Project data
- Started: 1, Feb 2007
- Planned end date: 30, Jun 2009
- Managing Office: WWF Central Africa Regional Programme Office (CARPO)
- Address:
WWF Central Africa Regional Programme Office
/ Immeuble Panda
Route "La Citronelle"
B.A.T. Compound
Bastos B.P. 6776
Yaounde /
Cameroon /
+237 22 21 70 83 - Status: active
- Modified: 3, Sep 2009
- Published: 23, Sep 2009
Geographical location:
Africa/Madagascar > Central Africa > Cameroon
Summary
The Ngoïla-Mintom forest block is relatively intact and rich in wildlife, timber species, minerals and other non-timber forest products (NTFPs). However, the area faces serious threats from poaching and bushmeat trade, illegal logging and mining activities, and expanding agriculture.
The project aims to work with governments to develop conservation strategies, including land use strategies, ecological corridors and effective management plans to protect the forest block.
Background
The Ngoïla-Mintom forest covers more than 932,142 ha with 30% situated in Cameroon’s south province and 70% in the east province. The forest also forms part of a vast tri-national Dja-Odzala-Minkebe (TRIDOM) interzone extending to Ayina-Djoua-Zadié in Gabon (450,000 ha) and Souanké interzone in Republic of Congo (100,000 ha). The entire TRIDOM landscape, with the national parks and interzone, covers 14.7 million ha.
The Ngïola-Mintom forest block is relatively intact, but faces numerous threats including poaching, illegal logging, mining and agriculture. Human population density is low with less than one person per km2. There are 2 principal ethnic groups: Bantus and Baka pygmies.
In February 2005, the governments of Cameroon, Gabon and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed the TRIDOM transboundary agreement to manage the existing network of protected areas surrounding the vast interzone in Cameroon. In October 2005, Boumba Bek and Nki were gazetted as national parks. A management vision addressing both conservation and sustainable development in the region was adopted by the relevant governments to manage the TRIDOM landscape.
In September 2005, the Cameroon government officially declared Ngoïla-Mintom forest block a conservation concession. This decision has raised the international conservation status of this particular forest area. It now requires appropriate management strategies be adopted to meet objectives of both conservation and sustainable development.
WWF will provide the necessary staff for implementation of this project, specifically negotiations with governments, donors and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Objectives
- Protect wildlife and other natural resources in Ngoïla-Mintom from illegal exploitation by establishing ecological corridors within the existing network of protected areas in the area.
- Carry out participatory land use planning to define different forest management units. These should include community use zones to facilitate access and contribute to an improvement in the livelihoods of local people.
Solution
- Strengthen legal and institutional provisions for forest protection and land use management.
- Promote participatory management of natural resources involving local communities.
- Reinforce control and surveillance systems to combat illegal resources exploitation and trade in Ngoïla-Mintom.