WWF - WWF Central Africa office, Cameroon

Forests fundamental to effective climate deal

2009-10-25

Buenos Aires, Argentina – The world’s ability to control climate change could be crippled if global leaders do not support clear and effective targets to arrest deforestation at climate talks in Copenhagen in December, WWF said at the conclusion of a key global foresty summit.

As the XIIIth World Forestry Congress finished Friday, WWF called for an ambitious and bold climate deal at Copenhagen to give clear guidance and incentives for the forestry sector to do its part in stopping catastrophic climate change and adapt to predicted changes.

“Setting immediate deforestation targets is a key component of any climate change agreement,” said Rodney Taylor, Director of WWF International’s Forest program.

“If the global deal on climate change ignores the dangers of unchecked deforestation, it will set the world on an accelerated path to savage climate change.”

Despite conservation efforts, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate – 13 million hectares per year, or 36 football fields a minute. It generates almost 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and halting forest loss has been identified as one of the most cost-effective ways to keep the world out of the danger zone of runaway climate change.

To this end, WWF during the Congress proposed a global target of zero net deforestation by 2020 to avoid runaway climate change and stop the current catastrophic trend of species loss.

“A zero net deforestation by 2020 target will set the scale and urgency needed to gather the political will to stop forest loss,” Taylor said.

WWF will continue to advocate for a strong deforestation target to be included in all other relevant international treaties and agreements, including in the Convention on Biological Diversity.

In Copenhagen, negotiators need to agree to strong financial and emissions reduction commitments to craft a climate deal that enables developing countries to halt forest loss.

“WWF received strong feedback at the Congress from various sectors, including governments, other NGOs, and the private sector to support our target on deforestation,” said Gerald Steindlegger, WWF International’s Forest Manager on Global Policy.

Many developing countries already are adopting major deforestation policies that mirror WWF’s call for zero net deforestation by 2020.

On Wednesday, government representatives from Argentina and Paraguay pledged during a special ceremony co-hosted by WWF and its partner organization Fundacion Vida Silvestre at the Congress to work towards zero net deforestation in the Atlantic Forest, and to implement a package of measures that include national legislation to enforce those commitments.

The Atlantic Forest initially spanned 500,000 square kms, shared between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. However, only 7.4 percent of the forest is left today – or about 35,000 square kilometers, making it one of the most threatened and fragmented subtropical forests in the world.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian government already has established a zero deforestation target by 2010 for the Atlantic Forest. Brazil also has pledged to establish protected areas covering at least 10 percent of the forest.

This year, the World Forestry Congress brought together more than 4,000 participants in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Ivory traffickers held in Central African Republic

2009-10-06

The arrests were the first of their kind in the African nation since it passed a wildlife protection law in the 1980s, said Ofir Drori, director of the Cameroon-based group The Last Great Ape which announced the arrests with WWF.

One woman had 157 ivory objects weighing more than 200 kilogrammes in her home in Bangui, the groups said in a statement.

The other trafficker was detained in a Bangui hotel Friday as he was "trying to sell 14 ivory objects, hippopotamus teeth and a panther skin," said the statement.

The two could face up to a year in jail if found guilty.

"They had several decades of experience between them and were said to be at the centre of an international ivory trafficking network," the statement said.

Illegal poaching threatens the elephant with extinction, animal protection groups say, despite the ivory trade being banned by a 1989 international agreement.

Experts say some 38,000 African elephants are killed each year for their tusks.

Investors ready for forest carbon market if Copenhagen and countries supply certainty

2009-09-28

Bangkok, Thailand: A survey of investors with approximately US$7 trillion of assets under management has shown significant support for an expanded carbon market mechanism which would address the estimated 20 percent of global carbon emissions due to deforestation and forest degradation.

But the 2009 Forest Carbon Investor Survey, conducted by the Brunswick Group on behalf of the WWF Forest Carbon Initiative, found investors looking for initial public financing viable policy frameworks, and more certainty from both international agreements and national legislation, before private funds can be mobilized.

The investment community is looking to December’s UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen to add substance to REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) as the over-arching policy framework for combating forest related emissions.

“Any global deal on climate change must take into account the significant role forests play in combating global warming,” said James Leape, Director General, WWF International. “If strong policies are put in place to ensure real reductions in emissions and real benefits to forest communities, investors can play a key role in supporting REDD.

“Agreement in Copenhagen – coupled with progress on national initiatives – will be a signal to investors that REDD can and will succeed, and will ensure forests are more valuable standing than cut down.”

The key findings from in depth interviews with 25 senior institutional money managers, sell-side analysts and specialist sustainability investors in Europe, the U.S. and Asia-Pacific are:

There is significant potential for a multi-billon dollar expanded carbon market, however substantial preconditions still need to be met for REDD to succeed
Agreement at Copenhagen and legislation in key countries including the U.S. are crucial pre-requisites
Public sector funding will be vital before a market-based approach can take effect
Problems of verification and monitoring can be addressed if there is a strong political framework in place
National governments must put in place robust and durable legal frameworks to create certainty for investors

The survey found investors have a high degree of knowledge about REDD and see strong potential in a future carbon market. However, they are also unlikely to invest in the market without clear political commitment, funding and on-the-ground implementation by key developed and developing countries.

The investors also believed that a compliance market in forest carbon would provide powerful incentives to reverse deforestation in forest countries

More than one-third expect a forest carbon market will evolve from a voluntary to a compliance market over the next five to fifteen years if certain conditions for a market-based approach can be met. This will require action from governments, including public sector funding, to lay the foundation for the market and support efforts by forest nations to build legal and technical capacity for REDD.

