Participatory monitoring of the forests around and in the Mengamé gorilla sanctuary
Action for Sustainable Development (ASD) is a non-profit association incorporated under Cameroonian law. We aim to eradicate poverty through sustainable practices.
Overview of the project
The Mengamé Gorilla Sanctuary (SGM) is part of the TRIDOM complex of transboundary protected areas, a key area for biodiversity conservation in the Congo Basin. On the one hand, its interest lies in the fact that there is still a large population of gorillas, chimpanzees and others. There are also numerous stands of trees. It is located in the Southern Cameroon Region, along the border between Cameroon and Gabon. The MGS is surrounded by multiple-use forests, which encourages human activity, which is on the increase, despite the enormous efforts of the conservation services. Poaching and deforestation are the main threats to these species. In addition, there were 1,252 deforestation alerts reported in the sanctuary between 17 January 2021 and 20 July 2022, covering a total of 15ha. This is due to increasing human population, lack of knowledge etc. The map on Global Forest Watch also shows that there are many hotspots around the sanctuary, and even some within it.
The “Participatory monitoring of the forests around and in the Mengamé gorilla sanctuary” project will help to reduce the threats posed by deforestation around and in the sanctuary, while focusing on forest conservation and management issues: providing and sharing up-to-date information, verifying deforestation alerts in the field, building the capacity of local players to monitor and conserve the forests.
Reduce illegal deforestation and degradation activities in and around the Mengame Gorilla Sanctuary
Ongoing research
01/02/2023 - 31/01/2024
1) More than 300 people informed and made aware of project activities,
2) 20 people from sanctuary stakeholders trained to use the GFW online platform, Forest Watcher, and to analyse GLAD alerts,
3) 10 people designated from among the stakeholders for the Forest Watch Committee around and in the sanctuary,
4) 02 field missions to verify the veracity of deforestation alerts reported in the monitoring zone;
5) plus 4ha of agricultural land identified in the sanctuary.
1) Sanctuary stakeholders (local CSOs, MINFOF conservation officers, local community representatives, etc.) use the forest monitoring tools developed by Global Forest Watch (GFW);
2) The Sanctuary’s Forest Cover Monitoring Committee is up and running, made up of representatives of the local community, CSOs and Sanctuary agents;
3) Joint missions (Sanctuary conservation officers, local community representatives and ASD) to verify deforestation alerts on the ground are carried out around and in the sanctuary.
4) Illegal activities (artisanal logging, field work and poaching) are identified in the Sanctuary.
Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (SGF)
organisation
Action for Sustainable Development (ASD) is a non-profit association incorporated under Cameroonian law. We aim to eradicate poverty through sustainable practices.
Our vision is to help maintain a stable balance between economic profitability, nature conservation and social equity in the management of natural resources.
The association’s main mission is to promote sustainable development through a participatory approach. Our areas of action are agro-ecology, sustainable management of natural resources, forest governance and water, hygiene and sanitation. For the past ten years or so, we have been implementing initiatives to preserve biodiversity throughout Cameroon.
Sanctuary Conservation Service – MINFOF