Creation of a community-managed protected Saharan area in Ouadane

The populations of the villages of Ibolo and Koundoumou, in Epéna district (Likouala Department, in the Lake Télé “landscape”), have set up, with the support of the NGO “Conservation de la Faune Congolaise”, a conservation area to protect their natural resources, which are frequently violated by neighbouring populations. Poaching, and gorilla hunting in particular, has contributed to the depletion of wildlife in the area. In response to this situation, alternatives to hunting in the area are being sought.

The overall objective of the project is to help reduce pressure on wildlife and enhance biodiversity conservation in the Republic of Congo in general, and in the Lake Télé Community Reserve area and its periphery in particular, notably the Ibolo-Koundoumou Community Conservation Area. To meet local populations’ protein needs, the project will support alternative activities, including traditional livestock farming and the introduction of new activities capable of generating income for the population and thereby improving their livelihoods.

The project’s objective is to prepare for the creation of a community-managed protected area in order to preserve biological, cultural and archaeological heritage.