The “African Parks Network” (APN) has officially joined the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) in 2016. In this connection, the “African Parks Network” believes its activities in Africa fall in line with the principles outlined in the cooperation framework of CBFP members and COMIFAC’s convergence plan with which it has familiarised itself, aimed at promoting sustainable management of ecosystems and conservation of biodiversity in Central Africa.

 

 

By joining the CBFP, the "African Parks Network" hopes to benefit from the CBFP while bringing in its experience, and also enhance its impact within the Congo Basin, in collaboration with local and international partners.

 

 

African Parks is a non-profit organisation that takes on direct responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks and protected areas, in partnership with governments and local communities. It combines global best practices in conservation with entrepreneurial expertise. African Parks focuses on the financial sustainability of parks by combining long term funding from partners with income from tourism, businesses in the sector and payments for ecosystem services which help to drive economic development and the fight against poverty. African Parks believes that making parks and reserves socially and financially sustainable, especially for the benefit of local communities, will help ensure their survival in the face of competing forms of land use.

 

 

Through public-private partnerships with States, African Parks currently manages 15 parks in nine African countries including 5 in 5 Central African countries (Chad: Zakouma National Park, CAR: Chinko, DRC: Garamba National Park, Rwanda: Akagera National Park, Congo: Odzala-Kokoua National Park).

 

 

By 2020, African Parks aims to take on a portfolio of 20 parks covering a surface area of more than 10.5 million hectares. Because of the geographical distribution and the variety of ecosystems represented, it will be one of the most ecologically diverse portfolio of parks in the world.

 

 

As relates to the COMIFAC Convergence Plan, its efforts will focus primarily, but not exclusively, on priority axis 3 as follows: "Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity" with the following specific objectives:

• Strengthen national and transboundary protected area networks representing all terrestrial ecosystems;

 

• Ensure ecological monitoring of biodiversity in the PAs and beyond;

 

• Stimulate economic development of protected areas, the wildlife industry and develop ecotourism;

 

• Boost monitoring measures and capabilities to combat poaching and wildlife crime;

 

• Promote certification of sustainable management and development of protected areas.

 

 

Through priority axis 3, African Parks maintains awareness of and equally contributes to the following axes:

• Priority Axis 4: Combating the effects of climate change and desertification;

 

• Priority Axis 5: Socio-economic development and multi-stakeholder participation;

 

• Priority Axis 6: Sustainable Financing;

 

• As well as the three cross-cutting axes. Training and Capacity Building, Research-development communication, advocacy, information and education.

 

 

For more information, please contact:

Jean Marc Froment, Directeur Conservation jeanmarcf@africanparks.org, or info@africanparks.org, or visit the "African Parks Network” website