Protected Areas (PA) in Central Africa often suffer from a legitimacy discrepancy, especially with their neighboring communities, economic actors and local government authorities.

Protected areas have never been perceived by nearby communities or their leaders as an effective way to preserve their natural heritage. Contrary Protected areas are sometimes seen as an obstacle to their primary need: socio-economic development. 

This confusion linked to the HISTORY and governance of PA, has many times lead to negative consequences on both protected areas and adjacent communities.

It is against that background that the Central Africa Protected area network supports the PAs and their national supervisory authorities to enhance their legitimacy among adjacent communities, beginning with coupling the dialogue between PAs already set through RAPAC while consolidating the new one between protected areas and bordering communities.

To this effect, RAPAC launches this survey to identify (1) the social and economic actors bordering PA and who are motivated to be part of this dialogue and (2) the criteria that RAPAC proposed to further the dialogue legitimizing the conservation of natural heritage in Central Africa.

You are warmly invited to complete the survey form directly on this link: Here