World’s Second Largest Rainforest Designated as Protected Area
Good news for the world’s second largest rainforest as the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced its intention to designate over 50,000 sq. miles of it as protected area. That’s quite a big improvement over the approximate 8500 sq. miles that is currently protected or conserved.
The Congo Basin in Central Africa is 700,000 sq. miles of tropical forest that extends across six countries. Area wise, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DRC is the third largest country in Africa and contains the largest part of the Congo Basin forest. The DRC is not only establishing new protected areas but also insuring sustainable use by the inhabitants. This is the amazing part. Some of the indigenous inhabitants are Pygmies. And even though many of the Pygmies cannot read, GPS units designed for non-literate people allow them to participate in mapping the forest. In their travels they locate resources, like edible and medicinal plants, and other significant areas. The Pygmies select an icon to mark an area, and the GPS records the data for resource maps.
The rainforests in the DRC contain all types of species of plants to animals including chimpanzees, white rhinos, and the famous mountain gorillas. It will take a concentrated effort by many nations to accomplish the task of keeping this vast area protected. As it is now, many of the rangers and people concerned about the forest have disappeared, either killed or driven off from the Second Congo (civil) War from 1998 to 2003. It’s the second deadliest war since WWII. I did not know that.
The announcement was made in Bonn, Germany, which is host for the Convention on Biological Diversity or CBD. The CBD believes:
Protected areas are the foundation for safeguarding ecosystems, species and genes in all their
abundance and diversity. Protected areas are the backbone for the stability and functioning of
ecosystemic processes and the provision of ecosystem services such as natural carbon storage,
water cycles, pollination, control of diseases and flood control. Properly designed and
managed protected areas support livelihoods of local communities and strengthen local and
national economies. Protected area networks are our “Safety-Nets for Life on Earth”. Thus the
establishment and long-term maintenance of protected areas is in the interest of humanity and
requires a common effort of the global community. The CBD Programme of Work on
Protected Areas is a global framework for the establishment of comprehensive, representative
and effectively managed national and regional protected area systems. Parties agreed to close
the gaps in the existing systems, enhance management effectiveness and secure adequate
financing.
The “Life Web Initiative” aims at supporting the implementation of the CBD Programme of
Work on Protected Areas through enhancing partnerships at a global level. The purpose of the
initiative is to match voluntary commitments for the designation of new protected areas and
the improved management of existing areas with commitments for dedicated (co-)financing of these areas.
The German minister thinks these new protected areas of rainforest in the Congo should become part of “Life Web.” Germany is presently providing the Congo Basin region with over 53 million euro for protection. The concept of Live Web is a good read and may be the wave of the future where industry and nature will exist well together.
Read more about the Congo rainforest and Live Web Initiative @
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2008/2008-05-27-02.asp
http://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/cop/hls-cop-09/other/hls-cop-09-lifeweb-de-en.pdf