Please download the full article from the following link: ICCN-131020_Reseau des Aires Protegees-ICCN.pdf (3.0 Mo)

 The objective of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) over the last 3 years has been to interconnect the protected Areas of the DRC through the Biodiversity Conservation Sustainable Forest Management Program (PBF) with technical and financial support from GIZ and KFW. This work will draw on the ICCN’s endogenous skills to strengthen the capacities of stakeholders in network member Protected Areas.

A few actions achieved so far...

Since 2012, 6 protected areas have been network members, namely: PNKB, RNI, DCLK, the Kundelungu National Park (PNKL), Lomami National Park (PNL) and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (RFO) and have already undertaken some actions.

The great conservation "mass" of the DRC:

This is an annual event hosted by ICCN which brings together technical and financial partners involved in conservation in the DRC around the same table. The meeting provides an opportunity for financial partners to adjust conservation funding policies based on results obtained. Furthermore, it allows conservation experts, to provide technical solutions to key challenges in the management of protected areas in the DRC and in monitoring implementation of major conservation laws such as the 2011 Kinshasa Declaration, on securing of PAs in the DRC.

This approach eventually led to the harmonization of the vision for protected area management in the DRC.

Thematic meetings

First of all, this meeting format allowed PA experts to examine the organizational aspects of the ICCN, to align it to the ongoing public service reform which aims to decentralize government services and render PAs autonomous.

This first action provided the basis for activities to be deployed around several themes, including the following key ones:

♦ The process of consolidating the revision of the Community Conservation Strategy (SCoCo) based on subsequent recommendations and specific experiences of each of the APs present;

♦ Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, ICCN management models.

These meetings served to address specific themes in line with stakeholders’ needs, harmonize actors’ understanding of standard ICCN management tools and update anchor points for better coordination of efforts.

Meeting of PSE Focal points and senior officials of PA Network Members

The meeting was born from the ICCN’s desire to harmonize ICCN management tools. Thereafter this exchange framework focused on thorny actions contained in the ICCN roadmap, namely the Community Conservation Strategy (SCoCo), the Anti-Poaching Strategy (SLAB), and PSE. The meeting equally defined network membership conditions for other protected areas in the DRC.

The exchange platform led to major strides towards developing the network of protected areas of the DRC. Namely:

♦ the addition of new members to the team of technical and financial partners. Namely UNESCO and the "Support Programme for the Protected Areas Network" (PARAP / WWF) funded by the German Ministry of Ecology,

♦ the specialization of Technical and Scientific Department (SDR) of the ICCN  in all technical and scientific aspects of the network. Thus tools were developed to assess the state of conservation of sites, the effectiveness of their management systems under existing models and governance,
♦ the adoption of a name for the network, as follows: the Network for Environment and Security in PAs (RESAP)

Challenges facing the network…

The network faces numerous challenges going forward. Namely:

♦ Increasing involvement of local communities and indigenous peoples in protected area management,
♦ Safeguarding cross sectional samples of the Republic’s entire biological diversity, and also preserving fragile or exceptional environments as well as endangered or vulnerable species’ habitats,

♦ Fostering involvement of active traditional leaders in the establishment of Community Conservation Committees (CCC) at subsequent meetings.

Please download the full article from the link below: ICCN-131020_Reseau des Aires Protegees-ICCN.pdf (3.0 Mo)