“Africans can rely on the Congo Basin forests, which acts as the world’s “second lung” after the Amazon”

Kaddu K. Sebunya, President, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)

Members of Parties of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership gathered in Kigali  to discuss the problems facing Africa’s rich ecosystem and seed pathways to help solve them. One of these partners was the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Africa’s largest conservation organization initiating and engaging in wildlife and wild lands projects across the continent for 55 years.

According to the AWF President, Mr. Kaddu Sebunya, protecting the Congo Basin Forest, the biggest and diverse on the planet after Amazon is no easy task because the forest is increasingly threatened as development needs of member countries swells. In an interview with PAMACC News on the sidelines of the CBFP meeting, he says development and the protection of our ecosystems need not be mutually exclusive. While striving for growth, Africa must make better choices to minimize its consequences and the net impact on nature’s ecosystem

Q      We understand the African Wildlife Foundation is one of the international NGO’s that has been fronting activities to protect wildlife and the ecosystem in the Congo Basin region. Can you give an over view of the activities AWF has been carrying out in the field?

Let me start by saying that AWF works together with the people of Africa to ensure the wildlife and the wild lands of Africa will endure forever, and we articulate and promote a uniquely African conservation vision and voice for the whole continent. We envision Central Africa’s governments and people as champions for the conservation of the Congo Basin Forest for current and future generations.

Our programs in the Congo Basin include supporting the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) in implementing adequate protection and participative management in a portion of the Bili-Uele complex. AWF has been working in the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba landscape in DRC since 2003. We are working with a diverse group of partners on a holistic program to: conserve the MLW landscape through land use planning and protected area management; protect wildlife, including the bonobo and forest elephant; combat climate change through forest protection and REDD+ initiatives; stem the bushmeat trade by strengthening the scout networks on the ground; and enhance the lives of the forest dependent communities through improved agriculture and other enterprises. AWF successfully established two protected areas, the Lomako–Yokokala Faunal Reserve and the Iyondji Community Bonobo Reserve, and is working to establish a third. This program is in partnership with CARPE/USAID.

In Cameroon, we are working closely with the National Conservation Service in Dja (NCSD) to improve the overall management of the Dja Faunal Reserve (DFR). We signed an MOU with the Ministry of Forest and Fauna (MINFOF) for the conservation reserve we have a full-time technical advisor based in DFR. We are also working with the Service de Conservation to train and equip the rangers with Cyber Tracker to improve anti-poaching and ecological monitoring. All training is followed by technical support either on-site or remotely.

Of what significance is the Congo Basin Forest to Africa today?

The Congo Basin Forest is cardinal to Africa’s survival; it is the water tower in Africa. Congo Basin forests provide critical water catchment services to Africa. A third of the 100 largest cities in the world, Kinshasa, Libreville, and Kigali, included, depend on protected forest areas for their water supply. The Congo Basin Forest provides food and supports the livelihood of local communities who practice subsistence agriculture in the area. As we witness other continents suffering air quality issues from rapid development, Africans can rely on the Congo Basin forests, which acts as the world’s “second lung” after the Amazon.

A forest is an extraordinary reservoir of carbon and biodiversity, and this explains while the Congo Basin Forest has become a center of attraction in the global challenge of climate change and conservation. Over 340 million dollars is spent in conservation efforts in the Congo Basin Forest today because of its importance to not only our natural ecosystems and the fight against climate but also in its role in the socio-cultural well being of the forest communities. Millions of people in the Congo Basin Forest and its immediate vicinity rely on the forest for subsistence, and this is crucial.

But conservationists say the forest today is facing big challenges?

Yes, and the big problem is our development drive. Africa’s youthful population is growing, and urbanization swell is real. Because of changes are driven by business and trade in Africa today, we need to define precisely the role of Wildlife and Wetland in our economic aspirations. If we do not do that, we are going to face the same problems faced by China, Asia, and other countries today in allocating land use.