Key milestones sought by investors are agreement at the Copenhagen climate talks with support from major economies such as China and India, as well as the passage of U.S. climate change legislation. A strong legislative framework in forest countries is seen as core to addressing problems of verification and monitoring that have hampered agreement on REDD in the past.

Investors have a favorable view of proposals on REDD, supported by WWF, which recognize the value of a phased approach including pilot projects.

"REDD is critical to a climate solution, and finance is critical to making REDD work,” said Donald Kanak, Chairman of WWF’s Forest Carbon Initiative. “In the long term, private capital could play a major role, if certain conditions are satisfied. We need governments to step up to create sufficient financing in the near term to support forest countries’ efforts to become REDD-ready."

Kanak presented the survey results (summary attached) as negotiators met in Bangkok in a lead up session to the Copenhagen climate change talks convened by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The survey presentation was followed by an expert panel discussion which included: Prof. Dr. Singgih Riphat of the Ministry of Finance, Republic of Indonesia, and Mr. David McCauley of the Asian Development Bank.

Major Cameroon raid nets key poachers, weapons and huge bushmeat haul

2009-05-07

Yaoundé, Cameroon: Authorities in southeast Cameroon last week seized more than 1,000 kgs of illegal bush meat and guns, and arrested 15 wildlife poachers in an unprecedented police operation.

Prompted by concerns about poaching from WWF, the Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife organized a major week-long anti poaching operation in the region in tandem with the national military. A combined unit of soldiers, police and game rangers uncovered more than 1,000 kg of bush meat, the remains of which included several protected species: gorillas, elephants, and chimpanzees. They also confiscated more than 30 guns from the suspected poachers, including high calibre rifles and illegally owned war weapons (AK-47’s).

Among those arrested was a municipal councilor, suspected of being a white collar elephant poacher based in the town of Moloundou, south of Nki National Park. Three other notorious elephant poachers, a Central African, a Congolese and a Cameroonian were arrested around Boumba Bek and Lobeke National Parks.

WWF is now calling on the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife to push for the swift prosecution of the 15 suspected poachers arrested to properly complete last week’s spectacular anti-poaching drive.

“The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife deserves praises in taking this bold step to check what had become a rampant and uncontrolled destruction of species by a few individuals to the detriment of the local population”, said Natasha K. Quist, Regional Representative for WWF in Central Africa. “However, the success of this operation should be measured by the effectiveness of the judicial process brought against the suspects. We must avoid a situation whereby the same people who have been arrested are back in the forest the very next day to continue with illegal activities”, she noted.

The operation was carried out in targeted villages with the help of local traditional rulers and the local population. The teams also carried out in-forest and maritime patrols during which two elephant tusks, three elephant tails and great ape parts were confiscated.

“It is critical for both government and other stakeholders to examine the alarming wildlife decimation in order to forestall what could turn out to be a regrettable carnage and irreversible loss of biodiversity”, says Martin Tchamba, national director for WWF Cameroon. “We need to urgently work out the causes of the present poaching upsurge and determine appropriate actions in order to safeguard key wildlife species in and around the parks”.

For almost two decades, WWF has been active in southeast Cameroon, working to support both the authorities and the local people in their efforts to protect a unique forest environment and the precious eco-systems it contains.

Anti poaching efforts spearheaded by Cameroon’s Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, and supported by WWF, so far have produced significant results.

Some 59 people were charged with forest and wildlife related crime in the Southeast of Cameroon in 2008. Among the accused, 54 face charges of poaching protected species and illegally carrying guns (among which were about 20 war guns, or Kalashnikovs) while five were accused of illegal wood exploitation. The courts so far have heard and decided 49 cases, sentencing 47 people to between 10 days and three year jail terms. The court also has issued fines ranging between FCFA 27,000 and 2.7 million (approx. between 50 and 5,000 US $). Two of the suspects have been acquitted while 10 are still facing trial.

WWF Coastal Forest (SAWA) Programme in the Korup National Park

2009-01-22

Collared elephant to improve ecological monitoring on Mt Cameroon

2009-01-19

WWF Cameroon celebrated the start of 2009 with the radio-collaring of a huge female elephant on the slopes of Mount Cameroon in the South West Region of the Republic of Cameroon. The purpose of this exercise is to provide a better understanding of the migration patterns of elephants, and help in land use planning as well as regulating human - elephant conflicts. Working within the framework of the Coastal Forests (SAWA) Programme, WWF is working with partners and funds from WWF Sweden towards the establishment of a National Park in parts of the biodiversity rich Mount Cameroon.

One-tusk ninja

This makes the third elephant to be radio-collared by WWF on Mount Cameroon. The first two were tagged in March 2007 and January 2008 respectively. The latest one - the female elephant named Uppsala, estimated at 45 years of age, weighs about 3 1/2 tons, and has just one tusk. From all indications, the mammal was the eldest in the herd of six from which it was tagged.

The Programme Coordinator for WWF Coastal Forests Programme Dr. Atanga Ekobowho led the team up the mountains together with veteran Veterinarian from North Carolina Zoo Society (USA), Dr. Mike Loomis said Uppsala’a collar is built to transmit for 20 months prior to battery failure.

Better understanding of elephants

Elephant tagging or collaring is a technology that provides a better understanding of the migration patterns of elephants, and therefore helps in land use planning and finding ways of reducing human - elephant conflict. The elephants’ locations are plotted as layers on maps created using the ArcView software to provide information on movement and distribution patterns in the area in relationship to other bio-geographic features.

“Because the ranging and migration patterns of forest elephants in Central Africa in general and in Cameroon in particular are poorly understood, an understanding of ranging behaviour and seasonal movement patterns is important for effective conservation and management of elephants around Mt. Cameroon where land is scarce”, said Dr Martin Tchamba, National Director of WWF Cameroon.

