Africa economy
DRC: the Kahuzi Biega forest, object of desire and potential
Audio 02:26
View of Kahuzi Biega Park, in eastern DRC.
© RFI/Charlotte Cosset
By: Charlotte Cosset Follow
3 mins
In eastern DRC, Kahuzi Biega Park was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980. Less than 20 years later, it is on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Because the park, 60,000 hectares large, is the subject of many desires.
But for his authorities, he also brings hope of resources.
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From our special correspondent in Bukavu,
The park is rich in diverse wildlife and for the traditional hunter Pygmies evacuated from the park, a source of temptation.
Dieudonné Akilimali, is the director of Pidep, the integrated program for the development of pygmy peoples.
“
Poaching, yes, there is.
We cannot fail to recognize that, it happens sometimes that indigenous people allow themselves to enter the park illegally, but it is not so regular because it is illegal.
Once caught by the ecoguards you are imprisoned
.
»
coveted lands
Beyond the samples taken by the local communities, the park is the object of much broader desires, underlines Benjamin Ebuela, director of international cooperation at the Congolese Institute for the conservation of nature.
“
Here in Kahuzi Biega, it's mainly land issues.
But also, it must be said that the parks have remained reserves of natural resources throughout the network.
And since the population does not have access to these resources, it complicates them a little.
But much more also the smugglers who are behind the population and who would like to have access to the park to dig the ore, but also to cut wood and so on.
And those use the local population and that attracts
.
»
► Also to listen: Kahuzi Biega Park: how to reconcile community life and environmental protection?
Logging and conflict also threaten the park.
But its director remains optimistic and sees in Kahuzi Biega a possible source of wealth.
"
The park will contribute a lot to the local economy and we have non-lined forest products
," hopes De-Dieu Bya'Ombe.
“
We have everything that has an ecosystem service.
It helps the local economy.
The first thing is very simple.
All the water that is consumed in Bukavu comes from the Kahuzi Biega park.
And even AFD projects will finance a water supply project in Bukavu.
That is a kind of service contribution that the park already offers to the community.
»
Tourism as a lever to participate in developing the capacities of the park
And of course tourism.
“
There is tourism in the gorillas.
80% of those who accompanied you to visit the gorillas are Pygmies.
I have 60% of Pygmies as agents here who are paid at the end of each month.
Those who maintain all these roads, all these tracks, are often the Pygmies or the neighboring communities, who are paid.
So there is really work that we do together and the communities benefit from all this spin
-off,” emphasizes De-Dieu Bya'Ombe.
A tourism that could contribute to the exit from the list in danger and participate in developing the capacities of the park.
What Papa Lambert, a guide for 25 years, is well aware of.
“
The big concern for us when you are at Kahuzi Biega if you come back very satisfied with better photos, small videos as you want, now is the great time to help us.
»
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