However, development and the protection of our ecosystems need not be mutually exclusive. Without stopping the pace of development, we must make better choices to minimize the consequences and the net impact on nature’s ecosystems. Fortunately, we have the knowledge and the technology to identify and determine, for example, sustainable infrastructure development, community’s livelihood and wildlife conservation.

The exploitation of timber, oil, natural gas and rain forests is intensifying, and that means new infrastructure - roads and rail lines are opening up areas that were once difficult to traverse and putting increasing pressure on animal and plant populations.

This is a critical time for the people of the Congo Basin. Although, there are new and significant opportunities for economic growth and the quest for improved standard of living, the importance of preserving the basin's natural resources for future generation is also critical. Food and water security are ultimately impacted by how we manage our forests, combat climate change and cultivate our lands. The health of our bodies is tied to the health of the air we breathe, the soil in which we grow our food, and the water we consume.

So how do you think these challenges can be addressed?

AWF has been addressing issues supporting conservation efforts in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo and entire francophone Africa. We are addressing various issues from technology to economic growth with their different challenges. However, we have to continue being innovative and tactical, factoring in new elements to better and improve how we manage our natural resources.

In the last 40 years, Africa has lost more than half of its land and animal, from Rhino, elephant, chimps and other species, Lake Chad is dwindling bringing hardship to the population that has continued to migrate in search of greener pastures. That is why as Africans, we have to look in the mirror and choose what we want to do. If we fail, others will define our priorities for us.

As conservationists, we have to change our mindset and talk with each other, work with other stakeholders to find lasting solutions. AWF has been working towards this, and that is why we do not limit our actions only with the forest. We intervene in other socio-economic sectors like schools, agriculture, etc.

Why your passion for conservation?

My passion for conservation is a passion for Africa if I did not have the passion for Africa, I do not think I would have a passion for conservation! I don’t think I would be passionate, as I would be doing conservation outside Africa.

Africa is the best continent on this planet. When you see the mistakes we make on this continent, I cannot sit back and do nothing because of where I started from, how could I explain this to my grandchildren? That I did not do anything when I had the knowledge, the experience, I knew what was wrong and what might happen, and I did nothing!

Africa is one of the most beautiful places on the planet earth, and we cannot sit and try to think that we should change Africa to what Europe, or Beijing, or New York is, rather make the right choice for Africa.



Interview by Elias Ngalame and Steven Nsamaza

ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire (PAMACC News) - Dr Kerstin Danert is a rural water supply specialist focusing on developing in-country capacity with respect to operation and maintenance, cost-effective borehole drilling, technology adoption and sector performance monitoring, and the, and heads the secretariat of the Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN).

In an exclusive interview with ISAIAH ESIPISU of PAMACC News Agency, she discusses the achievements attained so far, the lessons learned, and the bottlenecks towards availing water to the rural poor, as the 7th RWSN conference goes down in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Here are the excerpts:

What is this conference all about?

The forum is a chance to have people from different sectors including local and national governments, nongovernmental organisations, the private sector and community representatives to meet face to face, to exchange knowledge and share experiences.

The forum in particular is very important, because it is looking ahead towards sustainable development goals, and of cause for water. The idea is to have water for all by 2030. And given the fact that that 80% of people without water live in rural areas, we cannot meet this goal without giving attention to the rural people. So the conference is focusing on how we can get water to everyone. Yet no single organisation can do that alone, whether it is a bank, a government, or even a UN organ. It is not possible. So the whole philosophy of developing this conference is to have everybody to work together.

What have been the major challenges to the campaign for water for all?

There has been progress, because there are more people with access to safe drinking water than before. But the main challenge has been reaching out to people living in very remote areas, the very poor people, how to make the marginalised communities with very little means have access to safe drinking water.

Again, there has been a lot of focus on the Millennium Development Goals especially in the past five years to get the services running. But the challenge is maintaining the systems. For example, we can get pipes running, but maintaining these services for years is a big challenge.