Radio and satellite telemetry have been an integral part of many research and management projects of African elephants for several decades. “WWF Cameroon Country Programme Office in collaboration with the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife in Cameroon has carried out similar operation in the northern and South east regions of the country with technical assistance from the North Carolina Zoological Park” according to the National director.

Dr. Michael Loomis, a Chief veterinarian from the North Carolina Zoological Park has been working in Cameroon for some eleven years now, carrying out research aimed at protecting and monitoring the forest and savannah elephants in Cameroon. These species have over the years been seriously threatened.

The need for elephant collaring in the proposed Mount Cameroon National Park, is to ensure that priority sites for elephants are identified and definite park boundaries determined hence, appropriate levels of protection could be afforded. Data so far collected on elephant movement and distribution patterns will help park authorities plan anti-poaching operations. These data will also reinforce the need for stakeholders to collaborate in wildlife management activities in and around the proposed Mount Cameroon National Park area.

Elephant radio-collared in Ngoyla-Mintom forest block

2008-12-13

Forest boost as poaching boss gets jail

2008-10-27

Mundemba, Cameroon: A five-year jail sentence for a notorious elephant poacher could provide a lifeline for wildlife in and around an African rainforest that survived the Ice Age.

The recent court judgement was passed in Mundemba, the nearest town to Africa’s oldest and most diverse rainforest, the Korup National Park in south-west Cameroon.

The case arose after security agents raided the hideout of poacher Akah Job who was found to have killed eight elephants.

Security agents are also on the trail of an accomplice who allegedly supplies arms and ammunition from the city of Kumba, some 80 kilometres away.

“We welcome this new verdict and hope it will deter other poachers and their accomplices from decimating wildlife and above all protect rare and vital species from extinction for the benefit of the people around Korup National Park and mankind as a whole,” said Dr Martin Tchamba, Technical Manager, WWF-Cameroon.

“WWF works in safeguarding key species in Cameroon through supporting anti-poaching drives, and promoting the implementation of wildlife legislation is yielding fruits within key biodiversity hotspots in the country.”

Acting from a tip-off, game guards of the Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) based in the small town of Mundemba, supported by security officials from the gendarmerie, found Akah in possession of nine elephant tusks weighing about 8kg, elephant meat worth about 15kg, and eight elephant tails.

Two days of trekking to the remote village of Esukutan paid off as the poacher, whom villagers described as “daring”, was whisked off for trial. Other seizures included guns, cartridges and wire snares.

Established in 1986, Korup National Park covers an area of 1,260 km². It is proclaimed to be the single richest lowland site in Africa for plants, birds (more than 400 species), herpetofauna (82 reptiles and 92 amphibians) and butterflies (around 1,000 species). There are in addition 130 different species of fish and more than 160 mammals. Many of them are endangered and some are found nowhere else on earth.

One reason for its importance is that it is in an area which remained rain forest throughout the drying-out periods during the Ice Age when icecap advance caused severe global cooling which caused much tropical rainforest to be replaced by semi-xerophytic scrub or savannah.

This park is also known for the fact that it contains the largest number of species of trees in any rainforest in Africa. The area receives a large amount of rainfall and a relatively low amount of sunshine. These factors, combined with poor accessibility, have allowed the natural rainforests to flourish in the area.

Jengi Newsletter

2008-10-03

In this issue of Jengi Newsletter:

CARPE/USAID helping forest governance in Southeast Cameroon
Fact sheet on community forestry in Southeast Cameroon
WWF International Director General Visit Jengi
WIRE TRAP: Big killer of wildlife
Time to fight white-collared poachers
German Bank pledges more support for TNS
Baka pygmies sticking to dome-shaped houses

Kudu Zombo Newsletter

2008-10-03

In this issue of Kudu Zombo Newsletter
• Planned Kribi Deep Sea Port project and marine protected area
• COMMUNITY FORESTS IN CAMPO-MA'AN: EXPLOITATION BEGINS SOON IN TWO NEW COMMUNITY FORESTS
• LOCAL ASSOCIATION RAISES MORE FUNDS FOR SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION

Sustainable forest management in Southeast Cameroon

2008-08-28

Since 2002, WWF alongside local and other international NGOs have been working with logging companies, local communities and Cameroon’s Ministry of Forest and Wildlife to ensure sustainable forest management SFM. In this light, WWF has been accompanying logging companies engaged in Forest Stewardship Council, FSC, Certification process and working with local communities to set up community forest enterprises.

The forest is divided into permanent (77%) and non-permanent (23%) forest domains.
The permanent forest domain is forest lands that are used solely for forestry and or as a wildlife habitat. The non permanent forest domain is forest land that can be given out for other activities rather than timber exploitation.

Permanent forest domain

WWF project invests about US$100,000 per year that includes staff time to support sustainable forest management and certification initiatives of logging companies operating in Southeast Cameroon.

WWF provides technical assistance through activities such as training, wildlife inventories, GIS and monitoring.

The project carries out preliminary studies on certification and monitors socio-economic and ecological impact of forest exploitation.

WWF prods the establishment of forest management units within logging companies.

Helps build capacities of forest technicians on low-impact exploitation techniques.

Logging Concessions
There are 23 logging concessions covering 1,558879ha and accounting for 48% of the total area. Nine logging companies are exploiting the concessions.
Amongst the logging companies, five are run by Cameroonians, two by Italians, one by Belgians and one jointly by French and Chinese. These companies operate nine sawmills.

