Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

The Central African Republic has established 16 protected areas that cover 11 per cent of national territory [ ] 76 The Dzanga Sangha protected area complex Established in 1990, the Dzanga Sang- ha protected area complex (APDS) includes the Dzanga Sangha Special Reserve (3,359km²) and the Dzanga Ndoki National Park (1,220km²). Given the bio-ecological importance of the area with its high density of for- est elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, bongos, and forest buffaloes, as well as the discovery in 2011 of new endemic species, the area has been classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. The general objective of the APDS is to safeguard the biodiversity and ecosystems of the dense humid for- ests of south-western region, through the sustainable management and promotion of natural resources. To ensure the wellbeing of the local population as well as the ecological vi- ability of the area, the APDS has been organized according to a consensual zoning plan which establishes a spa- tial organization of human activities. For example, community and safari hunting, logging and agriculture oc- cur in the multipurpose reserve, while conservation and ecotourism activ- ities are carried out in the National Park. These constitute socioeconomic activities that employ more than 100 eco-guards, assistants, and guides for the ecotourism programme of gorilla habituation, elephant viewing, net hunting by the Baakas, gathering, dancing, and fishing. Progress in conservation through anti-poaching, integrated develop- ment and the distribution of income from socioeconomic activities has increased the adherence of local and indigenous communities to conservation principles in the area. The APDS’s main objectives include the involvement of the local pop- ulations in the management and rational exploitation of the natural recourses and the improvement of their living conditions. Because the region contains a large proportion of indigenous peoples — the Aka — the activities developed are also focused on the protection of their traditional rights to the resources of the reserve, as long as this is compatible with the conservation of the forest. Revenues from ecotourism serve to fund the administration of the protected area, which constitutes a guarantee for long-term manage- ment. Therefore, the principle of sus- tainable development and of rational exploitation of biodiversity is the key element for the co-management and sustainable use of natural resources in and around these protected areas. The activities implemented in the APDS reinforce local self-promotion initiatives. T he Central African Republic is a landlocked country straddling the Congo-Guinean domain in the south and the Sahelo-Sudanese zone in the north. Central African Republic possesses a rich diversity of ecosystems, with four main land ecosystems of dense humid forest; savannah,; dense dry forest; and steppes; along with gallery forests along the waterways. This provides the country with a diverse fauna and flora, including 3,602 species of vascular plant, 209 of mammal and 668 of bird. The Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve is protected by the Central African Republic David Holt at flickr Central African Republic