National park in DRC with rare species such as pangolin and okapi set to be protected in new agreement
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A new co-management agreement between ICCN and Fauna & Flora is set to bolster protection for a national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The second largest country in Africa, the DRC is one of the continent’s most important nations for nature conservation, so much so it is considered one of the world’s megadiverse nations.
Stretching for more than one million hectares, Maiko National Park is a remote yet vital haven of biodiversity in the DRC.
It is home to both rare and endemic species, including the giant pangolin, Grauer’s gorilla and one of the most elusive animals on the planet – the okapi.
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As well as being a haven for wildlife, Maiko National Park also acts as a carbon sink with its expansive forests, helping to mitigate global warming by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. More than 50 per cent of Africa’s total tropical forests lie within the DRC’s borders.The park is also an important watershed, with its rivers flowing into the Congo River Basin – a crucial water source for both the region’s people and wildlife.
Despite its largely inaccessible location, the park’s biodiversity has faced a range of threats such as poaching, illegal mining and the over-exploitation of natural resources.
The new partnership will help to strengthen protection of Maiko National Park, with activities such as improving ranger patrols with better training and equipment; working with local communities to build stronger conservation approaches and developing sustainable livelihood activities that will increase household income while reducing reliance on natural resources.
Protecting Maiko National Park is a project forming part of the DRC government’s larger plans to establish the world’s largest tropical forest reserve via a green corridor in the Congo Basin. Each year, the Congo Basin absorbs nearly 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. As such, it is critical to put measures in place to protect an area aptly dubbed ‘the lungs of Africa’.
‘Conservation is never easy and in a country as vast and complex as the Democratic Republic of Congo it can be especially demanding,’ said CEO of Fauna & Flora Kristian Teleki.
‘But challenges are not a reason to step back; they are a call to work smarter, to strengthen partnerships, and to embrace innovation.’
As well as the current project to protect Maiko National Park, Fauna & Flora have also played a key role in other work to support the nation. For example, the organisation created a project focused on the conservation of the endangered okapi throughout Eastern DRC. As well as this, Fauna & Flora have supported community reserves home to eastern lowland gorillas.
