UGADEC and Community Conservation
Eight community conservation associations in eastern Democratic Republic
of the Congo want to pool their efforts to preserve gorillas and other
rare species threatened with extinction and to promote the development
of the areas under their control. For this purpose they have created a
platform with the goal of making their conservation activities more dynamic:
UGADEC. Is it not said that "Union makes for strength"?
Following difficult consultations and debates among the managers of various
conservation projects, UGADEC was born on December 2, 2002 at Goma.
Objectives and Goals
Based on the results of the evaluation efforts of each conservation association,
the union or platform of UGADEC will seek to consolidate the activities
of its members to promote socio-economic development in eastern Congo
through the conservation of primates. In this context, the platform must:
- Publicize the notion of community conservation;
- Organize training sessions on community conservation;
- Promote eco-tourism in the Albertine Rift;
- Follow up on the activities of the associations;
- Create a database for data already analyzed by the various association members.
The goal of all the activities of UGADEC is the preservation of an endangered eological region. This region is a unique ecological reserve, extending from the east of the Congo basin to the extreme west of the Albertine Rift. Its surface covers 12,000 km². Specifically, UGADEC has the following goals:
- Take action against the destruction of the environment and towards the protection of the biological diversity found in this zone, with its multitude of rare and endemic species;
- Promote the safeguarding of ecological systems and protection of the environment, following urgent requests by the international community;
- For the best results, encourage the involvement of the local population and basic institutions (women, agricultural associations, businessmen, school children and students);
- Launch a strong campaign designed to utilize ecological resources which for a long time have been ignored by the population, who had fallen victim to an ideology promoted by those who in effect were enemies of nature (especially miners of mineral resources, and tree fellers).
Associations that Constitute UGADEC
1. Tayna Gorilla Reserve (La Réserve
des Gorilles de Tayna, RGT) is located in the Bamate and Batangi communities,
Lubero Territory, North Kivu Province. The initiative for the creation
of this reserve in April 1998 was the result of an awakening of consciousness
by the elite of the area and had the support of two powerful traditional
chiefs, Mwami Mukosasenge and Mwami Stuka, who mobilized their entire
population to accept the project. The Chief Conservator, Pierre Kakule,
who was born in the region, played a crucial role in the implementation
of the project. The reserve contains a particularly rich physical and
natural environment, with vegetation dominated by a primeval forest in
transition, unique in the world, including rare primates. The fauna contains
certain unique species which are currently being studied. The flora also
includes rare and medicinally important species.
2. Bakumbule Community Primate Reserve (La Réserve Communautaire
des Primates de Bakumbule, RéCoPriBa). This goal of its creation
was to preserve the abundance of natural resources found in Walikale Territory,
particularly in the Kisimba and Ikobo communities, Wanianga Sector, where
the fauna and flora are unique in the world, with rare species and a high
diversity. RéCoPriBa participates in the preservation of natural
ecosystems, in the protection of endangered species (including gorillas,
chimpanzees, okapi), and in the socio-economic development of Bukumbule
in particular and the Walikale Territory in general. It instills in the
population a taste for living in harmony with the environment which will
also benefit future generations. Like all the other member associations
of UGADEC, RéCoPriBa was created by the intellectual elite, notables,
and traditional chiefs of the region. RéCoPriBa’s slogan is
love, unity and labour. The reserve does not cover the entirety of Kisimba
and Ikobo, but occupies the eastern part of Kisimba and western Ikobo
(Lepia and Luchembe Valley). South of Kisimba, the reserve occupies the
Osso and Mampi Valleys up to the border of Utunda (Makombo River). The
eastern border in the south is the Mweso River which is also the border
of Masisi Territory. In short, the RéCoPriBa/Walikale is located
between the RGT in the northeast, the ILSN in the southeast and the RGU
and RENGYIT in the west.
3. Local Initiative to Safeguard Nature (L’Initiative Locale
pour la Sauvegarde de la Nature, ILSN) is a non-governmental structure,
secular and non-profit, which uses a community approach giving it a new
and special character and which sets it apart from other traditional conservation
concepts. It came about as an initiative of the Mwami Bashali N’Siyi
M. Roger and local intellectuals, after bitterly observing the continual
degradation of the ecosystems with all that entails. The philosophy of
the association is one of introducing a community conservation approach
into the mentality of human society, concentrating its on the Masisi Territory.
4. Usala Gorilla Reserve (La Réserve des Gorilles d’Usala,
RGU) is located in North Kivu Province, Walikale Territory, Wanianga collective
sector. Usala is a European deformation of the word "busara"
in Kinyanga and "esala" in Kikumu, which means "forest".