Companies engaged in FSC Certification
Two logging companies (SEFAC and Group Decolvenaere) are engaged in Forest Stewardship Council, FSC Certification covering some 529600 ha.
Statistics from SEFAC Company indicate additional Euros150 per cubic metre is generated as profit from certified wood. The company’s field manager indicates wood demand from Western markets, especially FSC wood, has tripled since the company obtained the certificate.
So far, four logging concessions of Group SEFAC, amounting to 314655ha, have been certified given a percentage of 33.9% in the region. Three other companies: SFCS, ALPICAM and VICWOOD/Thanry exploiting 10 logging concessions, covering 756330ha are in the Certification process.

Importance of certified wood
Certification seeks to ensure that forests are exploited under acceptable socio-economic and ecological conditions. Companies seeking certification must undertake to protect sensitive wildlife corridors, contribute in the fight against poaching, protect water catchments, rivers, streams and marshy areas within the concession they are logging, all in a bid to ensure sustainable forest exploitation.
The company must make determined efforts to improve living conditions of its workers, with regards to health care, sanitation, housing, education and other social aminities. It must recognise and protect the rights of minorities like Baka pygmies. FSC certified wood is thus wood exploited in respect to nature and human beings.

WWF target for 2011
By 2011 WWF hopes some 1070985ha (68.7%) of forest concessions under exploitation would have been certified.

Non-permanent forest domain
This is unclassified forest on non-permanent forest land that comprises communal forests, community forests and forest belonging to private individuals.
This forest can be attributed for other uses order than timber extraction.

Community Forest
Portion of forest in the non-permanent state forest which is object of a management agreement between a village community and the service in charge of forestry. Community forest comprises 5000 ha of forest portions managed by village communities, with technical assistance of the services in charge of forestry, for a period of 25 years renewable.

WWF support to community forest initiatives
WWF is giving technical support in the form of training, elaboration of management plans, inventories etc, to 21 (105000ha) community forest enterprises, covering 23 villages with a population of 21178 people.
10 community forests have been attributed to local communities; five are already under exploitation while 11 are still in the process of being attributed.

Target for 2011
WWF hopes 20 community forest enterprises shall be fully operational on a surface area of 100,000ha by 2011.

Perspective
With a network of mangers of community forest in the Southeast Province put in place WWF envisages assisting community forest obtain group certification. However, this could only be achieved after some of the community forest would have gone fully operational.

Socio-economic benefits of community forests
The proceeds generated by community forests enterprises are used to finance micro projects in local communities. Communities so far make about US$10,000 per year from the two forest units currently operational? The project is investing in form of technical assistance some US$50,000 annually to promote community forestry.
Following have been achieved with proceeds from community forests under exploitation:
Construction of classrooms
Scholarships to pupils and students
Constructions and maintenance of water points
Purchase of didactic materials for schools

Key definitions

Permanent forest domain
These are forest lands that are used solely for forestry and or as a wildlife habitat. It comprises state forest and council forest and covers at least 30% of the total area of the national territory.

Logging contract
An exploitation contract that confers on a forest exploiter the right to extract from a forest concession, a specific volume of timber to supply his local industry/industries for processing in the long term. The contract is renewable after 15 years and is evaluated every three years.

Forest concession
A forest area where timber is exploited. A concession could comprise several forest management units (UFA)

Sale by standing volume
An authorisation to exploit a precise volume of timber in a surface area of forest not more than 2500 hectares. The attribution of such forest is subject to the opinion of a competent commission for a period of three years renewable

Personal authorisation
An authorisation given to an individual to extract not more than 30 metre cube of timber for personal and non-profit use

Congo Basin is one of the most important places on earth, Jim P. Leape

2008-08-06

Congo Basin Rainforest; biodiversity hotspot

This forest is for WWF one of the most important places on earth. It is at the cutting edge of conservation for the organisation. Here we are trying to conserve forest on a very large scale, working at the highest levels with heads of states and with foreign governments and at the same time working with local communities to try and find solutions which can sustain conservation in the long term. It is a flagship programme for our organisation. So it is important for me to have time to see what is being done and to share with some of our most important partners.

This is a place with stunning resources; the only place where you can see lowland gorillas and forest elephants. But more broadly a real spectacular forest from a biodiversity perspective. It is a place for people who want to be part of finding solutions, who want to be part of conservation and a place of great challenges. This is a hard place to find good solutions. We have seen very exciting work from some of our colleagues in Central Africa Republic and here in Cameroon. We have seen some of what they are up against and the challenges they face. It has been for me a very inspiring trip.

WWF and FSC Certification

I think FSC Certification is one of the most important strategies we have developed over the last 15 years because, absolutely, we have to find ways to conserve the forest and at the same time meet the economic and social needs of surrounding communities. And certified forestry is a proven strategy for doing that. It is very exciting to see that strategy work here in Central Africa. In this specific case we were able to talk with the management and see sustainable forest management in operation. For me it was a great visit.

Nature and People

I think there is a deep understanding within this organisation that conservation can only be successful if it works for people in particular, who live in the areas we are trying to protect, that we are broadly working for society. We have recognised that for a very long time and the strategy that you now see developing in the Congo Basin, for the Amazon, for the Coral Triangle and so on really are focused on finding lasting solutions and lasting solutions means solutions that work for the people. That is actually what we are trying to do.
We all agree somehow that this forest needs to be conserved. But our experience is also clear that if we are going to conserve this forest we have to find a way to allow some sustainable use to meet the economic needs and aspirations of the people who live here. For us it is clear that FSC certified logging really has that promise. It is an important part, alongside protected areas, for long term conservation of this great place.

WWF and the German Development Bank (KfW)

KfW is one of our most important partners. There is an extraordinary commitment from KfW. The resources they are ready to commit offers great potentials for us to forge solutions here in the Congo Basin, in the Amazon and other parts of the world. So they are for us a great partner.

