Project/activity information

The project constitutes the Phase II of PD 4/00 Rev.1 (F) “Biodiversity Management and Conservation in Forest Concessions Adjacent to Totally Protected Area (Nouabale-Ndoki National Park), Northern Congo” (PROGEPP) and is based on a joint assessment of the lessons learned from this project by the CIB forest company, the international non-governmental organization WCS, the Government of Congo and the local communities. It takes into account the need to reinforce buffer zone management to ensure the long-term integrity of the Park, the CIB's interest in progressive forest management and biodiversity conservation, and the Ministry’s commitment to sustainable development and environmental conservation as a member of ITTO.

The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has funded an independent evaluation mission of PD 4/00 Rev.1 (F), which was carried out in August 2004. The evaluation report, summarizing the key aspects of the project implementation and challenges, is available.

The project will concentrate on adaptive implementation and monitoring of the wildlife, socio-economic, and RIL components of the forest concession management plan. Lessons learned from the model developed in the CIB forest concessions will be shared with Sangha-Tri-national Trans-boundary partners and the neighboring Mokabi and Ngombe forest concessions, in order to promote replication of this approach. The project aims to extend wildlife conservation and integrated management to cover 21,000 km2 of the Ndoki-Likouala landscape in the Republic of Congo.

As in Phase I, this project aims to contribute to the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity and production of high value tropical timber in lowland forest concessions forming a managed buffer zone adjacent to the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park (NNNP) in northern Congo. The specific objectives are: a) to implement and monitor ecosystem management systems with the timber company and local communities in the 1.3 million ha Kabo-Pokola-Loundougou forest concession adjacent to the NNNP; and b) to promote the replication of a model ecosystem management approach in the key forest concessions of the Tri-national Trans-boundary Conservation Area of neighboring Cameroon and Central African Republic and the Mokabi forest concession in the Republic of Congo.

Major expected project outputs include:
- Wildlife management plan implemented and monitored in forest concessions with appropriate control and protection mechanisms;
- Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) program implemented and monitored;
- Alternative activity studies, pilot projects, and plan implemented and monitored;
- Environmental education and awareness program implemented and monitored;
- Applied research and monitoring systems implemented to ensure adaptive management;
- Private sector, NGO and Government actors from key forest concessions in the periphery of Lobeke National Park, Cameroon, and Dzanga-Sangha/Dzangha-Ndoki, Central African Republic, trained in the PROGEPP approach to management and adopting improved management strategies where appropriate; and
- Ecosystem management program for the Mokabi forest concession north of the NNNP based on the PROGEPP model initiated by the Government of Congo, the Rougier timber company and WCS.