Usala is limited in the north by the Mandaye River which separates the
Oriental and North Kivu provinces, in the east by the Lindi River, by
the Bilate River in the south and the Ruate River in the West. Its fauna
is very diversified and includes almost all the forest species including
elephants, buffaloes, okapis, gorillas, chimpanzees, baboons, pangolins,
snakes (cobras, boas, pythons, vipers, etc.), and thousands of multicoloured
birds; the rivers are full of brilliantly patterned crocodiles.
5. COCREFOBA (Conservation Communautaire pour la Reserve Forestiere
de Bakano - Community Conservation for the Forest Reserve of Bakano) is
a community conservation association active in the two groups of the Bakano
Sector, Walikale Territory in North Kivu Province. In the administrative
entity which constitutes the Bakano Sector, COCREFOBA coexists with the
northern extension of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. The reserve is located
more to the north and northwest of the Bakondjo group and the Kahuzi-Biega
Park is limited by the Wanianga Sector. COCREFOBA is a community conservation
association which owes its legitimacy to its involvement with the traditional
chiefs and the local population.
6. Ngira’Yitu Community Reserve (La Réserve communautaire
Ngira’Yitu, RENGYIT) has its roots in the three adjacent groups (Utunda,
Bana-Bangi and Wassa), whose residents have understood the necessity to
unite in order to protect and promote their ecological environment (Walikale
Territory). The three groups cover the area of the Ngira’Yitu Reserve,
limited in the north by the Maiko National Park, in the south by the COCREFOBA
Reserve and the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, and in the west by the Shabunda
and Punia Territories. The Ngira’Yitu Reserve consists of about 70%
primary and 30% secondary forest. It abounds with elephants, okapis, gorillas
and chimpanzees. Ngira’Yitu, like the other community reserves, is
the product of the traditional chiefs and the local population, from which
derives its legitimacy.
7. Itombwe Mwenga Community Action for the Protection of Nature
(L’Action Communautaire pour la Protection de la Nature Itombwe Mwenga,
ACPN-IM). The protection of the Itombwe range,
which is part of the Albertine Rift, requires, in order to be non-conflicting,
rational, and efficient, that its scientific character be taken into account
in order to avoid the dispersal of efforts and means in the different
community areas in this forest. There are many types of forest in the
region, with montane forest predominating, located at an altitude between
1,600 and 3,500 m, from the Lendu Plateau north of the rift to the Marungu
Mountains to the south. In order to insure the protection of all the valuable
rare species of Itombwe, the traditional chiefs of the area (Mwami Charles
Kalenga Lwango, Mwami Kisali Malekani Wilondja, Mwami Longangi Ali Byemba
and Mwami Mu-beza Nalwindi Bugoma IV) and the intellectuals from Itombwe
and Mwenga, among them pastor Ushindi Kyalondawa, decided to create the
ACPN-IM.
8. Punia Gorilla Reserve (La Réserve des Gorilles de Punia,
RGPU). The RGPU was created upon the initiative of the traditional chiefs
and intellectuals from the groups Mbako, Banamea and Banamukulumanya of
the Babira-Bakwame collectivity in Punia territory, Maniema Province,
with headquarters in Punia. The RGPU was created mostly to preserve the
fauna and flora of Punia and especially the species threatened with extinction,
such as the gorillas and chimpanzees which still subsist there. In the
long run eco-tourism and scientific research are to be promoted.
Strategy and Mission
It is most important to underline that what makes all these community
reserve projects particularly outstanding is the traditional organizational
origins of their structure. This structure is as follows:
- The General Assembly, which is supreme and deliberative and composed of founding members, organizers, co-founders as well as registered members;
- The Board of Directors, composed of a president, two vice-presidents, a secretary and advisors. Its role is to analyze all the reports submitted by the executive.
- The Control Commission, whose members are elected by the General Assembly by mandate. Its main responsibility is to control the financial, material and administrative operations of the association.
- The Coordination or Executive Secretariat is composed of a Coordinator, Program Director, Administrative and Financial Director. It is responsible for the day-to-day management of the reserve in all its aspects.
The specific feature of this management model is that the doers and actors
are common people or chosen by them. This uniform organization which characterizes
all the reserves is part of the basis for the creation of the UGADEC platform.
The strategy is to put the spotlight on the gorilla in order to attract
the attention of the local population and thus emphasize on the need to
preserve other threatened species endemic to our target zones as well.
Once the local population realized that the reserves and the approach
did not in any way affect traditional property rights and that they still
can extract some resources from the reserves, their relationship with
the managers of the different community projects improved.