Biodiversity conservation; a passion

This has been my passion as long as I could remember since when I was a kid. It all started with a love for nature. But in the last three decades I got to understand that these are challenges that are fundamental to the existence of humanity. Apart from the passion in the end I think this is a very important cause for humanity. There could be no better priority than that.

WWF Jengi, a great team!

I have been focused on the Congo Basin for a very long time. I was here for the first time almost 10 years ago but much longer than this. This is a region that I have been particularly fascinated by and passionate of. To me it is an incredible privilege to spend time with this team, to be here in the field getting a sense of the great work they have been doing under very challenging circumstances. This is a place where we are trying to protect elephants and gorillas but more broadly trying to conserve the forest which is laudable in terms of human needs. We see great creativity in this team in finding ways to engage local communities, engage big actors like logging companies and governments to forge solutions and that is what this is all about. For the Jengi and Cameroonian team I am very proud to be associated with this group of people and I look forward to great things from them in many years to come.

Congo Basin passes 1 million ha milestone in swing to sustainable forestry

2008-07-31

Yaoundé, Cameroon - WWF today announced that more than one million hectares of Congo Basin forests have achieved certification under the world’s leading sustainable forestry scheme.

The world’s second largest block of rainforests, the Congo Basin is a haven for indigenous peoples and endangered species like elephants and gorillas. It is also important in sequestering carbon and safeguarding water supply and quality.

“With rampant illegal logging, vague logging concession boundaries and massive blocks of pristine forest destined for the chainsaw, this is a laudable step towards avoiding an ecological disaster,” says James P. Leape, Director General of WWF.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification has now been achieved for forestry operations on 1.2 million hectares, a significant step towards WWF’s Green Heart of Africa network initiative goal of having certification achieved for 50% of production forest in the Congo Basin. The certification involves logging companies SEFAC, Transformation Reef Cameroon (TRC) and WIJMA in Cameroon and CIB in the Republic of Congo.

“While the certified forests will have to be maintained according to acceptable international standards, there is urgent need for other timber business operations in the region to adopt responsible forest management practices in order to ensure the conservation of this unique forest ecosystem for the benefit of people in the region and the world,” added Mr. Leape.

To promote responsible forest management and trade in the Congo Basin, WWF-CARPO has set up the Central Africa Forest and Trade Network (CAFTN), a part of WWF’s Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) – which works to provide support, advice and guidance to logging companies to help them better understand how good logging practices can contribute to conservation of biodiversity, improve the livelihood of local communities and lead to a market advantage.

“Illegal forest exploitation and forest crimes are largely due to poor governance and insufficient law enforcement,” said Laurent Somé, WWF Central Africa Regional Programme Office (CARPO)'s Representative.. “WWF also recognizes that responsible forest management plays an important role in the economic growth of tropical countries and reducing poverty in forest communities.

“WWF is convinced that the adoption of responsible forestry schemes by logging companies will contribute greatly to the conservation of the Congo Basin forests and towards improving the national economy and also improve the livelihoods of local communities,” Mr Some said. “For the success of responsible forestry in the Congo basin, there is a high need for government to set up enabling conditions that include enacting adequate legislation and enforcement, and promoting good governance while providing support to responsible forestry initiatives.”

By 2012, WWF expects that 7 million hectares of forest in the Congo Basin will be under credible certification while another 5 million hectares will be progressing towards credible certification.

Another ivory trafficker napped in Southeast Cameroon

2008-07-21

Thanks to information given by local population, game rangers swooped on the fuel tanker during a nocturnal mobile patrol. The suspect told conservation authorities that he bought the tusks from poachers in Libongo, a logging town situated 880km from Yaounde, on the extreme southeast of Cameroon's borders with Central African Republic. The elephants, that included three calves, going by the sizes of the ivory tusks, are suspected to have been killed in and around Lobeke (Cameroon) and Dzanga-Ndoki (Central African Republic) national parks. Both parks are sandwiched by Libongo town.

According to the suspect, he supplies tusks to dealers in big cities of Cameroon like Douala. The tusks are then smuggled across the borders to some West African countries.

Truck drivers implicated
Records show that timber and fuel tanker truck drivers are most implicated in the transportation of elephant tusks from the Southeast of Cameroon. This is the sixth time truck drivers have been caught either transporting illegal ivory or sacks of bush meat from Southeast Cameroon this year. According to the Chief of Sector in Charge of Wildlife for Boumba et Ngoko Division, East Cameroon, poachers and truck drivers work in complicity making it difficult to detect their activities. They, therefore, succeed in meandering through the numerous checkpoints mounted along the roads. "Our wish is to create a mobile brigade that will patrol major roads in the region and systematically search all vehicles," declared Balla Ottou.

Lobeke National Park has one of the highest densities of forest elephants in the Congo Basin but the park is under pressure from poachers which according to WWF Jengi Scientific Advisor, Dr. Zacharie Nzooh, has resulted in the fragmentation of elephant population in the park and surrounding zones. "Most frequently used elephant corridors are now becoming deserted due to poaching," Dr. Nzooh revealed.

WWF alongside other conservation organisations have been supporting Cameroon's Forest and Wildlife Ministry in its effort to bolster security around the park. Control posts have been built in and around the park, a VHF radio system has been installed to facilitate communication and 29 game rangers have been deployed to keep poachers at bay.
Cameroon's Wildlife Ministry and WWF have set up a network of informants to combat "white-collared" poachers.

This latest incident lends credence to a 2007 report by the Wildlife trade monitoring network, TRAFFIC, which cited Cameroon amongst three countries in the Central African sub-region heavily implicated in the traffic of illicit ivory tusks to international markets.

