The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund has secured official recognition of an additional 700 square kilometres of community-managed forest in the Nkuba Conservation Area.
The expansion is significant for conservation, particularly Grauer’s gorillas, which is a critically endangered species. Unlike mountain gorillas, the majority of Grauer’s gorillas live outside of formally protected areas, such as national parks, instead residing in community forests. Expanding community conservation forests provides greater protection for Grauer’s gorillas while establishing an economic model that improves the livelihood of local residents.
The expansion is possible under the Concessions Forestières des Communautés Locales framework formally granting local communities perpetual rights to manage their ancestral lands. Unlike national parks, which are state-managed, the forest will be managed by local residents in partnership with the fund.
“The most effective custodians of the land are those whose futures rely on it,” says Urbain Ngobobo, Country Director: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. “The community-led model aligns local landowners’ rights to develop their local economy with their inherent interest in maintaining a healthy forest for generations to come.”
The conservancy is currently under a 25-year management agreement established in 2021 between the DRC government and the fund.
