DRC Protected Areas (PARAP)

These protected areas are the result of a 4 year project to update and assess the protected areas program in DRC (PARAP). The Program of Support to the Protected Area System (Programme d’Appui au Réseau des Aires Protégées - PARAP) is a joint initiative of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature - ICCN) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The primary objective of PARAP is to assist the DRC in achieving its objective of conserving its biodiversity and preserving the essential services provided by its ecosystems through the development of an effectively and equitably managed system of protected areas that covers at least 15 % of the national territory and contributes to national strategies for biodiversity conservation, development and poverty reduction. The first phase of PARAP ran from 2011 to 2016 and benefited from the support of multiple financial partners. The major donors that were vital to sustaining the program include the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Reconstruction Credit Institute (KfW) of the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as the WWF network. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank (WB) also contributed significantly to the realization of particular activities. Finally, targeted assistance was provided by the German Development Agency (GIZ) and the Goldhammer Foundation. From 2011 to 2016, the program operated out of ICCN's Technical and Scientific Department (Département technique et scientifique - DTS), where its offices were housed. Led by a WWF Technical Advisor, in coordination with the head of the DTS and its directors, the first phase of the program mobilized approximately 25 permanent staff. The program team consisted primarily of thematic experts in fauna, flora and socio-economics. These experts guided much of the program’s fieldwork and were complimented by additional logistical and administrative staff. Numerous ICCN officers and agents, from both the Directorate General (DG) and individual protected areas, participated in PARAP activities and were the beneficiaries of trainings aimed at strengthening their relevant capacities. Specific technical support was developed to strengthen the capacities of ICCN's Directorate of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (Direction de la planification, suivi et évaluation - DPSE). To ensure a sound scientific and technical approach and encourage the emergence of a new generation of young Congolese professionals, the program established partnerships with universities and national and international research organizations. Notably, the first phase of the program benefited from partnerships with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Center for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology (Centre d’Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive - CEFE) of the National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CNRS), Griffith University (Australia) and the Center for Biodiversity Monitoring (Centre de Surveillance de la Biodiversité - CSB) at the University of Kisangani (UNIKIS).