For more information contact: Pegue Manga,Communication Officer, Jengi Programme (fmanga@wwfcarpo.org) or Peter Ngea, Regional Communication Manager, WWFCARPO (pngea@wwfcarpo.org)

Protecting Baka pygmies access to forest resources in Southeast Cameroon

2008-07-07

An ongoing WWF study to determine use zones of Baka pygmies in Boumba-Bek national park has recommended that the Bakas be granted more access to natural forest resources inside the national park. The study was done in collaboration with international, national and local NGOs specialized in working with indigenous forest peoples.

These indigenous forest people living around three national parks; Boumba-Bek, Nki and Lobéké, make up some 30 percent of the 100,000 people living in the heart of the Congo Basin Rainforest in Southeast Cameroon. They are essentially hunters and gatherers and lead a semi-nomadic life.

A phase of the study entitled "Space and Resource Use of Indigenous Baka pygmies" carried out in part of north and entire eastern buffer zones of Boumba-Bek, by a WWF Jengi Southeast Forest Program research team, brings out the peculiarities (exceptional culture) of Baka pygmies and provides a basis for negotiation of access rights in protected areas. It establishes a direct relationship between the future of the forest and Baka pygmies, spotlights Bakas feeding habits and location of huts and choreographs elements of change in the area.

According to Dr. Leonard Usongo, WWF Jengi Programme Coordinator, the study provides necessary information for the integration of Baka pygmies into natural resource management. It will also help preserve the cultural heritage and reinforce community identity amongst Baka pygmies; manage conflicts within and between local communities on the one hand and local communities and administrative authorities on the other hand. "Given WWF's philosophy in participatory management, it is fundamental to address the needs of local communities in order to win their support for conservation work," says Dr. Usongo.

The study has so far revealed that Bakas wholly rely on the forest for their livelihood. They harvest honey, wild mangoes, yams, medicinal plants and many other non-timber forest products from there. They hunt, live and have their sacred sites inside the forest. It gives inkling into Baka pygmies’ strongly held beliefs, traditional approach to conservation, usage of some non-timber forest products and their semi-nomadic way of life.

Recommendations

After participatory mapping of the resource use areas, in-forest data collection using cyber tracker devices, group (15 groups) and individual interviews and direct observations, in 13 villages of 3444 people, a WWF research team concluded that Baka pygmies do not recognize any limits in their quest for forest resources and performance of their traditional rituals. They carry out activities both in and around the park. They see both as continuity and disregard the boundaries erected by the minds of men. The study thus recommends that Baka pygmies be given more access rights beyond agro-forestry zones, the possibility to enter the park between June and September to harvest wild mangoes, possibility to use footpaths within the park, permission to kill an elephant for their annual traditional celebration known as the “Jengi Dance” and unfettered access to harvest medicinal plants throughout the year.

Conservators par excellence
By virtue of their attitudes, behavior and belief, Baka pygmies are excellent nature conservators, reveals the study carried out by Olivier Njounan Tegomo, WWF Senior Field Research Assistant. It is forbidden to set up many snares or hunt female animals amongst Baka pygmies. They discourage the age-old human habit of hoarding food and consuming much meat while encouraging their kith and kin to eat moderately. It is also prohibited to stay in the same place in the forest for too long. In the Baka pygmy’s world resources are exploited based on their abundance and there are internal social control mechanisms for natural resource exploitation.

Forest penetration
Baka pygmies in the north and east of Boumba-Bek have permanent external and internal camps alongside huts that serve as resting places during penetration into the forest. Each hut has a footpath that corresponds to a portion of the forest. Bakas are able to trace their huts using rivers, trees and hills. According to the study, "the internal huts sometimes provide refuge for people accused of witchcraft or adultery." Forest penetration is also influenced by location of their sacred shrines, the availability of non-timber forest products. As the resources get depleted, the degree of penetration increases.

Potentials for change
Despite their cultural exceptions, Baka pygmies are indubitably witnessing trappings of change. Perturbation of their habitats by the logging companies, creation of sport and community hunting zones and national parks have invariably impacted on their way of life. Logging roads now cut through their natural habitats, their sacred sites are found within protected areas and the advent of the Christian church means much influence on their culture, buttressed by introduction of the radio as a modern communication tool. “This perceptible struggle between modernism and Baka pygmies traditional way of life is one of the main interest of the study,” states Dr. Louis Defo, WWF Jengi Collaborative Management Advisor. “The study seeks to provide answers on resources and space use by these indigenous forest people to carry out their cultural and socio-economic activities in Boumba-Bek. It is thus a priority conservation approach for WWF Jengi,” says Dr. Defo.
Cameroon’s Forest and Wildlife Ministry, through the Chief of Sector in charge of Wild East Province, Mr. Prospere Seme, reiterated the country’s firm commitment to protect rights of indigenous forest peoples. He also advised the Bakas to respect regulations established by government for management of national parks, especially hunting of endangered wildlife species.

East Cameroon forest clearing – wildlife bastion

2008-06-05

Natural salt licks
On going monitoring by a WWF team indicate that at least 50 elephants visit the clearing on a weekly basis, along with other animal species like gorillas and buffaloes. These animals come around to feed on the salt licks.

When Ikwa was discovered in 2006 it seemed really intact – unaffected by marauding poachers. WWF, in collaboration with Cameroon’s Ministry of Forest and Wildlife, decided to construct an observation tower and a satellite camp near the clearing in an effort to keep potential poachers away and carry out ecological monitoring.

