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Signing of an agreement between WCS and CIB-OLAM for the conservation of biodiversity in the northern Congo
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On 8 August 2021, the Government of the Republic of Congo, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB), a subsidiary of OLAM International, signed a trilateral partnership agreement to maintain biodiversity protection efforts around the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, the Congolese part of the Sangha Trinational, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Congo basin is one of the world’s richest forest regions in terms of biodiversity and resources. Many issues are entwined in the development of this region, which includes 19 forest concessions, 6 protected areas and the country's 5th largest urban centre. Recognised for the importance of its animal and plant biodiversity, the Nouabalé-Ndoki park, whose management is delegated to the American NGO WCS, covers an area of 4,000 km2 and is home to a significant number of critically endangered species.
Since 2018, the FFEM has been supporting the Congolese Ministry for the Forest Economy in the careful management of this region through the North Congo Forest Landscape Project (PPFNC). The extension of this partnership will strengthen anti-poaching action in what is the largest stretch of FSC® certified natural tropical forest in the world.
To bring together the sustainable exploitation of the forest, biodiversity conservation and local development, the PPNFC’s "Landscape" approach offers an integrated vision of the region. Through its backing of the project, the FFEM and the AFD promotes rational regional management whilst contributing to the socio-economic development of indigenous populations.