Local NGO to co-manage wildlife reserve in the DRC for the first time

• 

  Strong Roots Congo will co-manage Itombwe Nature Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo with the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature.

• 

  The partnership is the first time in the country’s modern history that a local nongovernmental organization will co-manage a protected area with the wildlife authority.

• 

  The reserve is in South Kivu province.

• 

  Strong Roots Congo has secured nearly 600,000 hectares of community land for a corridor linking the reserve with Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

• 

  The development follows the DRC’s adoption of a National Forest Policy recognizing the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities to manage forest areas.

Who

Strong Roots Congo and the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature.

What

They will co-manage Itombwe Nature Reserve under a public-private partnership.

When

Not stated.

Where

Itombwe Nature Reserve in South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Why

The government chose Strong Roots Congo after observing its conservation work and its focus on local communities.

This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.

This story does not have a timeline yet.