Refuge
In the backdrop of increasing illegal trade in ivory, that poses enormous threats to the existence of elephants, Ikwa seem to play the role of the last remaining refuge. So safe is Ikwa that elephants will not scamper away even at the sight of humans. Gilbert Mbwapeh, a Baka pygmy tracker, who led a WWF team to this clearing in 2006, stood by recently and watched as an elephant gave birth to a calf. He remembers this as one of the most exciting moments in his life. “I felt like a midwife delivering the calf from its mother. I was terrified and excited at the same time. That was the first time I was seeing this live and at close range for the 50 years that I have lived near Nki,” said Mbwapeh.

Mixed Feelings
Hikers to the area – mostly conservation staff are also likely to encounter several gorillas on the way. “Often we encounter gorillas and chimpanzees, some of which come out of their hiding places to catch a glimpse of us. Sometimes they want to attack or play with us,” says Ndinga Hilaire, WWF Park Assistant for Nki.

Leonard Usongo, WWF Jengi programme manager has mixed feelings about this wildlife abundance and behaviour. “It will be catastrophic if poachers have access to this area because these mammals will be easy targets since they are generally not scared of human presence,” asserts Usongo. At the same time he notes it is encouraging to note that parts of Nki remain like the last bastion of biodiversity in the region.

Nki National Park covers a surface area of 309.365ha and harbors rich flora and fauna, with an increasing number of forest elephants, estimated at about 3.000, and a relatively stable population of chimpanzees and gorillas. However, poaching pressure on the northeast and trans-boundary poaching in the southeast of the park are posing increasing threats to the wildlife population.

Cameroon: The Battle for Parrot Souls in Southeast

2008-05-28

Two "notorious" parrot capturers, Roger Atangana and Ignace Onana were recently arrested and detained pending trial, for illegally trapping African Grey Parrots.
The duo is responsible for the capture of hundreds of parrots each year in Lobeke National Park and its buffer zone, in the East Province of Cameroon. Their arrests were orchestrated by local forest and wildlife authorities in Boumba et Ngoko Division, in collaboration with security forces, facilitated by WWF.
Atangana was arrested in his house in Kika, a logging town, southeast of Lobeke after a scuffle with gendarmes and game rangers. On is part, Onana was arrested while attempting to capture parrots in Djangui, a forest clearing inside Lobeke.
Atangana and Onana have been operating in complicity for over 10 years. So far this year they are suspected to have slaughtered some 1000 parrots, according to wildlife authorities. Both recidivists, Atangana succeeded in escaping from the firm grip of game rangers last year after he was arrested with 167 beheaded parrots near Lobeke.
However, he was recently helmed in when a hand grenade was discovered in his home in March.The two men had also devised a new method of capturing parrots. The heads of the birds are brutally chopped off and their tails plucked. Their remains are either abandoned to rot or eaten.
It is not clear where the heads and tails are taken or what they are used for.A suspect recently arrested by game rangers while transporting 353 parrot heads and 2000 tails, revealed that a witch doctor treating his mentally ill brother requested the heads and tails to continue treatment in the West Province.
According to the Chief of Sector in charge of Wildlife for Boumba et Ngoko Division, East Cameroon, Balla Ottou Appolinaire, the heads are probably exported especially to India and China while the tails go to Nigeria. This new phenomenon poses a new challenge to wildlife authorities and conservation organizations.
"We must investigate this new approach to know the trajectory of the capturers and where the heads and tails go to. It is only after this investigation that we can map out a strategy to stop the decimation of the grey parrots," declared Balla.
Eighty percent of parrots exported from Cameroon are captured in Lobeke which harbors a significant population of grey parrots. About 15,000 birds are taken out of the region every year, though almost half of this number perishes in transit due to poor handling.
Capturers mostly transport the birds in the night to avoid the numerous law enforcement control posts.The African Grey Parrot is a Class A (totally protected) species in Cameroon and can only be captured upon obtaining a special authorisation from the Ministry of Forest and Wildlife.
In 2007, the animals committee of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flore) recommended a two-year ban on the export of African Grey Parrots in five countries including Cameroon.
The CITES ban recommendation and increased show of concern for the grey parrot in Cameroon have so far not resonated in the minds of capturers operating in Southeast Cameroon, given that they make huge profits from its export.
However, brutal decapitation of the bird is creating alarm amongst conservation organisations, thereby indubitably opening a new front in the battle to save the parrot's soul.
"The arrest of these notorious capturers is a decisive move to stem this menacing trend in Southeast Cameroon," Balla Ottou noted.

Climate change: Act Now! WWF tells Cameroon MPs

2008-05-22

Regional Representative of WWF in Central Africa sub region, Mr. Laurent M. SOME, made this call while addressing MPs from the rostrum of the Cameroon National Assembly as guest speaker at the opening of a sensitization and preparatory conference for the Cameroon Parliamentarians on Climate change issues recently.

“Humanity is in the brink of a security crisis given the economic and social consequences of global warming”, warned Mr. SOME before enjoining the MPs to “act now”. According to the WWF Representative “the public wants leadership in fighting this phenomenon and public action from government, the legislative, business, the private sector and civil society is vital now”.

Assuring the deputies of WWF support at global and local scale, Mr. SOME took the opportunity to stress that for the Congo Basin, the conservation organisation shall promote the establishment of new and additional financial mechanisms to aid countries of the sub region to reduce forest based emissions and strengthen capacity within Congo Basin countries.

Holding under the auspices of the African Parliamentary Network for Climate Change (APNCC), the conference theme was: “Public participation in climate change decision making; role of the Cameroon legislature”.

In an earlier speech, the APNCC Cameroon chapter president, Honourable Awudu Mbaya Cyprain explained that there was a clear need to build the capacity of MPs in the domain. “There is a need of understanding the process and the different sectors concerned by the climate change issue in order to help us in conceiving, influencing bills and projects within the framework of the fight against global warming and the promotion of sustainable development in Cameroon”, noted the deputy.

