The Importance of Biodiversity in the Central Africa Region
On the local level:
Animal and plant species are an essential source of food, materials and shelter for over 20 million people. The forests are also important cultural values as they play an important role in many forest societies’ belief systems.
On the national level:
The region is extremely rich in natural resources. Timber and non-timber forest products are important for their economic values
Around the world…
Maintaining the integrity of the entire Central African Forests should be a global priority for ecological services such as clean water, protection from floods and global climate stabilization (over half of vegetative carbon on the continent).
Threats to biodiversity in Central African region
The most serious immediate threat to the region's biodiversity is the commercial hunting of wildlife for the bush meat trade and the illegal ivory trade. Longer-term threats include the destruction of forest habitats by timber companies, and the increase in the numbers of people clearing forests for agricultural land. In all, threats include:
- Unsustainable and illegal logging operations
- Population growth and poverty
- Poor environmental governance and policy framework
- Disincentives for sustainable forest management
- Weak protected areas network
- Weak scientific understanding of environmental issues
- Political instability and war
These threats lead to:
- Dwindling population of animal species
- Reduced diversity of the forest genetic pool
- Soil erosion and loss of fertility of the soil
- Increased sedimentation downstream
- Human conflicts over forest resources
- Threat to indigenous communities
- Principal seed dispersers (e.g. elephants, duikers) eliminated with consequential change in forest patterns and regeneration
- Loss of local and national economies
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Central Africa
WWF has been working in the forests of Central Africa for more than 20 years, with a focus on forest conservation through developing and managing protected areas, while promoting sustainable forestry practices and community conservation for the benefit of the populations.
WWF actions
- Conserve key freshwater ecosystems, while ensuring adequate sustainability
- Conserve key forest ecosystems while ensuring sustainable use of forest resources
- Conserve key marine ecosystems, while ensuring sustainable use of resources
- Conserve key savanna ecosystems, while promoting concrete returns of benefits from conservation to local population
- Promote sustainability of exploitation, use, and trade of species, and increase capacity of nations to regulate and monitor this resource use
- Promote changes in attitudes and behaviors of people towards their environment and the use and management of natural resources
- Develop capacity of conservation professional, NGOs, and government partners to deliver biodiversity conservation
- Building on the momentum of the Yaoundé Declaration, promote policies and legislative and institutional frameworks favoring biodiversity conservation and sustainable use
- Provide sustainable financing of conservation initiatives
Important Conservation Areas in the Central African Region
Western Congo Basin Moist Forest
- Tri-national de la Sangha (TNS) (made up of Dzangha Sangha, Lobeke and Nouabale Ndoki)
- The Dja-Minkebe-Odzala Tri-national (TRIDOM)
Congolian Coastal Forest
Cameroon Highlands
Sudanian Savannah
- Northern Savannah, Cameroon
Congo Basin Forests
- Landscapes in DRC (Salonga, Lake Tumba, Kahuzi Biega and Virungas)
Some WWF Achievements in Central Africa region
- Supported development and management of critical protected areas as Dzangha-Sangha Dense Forest Reserve, Dzangha Ndoki National Park, Minkebe Forest Reserve and Lobeke National Park
- Supported initiatives for conservation of trans-boundary areas as Sangha Tri-National (TNS) between Cameroon, Congo and Central African Republic; and the Dja-Minkebe-Odzala Tri-National (TRIDOM) between Cameroon, Congo and Gabon
- Pioneered Sustainable Forest Management and independent certification with major logging companies around protected areas
- Developed wildlife management activities and community based conservation programmes for improved livelihoods
- Supported the building local conservation capacity
- Ensured commitment of Central African states towards conservation and sustainble management of their forest with the famous Yaoundé Declaration
- Supported initiatives aimed at securing long-term financial security for some of the key protected areas in the region
- Supported the development and implementation of legislative framework to better governance of natural resource management
The Yaoundé Declaration
In March 1999, the Heads of State of Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon made an unprecedented political commitment in favour of Conservation and Sustainable Management of Forests (later joined by the Democratic Republic of Congo). The Yaoundé Declaration was recognized by the 54th General Assembly of the United Nations as a mechanism to achieve sustainable forest management and conservation in Central Africa.
The twelve points of the Yaoundé declaration are:
- Creation of trans-boundary protected areas;
- Development of adequate forest taxation policies;
- Harmonization of national forest policies;
- Enhancement of the participation of rural populations in forest management;
- Enhancement of the participation of economic operators in forest management;
- Adoption of measures to harmonize forest policies with policies in other sectors;
- Combating high level poaching;
- Promotion of industrial wood processing;
- Promotion of national and regional forums for the exchange of experiences;
- Adoption of sustainable strategies for financing the forestry sec tor from internally and externally generated funds;
- Organization of further summits dedicated to the conservation and sustainable management of the sub-region forests; and
- Revival of the Organization for Wildlife Conservation in Central Africa (OCFSA).
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Central Africa Region
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Border Forest, Cameroon and Congo
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Cameroon Forest People
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Pygmy Woman
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