And if you look at the contributions coming in through this conference compared to before, there is much enthusiasm on management and sustainability. So people and organisations are thinking more on how to have the systems to continue to work, and this is a positive change.

We need to focus more on professionalism, because if the systems aren’t built well, there is no way they can be maintained.

Another problem is that documentation of what is being done is very weak. That is one of the reasons we are having this forum, to encourage organisations to document what they are doing. We need countries to understand what is being invested, what technologies are working and where.


What lessons have we learned so far?

One of the lessons learned is that we cannot do things in a hurry. You need planning to get things done well. Just running before you can walk is a problem. We need sufficient skills in place to construct and manage. Without that, we cannot achieve sustainable water supply services.

In terms of technology, we are also seeing a bigger variety of water harvesting techniques, we have seen alternative technologies also growing, where people are investing and improving their own services. However, this is only possible to those who can afford.

It’s also important to note that one of the big issues is that since 1990s, there has been very little progress in rural water supplies in Africa. I do not know why, but this is an issue that should be addressed urgently.

Another key lesson is that we cannot think about water supplies, without thinking of water resources. They are totally connected. We need to understand the water resource, we need to measure it whether it is ground water, runoff water or water from anywhere.

What next after the conference?
As a network, we are just but a facilitator. You can’t tell people exactly what to do. You can help them find solutions. Each country and each organization has to adapt to the local context that is acceptable to the local people.

All documentations coming out of this conference will be available online. We also want to see if some of the contributions can be simplified and put together for the better understanding of a masses.

We also want to learn from everybody, and learn from the media representatives on how we can take some of these messages out to the communities.

What I hope to see is people working together. This forum should be a catalyst for engagement.

Who are present in this forum?

We have directors from governments, we have NGOs, we have civil society representatives, we have the private sector, we have the media and we have representatives from communities. What we have done is to bring together major global players in rural water supplies together, to discuss, to challenge each other and to come up with solutions.

All we want is to have people participate as equals so that they can challenge each other without the hierarchy. If we want to reach the solution for water for all, then we cannot afford to cheat each other.








 

KIGALI, Rwanda (PAMACC News) - The involvement of local communities in forest conservation actions at all levels is key to the success of conservation and sustainable use of wildlife resources in the Central African region, experts say.

According to African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), engaging local communities in natural resource management enhances conservation activities including the fight against poaching and wildlife trafficking.

“The local forest communities are key drivers to the fight against illegal and wildlife trafficking and thus the need to empower them in readiness to conservation challenges,” says Manfred Epanda, AWF Coordinator in Cameroon.

In a paper presented at a side event at the Congo Basin Forest Partnership meeting in Kigali November 22, 2016, Epanda emphasised on the need to adequately sensitise and educate the local population on the importance of conservation to their wellbeing.

“Studies by the AWF has shown the direct relationship between the level of education of the population and attitudes towards conservation,” he said.

According to the studies, the involvement of the local people in the conservation process will enhance conservation by some 11.40 percent, pointing out much resources including wildlife and money can be saved by improving the attitude and knowledge of local people towards conservation.

Experts agree there is a direct relationship between the natural resource potential of a region and the socio-economic wellbeing of the population who rely on these resources for cash and subsistence income.

“The local populations directly rely on their natural resources for survival, but the exploitation of these resources must be done sustainably,” says Richard Eba’a Atyi of CIFOR.

“We do not discourage hunting by the local population as a source of food. The law is against hunting in protected areas and hunting for commercial purposes. This is what the AWF and other partners are against,” says Jef Dupain, Regional Director West Africa, AWF.

Conservation experts also called for reinforcement of wildlife trafficking laws in the Congo Basin forest region to curb increasing illegal poaching activities, especially in protected areas.

Manfred Epanda cited the case of the Dja Faunal Reserve in Cameroon known to be ivory trafficking hotspots, necessitating the reinforcement of the wildlife law and continuous education and involvement of the local population in the protection process.