The opening ceremony of the conference brought together government officials in charge of environmental and parliamentary issues, some diplomats in Yaoundé as well as representatives of key conservation organizations. For two days, the MPs were drilled by experts on key climate change issues both at local and global level.

There are 180 deputies in the Cameroon legislative assembly drawn from different backgrounds and landscapes from across the country. The APNCC/ Cameroon is a capacity building platform and network of parliamentarians seeking to build support for a long term global strategy to fight against climate change and promote sustainable development in sub Saharan Africa. WWF CARPO is among the leading supporters of this initiative.

End Note:

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DECLARATION FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN CLIMATE CHANGE DECISION MAKING

Members of Parliament recommended as follows:

• That the budgetary allocation of Ministry in charge of the Environment should be increased to enable her discharge these duties, especially within the context of Climate Change

• That the draft Decree on the creation of the National Observatory on Climate Change should provide a broad based platform where all major stakeholders are equitably represented. It should be a fine mix of representatives of the science, politics and economics of climate change.

• That Government should go ahead and comply with the resolutions of the Conference of Parties of the UNFCC and the Meeting of Parties of the Kyoto Protocol in order to fully benefit from international/ global finance mechanisms for climate change management that are in place. These include:

The elaboration of the Readiness Plan Idea Notes (R-PIN);

The development and implementation of national adaptation plans;

• That Government contribution to the global dialogue on climate change should be based on an inclusive and participatory cross-sectoral process at the national level.

• That Parliament should be able to assess the strategic environmental impact of development strategies and policies before approving them. In this light, the capacity of Parliamentarians should be strengthened to empower them in discharging this duty;

• That for public participation to be effective, the laws that promote it should be enforced and when appropriate, an access to information law should be enacted. To this effect, Government is called upon to see to it that all the texts of application and other necessary regulations in matters on environment are passed as a matter of urgency;

• That development partners should support climate change data collection and analysis in-order to help decision makers take informed decisions. To this effect, a comprehensive analysis should be carried out at the national level on the cost incurred from the effects of climate change, the cost of adaptation and mitigation actions, and the cumulative benefits adaptation would have on the economy;

• Parliament and Government should develop strategies and policies to enhance and promote access to environmental justice for local communities;

• The legal and institutional framework for promoting carbon markets in Cameroon remains the major drawback to Cameroon benefiting form the carbon market. Government should prepare a bill regulating carbon markets in Cameroon;

• A think tank composed of climate change experts and Members of Parliament should be set-up by APNCC Cameroon Chapter and WWF to feed the preparation of bills on the promotion of a Carbon Market.

Finally MPs call for collective action and participation of all stakeholders in climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in Cameroon.

For More information, contact: ttanjong@wwfcarpo.org

or pngea@wwfcarpo.org

Contribution of conservation to livelihood of local communities around Tri-national de la Sangha landscape, TNS

2008-05-22

The TNS landscape comprises protected areas in Cameroon (Lobeke) Central African Republic (Dzanga-Ndoki) Congo Brazzaville (Nouabale-Ndoki). Thanks to efforts of key conservation partners in the region namely WWF, WCS and GTZ, the local communities have been organized and are involved in ecotourism and other income generating activities aimed at improving their living conditions.
In Bayanga, which is part of the special rainforest reserve of Dzanga-Sangha, Central African Republic, a gorilla habituation project presages a new era for local people. Huge number of tourists stream into the area each year where they are offered extraordinary opportunities to accompany the BaAka pygmies on guided tours to observe western lowland gorillas and see the elusive forest elephants. Traditional hunting by BaAka pygmies, using bolds and arrows, nets etc, is a source of attraction and an income earner too. These activities have contributed to the local economy with accompanying improvement of the living condition of local people. Proceed from this project has been spent on provision of health services and education, training in agricultural techniques, and helped legalize village traditional hunting by BaAka pygmies in the area. The economic position of BaAka pygmies has been strengthened by assisting them maintain their habits and exploit the forest according to their traditions.
In Nouabale Ndoki National Park, local communities are directly involved in guided tours of tourists to the Mbeli bai, a swampy clearing measuring some 15ha visited by 130 habituated gorillas. Locals also guide adventurous tourists track groups of habituated gorillas through the forest. These activities have had significant impact on the local economy. Every visitor pays FCFA 5000 (US$ 10) daily. This proceed is managed by a village development fund. In 2007 the funds received FCFA 3,325,000 (approximately US$6500) which is being spent on basic amenities such as schools, dispensaries, electricity supply etc, in Bomassa and Makao, both villages located at the peripheries of the park. This has created a propitious environment for other fledgling touristic activities amongst them traditional dances, making of artistic objects hitherto less developed in the area.

Around Lobeke National Park, trophy hunting in community hunting area is generating some US$ 50000 each year. This money is managed by local wildlife management committees. It is invested in education, through the construction schools to provide shelter for children (as demonstrated in above photo) who used to study under very horrible conditions, provision of potable water through improvement of water sources and wells construction. The upshot is greater involvement of local communities in wildlife protection.

The people centered conservation approach has enabled local communities recognize the links between conservation and development to improve their livelihood given accrued benefits from ecotourism, trophy hunting and other income generating activities. Another important aspect is granting access to forest resources to indigenous forest peoples and surrounding Bantu communities. The co-management initiatives have stimulated greater participation and support by local communities to conservation work in the region. WWF and other conservation partners will continue to drive home this people oriented approach within TNS landscape.

Jengi Newsletter March - April 2oo8

2008-05-19