Conserving biodiversity in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a brief history, current trends and insights for the future

Inogwabini, Bila-Isia

doi:10.2305/iucn.ch.2014.parks-20-2.bi.en

Cited by 14 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Training and networking gives community members options, allows the exchange of ideas, and promotes the collective management of farms and common forest areas. The outcomes resulting from these community actions support the results of other studies that show that catalyzing community involvement can be an effective alternative for promoting the improvement of watershed/ecosystem health and forest management [60,61].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Community-Based Watershed Change: A Case Study in Eastern Congo

Sabin¹,

Dieudonne²,

Mitchell³

et al. 2019

Forests

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Conflict and environmental degradation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are interrelated and complex. The authors conducted a case study of a community-based environmental restoration project in Eastern Congo and provide early results which suggest a link between community environmental action and multidimensional outcomes such as peace and reconciliation. The project examined in this study is based on a framework (Theory of Change) which networks communities through autonomous savings groups, churches, mosques, schools, and a community leadership network with the goal of catalyzing sustainable farming, reforestation, and community forest management. The primary project input was training, and the resulting voluntary community action included tree planting and the management of common forest areas. A mixed-methods approach was used to evaluate project results comparing two watersheds, and included a difference in differences analysis, participatory workshops, remote sensing analysis, and community activity reports. Positive change was observed in the treatment watershed in terms of ecosystem health and household economic condition. Results suggest a possible influence on peace conditions which, while fragile, offers hope for continued restorative action by communities. This study provides evidence that a community-based approach to environmental restoration may have a positive influence on multidimensional issues such as forests, watershed health, economic well-being, and peace.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Community-Based Watershed Change: A Case Study in Eastern Congo

Sabin¹,

Dieudonne²,

Mitchell³

et al. 2019

Forests

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“…Similarly, while the interviews allowed us to identify which sectors are considered the most effective to focus on in terms of biodiversity action (agriculture, forestry, energy), these perceptions ideally need to be confronted to the realities on the ground (what about the actual effectiveness?). Brandt et al (2016) for example, highlight the ineffective sustainable forest management practices in the DRC, while Samndong et al (2018) pinpoint the complex system of statutory and customary land tenure which makes REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) (Nasi et al, 2012), though one-size-fits-all solutions such as state-owned reserves, are not necessarily the most effective solution to protect and sustainably manage the DRC biodiversity (Inogwabini, 2014). The multiplicity of challenges to sustainable forest and biodiversity management such as the lack of inter-ministerial coordination, competing commercial interests and inadequate land use policy -which does not prioritize development in less biodiverse areas-continues to drive deforestation and forest degradation in the Congo Basin (Tegegne et al, 2016).…”

Section: The Congolese Context and The Bigger Picturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The DRC harbours a unique biodiversity, that is severely threatened by logging, climate change, agricultural encroachment, poaching, infrastructural development, unregulated mining and conflict (Butsic et al, 2015). Yet it is still home to an immensely biodiverse range of ecosystems (Inogwabini, 2014). The Congo Basin, as the second largest forest basin in the world, is still less affected by deforestation than the Amazon Basin.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

EIA-driven biodiversity mainstreaming in development cooperation: Confronting expectations and practice in the DR Congo

Hugé

Bisthoven

Mushiete

et al. 2020

Environmental Science & Policy

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Mainstreaming biodiversity in development cooperation activities is called for by scientists and policy-makers alike, as the current biodiversity crisis can only be mitigated if the linkages between biodiversity and human wellbeing are acknowledged. Reconciling biodiversity conservation and human development is a particularly topical challenge in highly biodiverse developing countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the population is highly dependent on natural resources for their livelihood. This study combines expert interviews with an evaluation of environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports, in order to determine the current motivations, obstacles and effectiveness of biodiversity mainstreaming in the DRC and to assess the framing, the representation and use of biodiversity in recently conducted EIAs in the DRC. Our findings indicate that biodiversity mainstreaming in the DRC is considered challenging due to enduring contextual (e.g. governance) factors; and that there is a strong support base for EIA among the interviewed experts. Turning to actual EIAs that were recently performed in the DRC, the diversity of framings motivating the uptake of biodiversity is remarkable. Instrumental reasons do not thwart intrinsic motivations -which is indicative of a support base for the non-instrumental value of biodiversity. The use of biodiversity baseline data in mitigation measures is low, and the taxonomic resolution of the biodiversity data in EIAs is uneven. Despite these challenges, the potential of EIA in the DRC is considered high, and linkages between project-driven EIA practice and biodiversity data collection and dissemination should be strengthened.

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“…Another major challenge is that biodiversity protection responsibilities are spread across many ministries, and consequently there is bound to be duplication of functions and conflict of authority. In DRC, this could work only if there were a stable and strong state that has the means to enforce the law [58] and to ensure that all the implementation decrees (articles 13,16,23,24,31,33,52,59, 60 and 67) that are indicated in the law are produced and implemented [59].…”

Section: Limited Capacity and Resources For Adequate Biodiversity Mon...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…DRC, the second-largest country in Africa, harbors a variety of ecosystems: including nearly half the African rainforests, forest-savannah ecotones, and savannahs, afro-mountainous forests, large and small lakes, rivers and swampy forests [12]. However, the insecurity and changes in the political system since the 1990s affected conservation activities and strategies [13]. Gabon is a heavily forested country (80 per cent of its territory is covered by forests) [14] and is also home to an animal population the size of which makes it of international importance [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%