JAKARTA - The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has won after one of its natural reserves, Salonga National Park, was removed from its list of threatened sites, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said.
Citing National News July 20, UNESCO commended the DRC's conservation efforts and the government's commitment to banning the search for oil in Salonga, the central African country's largest public park.
The World Heritage Committee cited "improvement towards a conservation nation" in its decision, according to a statement last July.
"The committee welcomes the clarification provided by the national authorities that the overlapping oil concessions with the properties are null and void. And, these blocks will be excluded from future auctions," the statement said.
"Management of the park has greatly improved, particularly with regard to strengthening anti-poaching measures. Regular monitoring of wild fauna indicates that the bonobo (ape) population has remained stable within the area, despite past pressures, and that the forest elephant population is starting to return. ," continued the statement.
Congo's Ministry of Environment welcomed the move. This is considered to be an opportunity to rethink peatland management. with a view to measuring its capacity to absorb carbon emissions," the statement said.
Salonga is Africa's largest protected rainforest and home to 40 percent of the world's bonobo macaques, along with several other endangered species. Created in 1970 by the country's former president, Mobutu Sese Seko, the national park was added to the World Heritage List in 1984, and was added to the World Heritage Hazard List in 1999.
Located in the heart of the central basin of the Congo river, the park is very isolated and can only be accessed by water. It is the habitat of many endemic endangered species, such as the bonobos, Congo peacock, forest elephant and African slender-snouted crocodile or the "fake" crocodile.
"Salonga National Park represents one of the rare truly intact biotopes in central Africa. It consists of vast swamp areas and practically inaccessible gallery forests, which have never been explored and may still be considered virgin," UNESCO said on its official website. .
Separately, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is celebrating this happy news, through a post on its official account.
"Congratulations to the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Salonga National Park removed from the list of World Heritage in Danger following progress in halting oil concessions & poaching that threatens local wildlife, people," WWF tweeted.
Congrats to the Democratic Republic of Congo!Salonga National Park is removed from the World Heritage in Danger list after progress in stopping oil concessions & rampant poaching threatening local wildlife, people.Proud to have contributed to this effort https://t.co/ Z8LWtcExB5 pic.twitter.com/UgnVA4cH0d
— WWF (@WWF) July 19, 2021
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