape approach towardsthe management of the Park must be applied. This approach hasas a remarkable feature the inclusion of the areas and peoplearound the Park into the management process.Cognisant of the depth of this vision for Campo-Ma'an and chal-lenges in its realisation, WWF embarked on an intensive projectdevelopment initiative to not only fund planned activity areas notcovered by FEDEC funding, but also to complement, strengthen,and consolidate strides made through FEDEC funding. This'Feeder Road' strategy has paid off significantly, and has so faryielded fruits notably with the inclusion of Campo-Ma'an in theCentral Africa Forest and Poverty Alleviation Programme (CAF-PAP), a WWF/NC-IUCN/FOE initiative that is presently financingeco-development and indigenous people enhancement activitiesin support zones around the Park.

Untouched beaches provide the setting formarine turtles nesting.

Woman of the Bagyeli tribe gets set for agathering mission in the forest near thecampo Ma’an park.

End of this scenic beauty? One of thespectacular falls that may soon becomethe Memve’ele dam

At home: A Bagyeli pygmy family relax infront of their house at the periphery of thecampo Ma’an Park.

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Le Directeur général de WWF international, Dr.James P. Leape visitera le Cameroun du 9 au14 décembre 2006 pour s'entretenir avec leshautes autorités de l'Etat, les diplomates et les

partenaires de WWF de Yaoundé sur les questions dela conservation. Il visitera également quelques activitésde WWF sur le terrain. Dr. Leape, qui sera à son premier voyage officiel dansla sous région d'Afrique centrale depuis sa prise defonction en décembre 2005, réitérera l'appui de WWFau gouvernement camerounais et ses populations dansla gestion de la riche diversité biologique du pays. Il ren-dra également hommage au rôle central joué par leCameroun qui a abouti à la Déclaration de Yaoundé en1999 et félicitera les Chefs d'Etat de la sous région, atravers le gouvernement du Cameroun, pour la signa-ture du premier traité d'envergure régional portant sur laconservation - le traité sur la Commission sur les Forêts

d'Afrique Centrale (COMIFAC) - à Brazzaville enfévrier 2005. Dr. Leape tiendra également lesdicussions sur la mise en œuvre du plan de con-vergence, (un model de conservation pour lasous-région) et étudiera avec les autoritéscamerounaises et d'autres partenaires de WWFdes possibilités d'un renforcement du rôle de laCOMIFAC dans la coordination des interventionsliées aux forêts dans toute la sous région. Lors de cette visite l'un des événements les plusimportants sera la présentation au public duRapport Planète Vivante 2006, lancé en octobredernier à Beijing en Chine par le Directeurgénéral. Le Rapport Planète Vivante 2006 deWWF est le bilan biennial sur l'état du mondenaturel. Pendant son séjour au Cameroun, Dr. Leapevisitera l'un des projets de terrain de WWF àCampo Ma'an, dans la Province du Sud. Il aural'occasion de faire une évaluation personnelle del'impact de la conservation sur les communautéslocales. L'amélioration des conditions de vie descommunautés locales vivant autour du ParcNational de Campo Ma'an à travers unemeilleure gestion des ressources naturelles con-stitue l'un des aspects clé de ce projet. Dr. Leaperencontrera les chefs et membres des groupescommunautaires et il recevra un feedback directsur comment les activités alternatives, telles quel'exploitation forestière artisanale, l'aquacultureet l'écotourisme, peuvent les aider à générer desrevenus supplémentaires, et en fin de compteprofiter à la conservation et la restauration desforêts. Dr. James P. Leape est un américain de 50 ansqui est un ami et un admirateur de longue datede la sous région d'Afrique centrale, et un ardentdéfenseur de la conservation de la richesse du

Bassin du Congo. Il travaille dans le domaine de la con-servation de la nature depuis plus de 25 ans. Il a com-mencé sa carrière comme un avocat des affaires envi-ronnementales aux Etats-Unis. Il a également occupé leposte de Conseiller au Programme des Nations Uniespour l'Environnement à Nairobi au Kenya, et a co-rédigé un important texte américain sur le droit de l'en-vironnement. Dr. Leape a rejoint le WWF-EU en 1989et dirigé ses programmes de conservation mondialependant 10 ans, en tant que Vice-président exécutif. Ace post, il a aidé à la formulation d'une stratégie mondi-ale du Réseau WWF et a représenté le WWF dans denombreux forums internationaux. De 2001 à septembre2005, Monsieur Leape a dirigé les initiatives de conser-vation et des sciences de la David and Lucile PackardFoundation, l'une des plus importantes associationsphilanthropiques aux Etats-Unis.

