Securing Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park

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Fund Projects
Budget
1,000,000 USD

Geographical focus

Africa

The Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (PNMGSF) is the largest park in the Central African savannas. Inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988, the park is a unique refuge of biodiversity, home to emblematic species such as elephants, lions, hippos and the last populations of giraffe in Central Africa. However, the park is under strong pressure due to the combined effects of poaching, insecurity, regional transhumance, artisanal mining.

Objectives

A joint UNESCO/IUCN reactive monitoring mission carried out in March 2019 concluded that the site’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) could be irreversibly lost in the absence of an operational ecological monitoring and follow-up system. Based on the recommendations of the mission and Decision 43 COM 7A.5, this project essentially aims to:

Emergency strategy

Establish an emergency strategy to identify and secure a protection zone

Long-term safeguarding plan

Set up a long-term safeguarding plan with an aerial assessment, a bio-monitoring system and in compliance with existing transhumance agreements

Socio-economic conditions of local communities

Contribute to the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of local communities and improve their involvement in the management of the park

Main achievements

Strengthening of the teams on the ground to secure the core zone of the park (area of 3,947 km² around the base of Koumbala which is equivalent to 23% of the area of the park).
Rehabilitation of more than 1,000 km of roads and surveillance trails.
Rehabilitation of the Bamingui base.
More than 25 aerial survey and assessment missions.
Collection of bio-monitoring data on about 40 wildlife species.
Training of operational staff on anti-poaching strategy, codes of conduct, Central African Republic wildlife management code, use of communication equipment and software, and first aid.
Finalization of the law enforcement and wildlife protection strategy (2020-2024).
Support to shea and honey processing micro-projects and revitalization of 3 local associations of management of village hunting areas (ALGEST-ZCV) in Bohou-Kpata, Idongo-Da-Bangoran and Manovo-Zamza.
Sensitization of more than 300 people (local authorities, leaders of local associations and groups, and other resource persons who are members of communities bordering protected areas in the zone) on the fight against poaching and illegal fishing.