South East Site

The region

The lowland forests of the South East of Cameroon pertain to the Congo Basin complex. The climate is equatorial with four seasons: two rainy seasons interspersed with dry seasons. The annual rainfall is about 1,500 mm per annum. The base of the South East region is made up of metamorphic formations of Precambrian age. The landscape is undulating to mountainous and caracterised by a dense dendritical drainage system in the Boumba-Bek and Nki region (altitude between 500 - 1,100 m) and is relatively flat with some hills in the Lobeke region (altitude 300 - 700 m).

The forests of this area are amongst the richest in terms biodiversity in the West and Central African sub-regions. Despite modifications caused by accelerated logging during the last decades, they still harbour high and diverse concentrations of large mammal populations (elephants, gorillas, bongos and other forest ungulates). There are frequent exchanges of large mammals with the neighbouring countries following historical migratory corridors.

The project intervention zone is inhabited by about 150,000 people. The Bantus, whose most known ethnic groups in the area are the Kounabembe, Bangando, Bakwele and Ndjem, form the majority. About 40,000 Baka pygmies are living in the South East of Cameroon. They are undergoing a process of sedentarisation and they are now increasingly occupied with farming like the Bantus, but they continue to practise hunting, fishing and gathering on a seasonal basis.

The project

The South East component is active all over the South East Technical Operational Unit (TOU) that covers the Lobeke National Park, the Boumba-Bek and Nki National Parks under creation, as well as the logging and protection zones. Situated at the border with the Central African Republic and Congo-Brazzaville, the project is involved in tri-national conservation initiatives.

History of the project:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) was present in the Lobeke forest from 1988-1995. The PCGBC recognised the importance of the South East site and created this component, that was highly inspired by the findings of surveys carried out by the WCS. The Executing Agencies of the PCGBC are GTZ and WWF. WWF has been active in the South East since 1995 with GEF funds and its own funds. The execution of the Jenki project (spirit of the forest) started in 1999. GTZ has gone through a first phase from 1996-1999, a second phase from 1999-2002, followed by a third phase from 2002-2005.

In 1995, the three future National Parks of Lobeke, Boumba-Bek and Nki were granted the status of Essential Protection Zones. The South-East TOU was created in 1999. In that same year, the Goverment of Cameroon registered the Lobeke site as a “Gift to Nature”, followed in 2001 by its gazettement as a National Park.

Objectives:

1. Better enforce of regulations and control on the exploitation of wildlife resources, including border patrols
2. Carry out biological and socio-economic surveys
3. Draw up management plans for conservation areas under creation and a master landuse plan for the priority site
4. Consult with the local population in order to involve them in conservation and collaborative management activities of the natural resources
5. Identify sustainable development scenarios, including wildlife management and rational timber exploitation.