Le Directeur général de WWF visite le Cameroun

Dr. James P. Leape, Directeur général de WWF international


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Podium WWF CARPO Staff wins UNESCO’syoung scientist award

WWF Central African Regional Programme Office,CARPO, welcomes the award of a UNESCO grant toone of its staff, Inogwabini Bila-Isia. Based in theDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Programme

Office of WWF, Bila-Isia is among 15 young scientists working ongreat apes in Africa rewarded for outstanding research on bono-bos (pan paniscus) (a great ape species endemic to DRC). The International Coordinating Council of the Man and theBiosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO, meeting from 23 to 27October in Paris, also gave MAB Young Scientists Awards to tenyoung scientists and the Michel Batisse Award for BiosphereReserve Management. The 2007 MAB Young Scientists Awards,up to US$5,000 each, encourage young scientists to carry outinterdisciplinary projects on ecosystems, natural resources andbiodiversity in keeping with the MAB Programme, which focuseson sustainable interaction between people and their environment. "This award is reassuring to WWF and confirms the recognitionand respect we have for Inogwabini's work in DRC", said LaurentSomé, Regional Representative of WWF in Central Africa Region."Permit me underline that WWF recognises knowledge, experi-ence, determination, credibility and global out reach either in thefield or in policy work as ingredients needed to succeed in theuphill task of conservation. This award is an indicator of our pas-sion and perseverance to find the best solutions to save nature."Bila-Isia described the award as a spin-wheel for further chal-lenges. "It is like a catapult - you just feel like shooting straight on.The researcher however notes that his work would not be suc-cessful in isolation. "I have been working with dedicated col-leagues and also local people. Although it bears my name, I thinkthe award is just a spark that illuminates the great work of WWFin the region".Bila-Isia Inogwabini is presently working for WWF CARPO asLandscape Leader and Project Manager, WWF-DRC LACTUMBA. As the Lac Tumba Project Manager his responsibilitiesinclude daily management of a USAID-funded 500,000 USD pro-gram in the Landscape, coordination of research activities andimplementation of other project related activities such as smallgrant program to help local NGOs strengthen their role in naturalresources management. Currently a doctorate student onBiodiversity Management, University of Kent at Canterbury Bilia-Isia has 14 years of field experience and is still bubbling with vital-ity. He has a good record of project administrative, financial andscientific management in addition to analytical capabilities. He isan attendee of several regional and international training sessionson the Biological Diversity Inventories and Monitoring, withemphasis on mammalian surveys and Habitat Assessment.

Laureate: Inogwabini Bila-Isia

“This Award is an indicator of our passion and perseverance to findthe best solutions tosave nature”


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Indigenous people's rights gets attention inCampo Ma'an management plan

WWF Central Africa Regional Programme Office,CARPO recently supported the endorsement of theCampo Ma’an National Park management plan by thegovernment of Cameroon. The management plan

which was launched on October 19th under the auspices of theMinister of Forests and Wildlife, MINFOF, adequately takes care ofindigenous people's rights to participate effectively in the manage-ment of the Campo Ma'an Park and its peripheries.

"WWF promotes and supports the management plan which haseffectively received the prior, free and informed consent of con-cerned indigenous communities around Campo Ma'an" saysLaurent Somé, Regional Representative of WWF in Central Africa."WWF will not endorse any plan or actions whose implementationwould adversely impact - directly or indirectly - on the environmentof indigenous peoples' territories, and/or would affect their rights".

The Regional Representative express satisfaction with the finaldocument which he describes as an end product of consultationsand wide-spread participation of all stakeholders. "The making ofthe plan which began since 1999, involved the principal actors onthe ground. I can say that the management plan of Campo Ma'anand its peripheries was developed in accordance with the spirit ofthe Cameroon legal reforms of 1994 and 1996 which insists on theparticipation of local communities in the management of naturalresources", he says.The main objective of the management plan is to assure the protec-tion of biodiversity in the Campo Ma'an National Park and its envi-rons within the context of planned land usage and sustainable man-agement of wildlife and forestry resources. According to principles and guidelines on Protected Areas andIndigenous / Traditional Peoples which WWF adheres to, indige-nous and other traditional peoples have long associations withnature and a deep understanding of it. Often they have made sig-nificant contributions to the maintenance of many of the earth'smost fragile ecosystems, through their traditional sustainableresource use practices and culture-based respect for nature. WWFnotes that with the endorsed plan for Campo Ma'an, there is no vis-ible conflict between the objectives of the protected areas and theexistence, within and around their borders, of indigenous and othertraditional peoples. Elaborated with the support of WWF the saidmanagement plan recognises the local people as rightful, equalpartners in the development and implementation of conservationstrategies that affect their land, waters, coastal seas, and otherresources.

The managementplan has effectivelyreceived the prior,free and informed

consent of con-cerned indigenous

communitiesaround Campo

Ma'an!


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Focus 9 okassets.panda.org/downloads/focus_9_ok.pdf- Kudu Zombo/ Campo Ma’an - Jengi: L’esprit...

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