Dja Faunal Reserve

• Commercial logging in adjoining natural forests
• Poaching

Previous deliberations 
Twenty-third session of the Committee – paragraph X.28 and Annex VIII

New information: IUCN has expressed its concern over the fact that a report on the implementation of the Sangmelima (1998) workshop recommendations is yet to be received from the State Party. The IUCN Regional Office for Central Africa has been involved in assisting the efforts of the State Party to conserve this site since 1995, with financial support from the Government of the Netherlands. IUCN has informed the Centre that support from the Government of the Netherlands has been concluded in December 1999. Since then there has been no new projects to support site management. Additional resources from international donors and partners are urgently required. Illegal opening of roads for forestry activities and poaching, particularly that linked to the supply of the bush-meat trade are significant threats to this site.

The Centre has not received a response to the letter informing the State Party of the decisions of the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau. On 25 April 2000, a member of the Centre staff met and discussed with the Second Secretary of the Permanent Delegation of Cameroon to UNESCO.  It was agreed that the Delegation would do its best to ensure that the State Party communicates with the Centre as soon as possible on Dja.

The Bureau reiterates its request, made at its sessions in 1998 and 1999, that the State Party submit a detailed report on the progress made to implement the recommendations of the Sangmelima Workshop held in March 1998. The Bureau requests the Centre and IUCN to co-operate with the State Party to identify alternative donors to support the development of institutional and local capacity for the management of the site.

The State Party in a letter dated 22 September 2000 provided the Centre with a report outlining measures being undertaken to implement the recommendations of the Sangmelima meeting as requested by the twenty-third and twenty-fourth sessions of the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee. The report mentions that the local stakeholders have adopted a « management plan », that the State Party wishes to enhance the technical and logistical capacities for the management of the Reserve, and that to this effect, a new organisational chart is under implementation to increase the above capacity.  The Centre has not received a copy of the management plan mentioned in the report.  The Centre and IUCN are in the process of studying the report. It is noted however that the report does not adequately address important issues raised by the Sangmelima meeting such as the poaching problems and the easing for licensing timber harvesting around the site. It has been reported to IUCN that despite the new Forest Law and the pressure of international donors for a better implementation of Cameroon’s forest policy, there are only slight improvements. Illegal opening of roads for forestry activities and poaching by surrounding villages and hunters continues to be a major threat. IUCN also noted that a mine exploration phase for nickel and cobalt in the hinterland of the Dja Faunal Reserve has been carried out. Mining activities in the area may have significant impacts on the World Heritage site. The IUCN Regional Office for Central Africa has been working to support conservation efforts at this site since 1995 but the funding for these efforts concluded in December 1999. Since then, there have been no new projects to support site conservation efforts and additional resources are required to address the above threats.