“ The co-management of protected areas with the local people permit for mastery of the local reality like culture, language, people and provide the opportunity for the population to identify with the project,” he said.

The Dja Faunal Reserve he explained is a UNESCO world heritage site that is facing significant challenges although numerous conservation initiatives are presently ongoing in and around the reserve.

Unfortunately, it attracts the attention of traffickers because it is one of the last remaining refuges for wild apes and many other endangered species in the region, Epanda explained.

Chimpanzees are totally protected wildlife species by the 1994 wildlife law, which stipulates that anyone found in possession of parts of a protected wildlife species, is considered to have killed the animal experts said. The aim is to protect animals like the chimpanzee that are facing serious threats from poaching.

 In Cameroon for example according to statistic, some 32 chimpanzee skulls have been seized since the beginning of 2016 during operations carried out under the framework of the wildlife law enforcement initiative started by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) in 2003 to effectively enforce the laws.

MINFOF has since been working hard to ensure that those involved with the slaughter and sale of chimpanzee parts are prosecuted because their acts infringe the wildlife law, experts said.

KIGALI, Rwanda (PAMACC News) - It is time to face the fact that the Congo Basin forests will increasingly be threatened as development needs of member countries surges if urgent measures are not put in place to harmonise development challenges and conservation, experts have warned.

The Congo Basin forest which holds more than 25 billion tons of carbon and thousands of animal and plant species is today impacted directly and indirectly by industrialisation, with palm oil plantations taking the lead.

“We need to step out of the conservation box and work with the different stakeholders to balance environmental needs with socioeconomic requirements,” pointed out Jef Dupain, Regional Director, Central and Western Africa at the African Wildlife Foundation.

Speaking at a panel discussion on industrial agriculture and Apes Conservation at the Congo Basin Forest Partnership meeting in Kigali, experts agreed there was a need to guide development actions and encourage best practices for sustainable resource conservation.

“The expansion of industrial palm oil plantations into the habitat of endangered animal species like apes in the Congo Basin forest area has become evident,” said Bas Verhage of WWF citing the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The discussions were held against the backdrop of the publication of the second volume of the book “State of the Apes: Industrial Agriculture and Ape Conservation,” by Arcus Foundation.

The book accordingly examines the interface between ape conservation and industrial agriculture in the Congo Basin and West Africa and notes that Ape habitats like that of other species in sub-Saharan Africa are seriously threatened. It more specifically explores the drivers behind the agricultural expansion and addresses ways to minimize and mitigate its impact on biodiversity.

In Cameroon for example, the Dja forest reserve in the South of the country is seriously under threats from an expanding rubber plantation just like the Ebo forest in the Littoral region is facing challenges from growing palms plantation.

The case of some 142,000-hectare Ebo forest that sits less than 150 kilometers from the capital of Cameroon, Yaounde and even closer to Douala, both cities with populations of over 2 million, is seriously under threat. Like Korup National Park and the Dja Reserve, Ebo is also home to a wide variety of wildlife, including the rare Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee and the drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus), a highly endangered baboon-like monkey that, until the 1980s, scientists had written off as extinct.

The conservation actors at the panel discussion called for an integrated cross-sector approach to national management that factor in development and conservation needs through building bridges and linkages between protected areas, spaces designed for production, infrastructure and mining activity.

“There is an urgent need to work towards reconciling the conservation and development visions so as to optimise land use. The concept of protecting of Congo Basin should also include opportunities for development and job creation.  Conservation and development are closely linked rather than conflicting concepts. Thus conservation projects should be tailored and harnessed to provide solutions to development and employment challenges,” says Andreas Athanas, Program Design Director, AWF, in an interview.

Experts agree transparency must be the watchword in the conservation and forest management industry in coming years to bolster and foster trust among stakeholders.

“There is a need to build a permanent platform for inclusive dialogue between the States, the private sector and other actors to create an enabling environment and ensure transparency,” Athanas said.