UGADEC has chosen the so-called "modern" road to conservation
while relying on the traditional conservation rules. This enables us to
revalidate and maintain respect for the culture of the local population.
UGADEC would like to convince the people to respect the Congolese law,
international conventions (Earth Charta, IUCN Red List, CITES) and the
traditional laws which are in harmony with nature. Each of the laws has
been ratified by the members of UGADEC insofar as it pertains to them.
In its approach to community conservation, UGADEC wanted the native population
to live on their own land in accordance with their own traditions with
the managers of these projects, to work with them in the conservation
of the ecosystems, and permit the sustainable use of
the renewable resources in order to achieve long-term conservation. UGADEC
has decided to declare war on the network of shady forestry operators,
poachers, and traffickers of live animals and trophies, as well as bushmeat
vendors. That is the challenge. These illegal activities have serious
consequences for the conservation actions already started by the members
of the association.
Draw Increased Attention to Rare Species
Our population must know that rare species are under increasing danger
of extinction.
- They are very sensitive to the destruction of essential biotopes.
- Their reproductive rate is very low.
- Their degree of vulnerability is very high (some primates are increasingly exposed to dangerous human diseases).
The local population often complains about the destruction of crops by these species, especially gorillas. They must know that animals may leave the forest for the following reasons:
- The animals may be experiencing problems within their own group.
- They may be searching for living space because their needs are not being satisfied.
The following measures are recommended:
- Never attack the animals.
- Try to chase them away with noise, light and other non-violent means.
- Build fences if possible.
- Create buffer zones.
Relationship between UGADEC and its Associations
UGADEC is a platform which brings together 8 associations, each of them
autonomous and geographically and administratively independent. Unity
of effort and action makes these associations strong, legally and technically.
As a result, UGADEC will be able to assert and defend the common interests
of the various association members. This unity within diversity will result
in increased efficiency and enable it to make its voice heard in lobbying.
Administratively, UGADEC will only have an advisory and coordinating role
with the public authorities and large organizations. It will never interfere
in the administrative, technical and financial affairs of member associations.
Having consented freely to adhering and being part of the platform, consent
is the key to decision-making.
- A number of criteria must always be respected when admitting a new member.
- A code of conduct must be observed by all members.
- Unity of efforts, joint action, and the support of traditional authorities constitute the strength of this platform, which brings together different ethnic communities and geographical regions of the Congo.
The Executive Secretary is responsible to the executive. He is not a
super-coordinator and his responsibilities do not in any way affect the
autonomy of each coordination. He is only the spokesman for the ideas
and efforts undertaken by the various managers of the community reserves.
This management model only serves to reinforce social cohesion among the
members of UGADEC.
UGADEC shows the population that conservation brings development - eco-tourism,
eco-development, education and micro-projects - for the local population.
This practice will result in a sustainable management of resources and
their preservation for future generations. The approach will enable the
population to profit from the projects.
First Activities
The following activities have already been realized for this project:
An important seminar-workshop organized in January 2003 in partnership with DFGF-I on education and public awareness for the member associations and other persons involved in conservation;
- Another important seminar-workshop, also in January 2003, still in partnership with the DFGF-I, for rangers of member associations involved in monitoring gorillas;
- An important media campaign involving local radio stations, newspapers, and the internet on the conservation activities of the member associations, followed by educational spots;
- Publication of six information bulletins produced by the member associations with 2,100 copies printed;
- Distribution of T-shirts to the participants of all the member associations;
- Deciding the UGADEC slogan: Solidarity, Conservation and Development.
Since 1996, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been at war, and
the eastern part of the country in particular has been intensely affected
by it.
It is within this context that the UGADEC along with its associations
are evolving. UGADEC feels that during periods of disturbances and war
special consideration must be accorded to conservation. If human life
is threatened, what will happen to the fauna and flora? This is the challenge
UGADEC faces as it confronts risks of all types incurred by the protectors
of nature.
Thus UGADEC is making an appeal to all persons or organisations who hesitate
to support the project because of the war: Now is the time to do it in
order to strengthen the intervention capabilities of this platform.
Pierre Kakule Vwirasihikya
(The RENGYIT Reserve changed its name in the meantime and is now called "REGOUWA".)
Pierre Kakule Vwirasihikya has been working in the Virunga National Park since 1982 and became a Senior Warden in 1988. He took part in gorilla monitoring in the park. Currently, he is both the Tayna Gorilla Reserve Coordinator (since 1998) and the UGADEC Executive Secretary (since 2002). He won the ASP Conservation award in 2002.