State of Conservation (SOC)

Total amount provided to the property: The property received substantial support through the United Nations Foundation and Belgium funded programme for the Conservation of the DRC World Heritage properties. In the first phase (2001 – 2005), approximately USD 350,000 was disbursed for staff allowances, community conservation, monitoring, training activities and equipment. 

Requests Approved: 0 (from1985-2000)
Total Amount Ap proved: 149,900USD

a) Armed conflict and political instability;

b) Poaching by military and armed groups;

c) Conflicts with local communities on the boundaries of the Park;

d) Impact of villages included in the Park.

On 30 January 2006, an updated report on the state of conservation of the five DRC World Heritage properties was submitted by the State Party, including information on the Salonga National Park. The report gives some information on the major threats to the property. The most important threat is poaching by armed groups, including by military of the DRC army (FARDC). At the time of the creation of the Park, certain villages were included within its boundary, in particular the Yaelima in the north and the Kitawalist in the south. Subsistence activities in these areas, in particular poaching and slash and burn agriculture are a permanent threat to the integrity of the property. Unclear Park borders also create many tensions with local communities.

On 7 April 2006, the World Heritage Centre also received a briefing note on several cases of poaching involving FARDC military from the WWF, which is implementing a project to assist the conservation of the Park, with financial support from the European Union and the US funded CARPE programme (Central Africa Regional Programme for the Environment). The report notes that poaching by armed groups and in particular FARDC military is increasing and is particularly destructive for the Park. ICCN Park guards have great difficulties combating this form of organised poaching, as they were disarmed during the conflict and so far have not been re-armed. Several armed clashes occured between Park guards and FARDC soldiers, resulting in two guards being killed since November 2005. At least 10 elephants are reported to have been killed by soldiers of the FARDC in Mbandaka and Boende. The report also noted that the military is also supplying local poachers around the property with weapons and ammunition, creating a climate of insecurity both for the local populations and Park staff. The report provides detailed information on a number of poaching cases in which the military were involved.

It is important to note that the management of Salonga National Park, with 36,000 km², is one of the largest protected areas in the world and presents huge logistical challenges, especially in the context of DRC, where basic road infrastructure is lacking. The Park until recently received very little outside support, apart from support to cover guard salaries through the first phase of the UNESCO programme for DRC World Heritage sites and limited support through some smaller research projects, operating in certain areas in the Park. Since 2004, WWF started a support project for the Park, with funding from the European Union and CARPE/USAID. In November 2005, the project published a detailed analysis of the management situation in the Park. The study reviewed the administration, human resources, infrastructure, and equipment in the property and reviewed the conservation strategy used and the relations with local communities. The study also notes that there is no unified management of the Park and the different sectors are managed as separate entities with only limited contact between the different conservators as a result of the logistical challenges. Two third of the Park guards have a certain age, some have no official contracts and are unpaid, resulting in problems of internal poaching. Staff are also poorly trained. Park infrastructure is in a poor condition, most buildings being constructed with inadequate material.

With the assistance of UNESCO, all stations now possess long wave radios allowing communication with Kinshasa and between the stations but there is no VHF system allowing communication with patrols in the field. The Park has no vehicles or motor bikes and only has 15 dug out canoes, 4 outboard engines and 11 bicycles. The Park only has 49 functioning arms for 172 guards patrolling 36,000 km² and very limited field equipment. The report also shows that patrol posts organise an average of two patrols per month, each between 4 and 21 days. Patrols are often visiting the same area and certain parts of the Park are not covered at all. There is little cooperation with the army compared to other properties in DRC, where joint patrols with the army are common. Population densities inside the property are low, with the exception of the Yaelima village in the south, comprising between 3,000 and 5,000 people and the Kitawalist in the north, estimated at 3,000 people. The Park has no community conservation or environmental education programme in place. The report also proposes a detailed list of recommendations to start tackling the above mentioned management problems, along with a timetable for their implementation.