This week in Kigali, Rwanda, the first African Protected Areas Congress is taking place. An opportunity to highlight inspiring examples of community conservation.

In the DRC, 300 km north of Kinshasa, the NGO Mbou Mon Tour preserves the Bonobos and the forest.

In Guinea Bissau, in the Bijagos archipelago, the NGO Tiniguena manages a community-based marine protected area distributed among the three Urok islands.

In Congo-Brazzaville, the Chinese gold mining company Agil was put on notice in 2019 for environmental degradation in the Kellé region, in the western basin department. 3 years later, what is the situation? Blanche Simona reports with financial support from the Rainforest Journalism Fund Congo Basin and the Pulitzer Center.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare has just published a report on the need to take animals into account in conflict and disaster situations.

REPORTAGE BY BLANCHE SIMONA BROADCAST IN THE PROGRAM C'EST PAS DU VENT BY ANNE - CECILE BRAS RFI

Biodiversity and Humanity: A Single Destiny (French)

Title: Cameroon: Campo Ma'an National Park animals terrorize surrounding villages
Date: November 2023
Name of radio station: Radio Tiemeni Siantou 
Language: French
Country: Cameroon
RJF Rainforest Reporters: Ebenizer Diki
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Rampaging elephants located in the locality of Campo in southern Cameroon are destroying villagers' plantations. 
The number of animals roaming around the Campo Ma'an National Park has increased in the region, due to deforestation for agro-industrial and large-scale development projects, which has reduced the animals' living space and destroyed their migration corridors.
The population claims to have repeatedly contacted the authorities, either verbally or in writing, to seek compensation. Unfortunately, empty promises. 
Listen to this large-format report by Ebenizer Diki, produced with the support of the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Cameroon: Campo Ma'an National Park animals terrorize surrounding villages

Title: "Ports of Kill/Deadly Airports? How Cargo Airports Impact Climate Change in Nigeria.
Date: December 2023
Name of radio station: Breeze FM
Language: English
Country: Nigeria
RJF Rainforest Reporters: Bankong-Obi Nkrumah
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The proliferation of cargo airport projects combined with other human actions are contributing to climate change crises in Nigeria.
Nkrumah interviewed by Breeze  FM with the support of the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

"Ports of Kill/Deadly Airports? How Cargo Airports Impact Climate Change in Nigeria.

Title: CAMEROON-BENIN: the conversion of forests to farmland
Date: December 20, 2023
Name of radio station: RCDM
Language: French and Englsih
Country: Cameroon and Benin
RJF Rainforest Reporters: Fanta Mabo, Didier Madafime and Bernadette Nambu
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The conversion of forests to farmland has become the main driver of deforestation. The situation in Cameroon and in Benin is covered  in this report by Fanta Mabo, Didier Madafime and Bernadette Nambu,  produced with the support of the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

CAMEROON-BENIN: the conversion of forests to farmland

Title: Conflicts between men and elephants in Kouilou, Conkouati-Douli national park 
Date: December 2023
Name of radio station: Radio Congo Pointe-Noire
Language: French
Country: DRC
RJF Rainforest Reporters: Jean Pierre Ndinga
---
Located in the Kouilou department in southwestern Congo, Conkouati-Douli National Park is a veritable paradise for many animals. These include elephants, which are under strict protection.
However, while the state and its partners have achieved some interesting results, such as an increase in the pachyderm population, their good health has not made everyone happy. From crop devastation to deadly attacks, the cohabitation between humans and these giant mammals is not peaceful. People are waiting for alternatives that are reassuring and sustainable. Conflicts between men and elephants in Kouilou, Conkouati-Douli national park in the quest for equitable mediation for a sustainable solution, report by john Ndinga  produced with the support of the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Conflicts between men and elephants in Kouilou, Conkouati-Douli National Park

Title: Conflicts between men and elephants in the Haut Nyong department in the East region of the country
Date: December 2023
Name of radio station: Radio Congo Pointe-Noire
Language: French
Country: Congo
RJF Rainforest Reporters: Hervé NDOMBONG
---
Animals penetrating fields on the Ngoyla and Messock sides are now a daily routine for the populations of two cities located in the Haut Nyong department in the East region of Cameroon. These animals come from the Nki National Park and destroy everything in their way. Farmers and planters have only their eyes to cry over the disaster caused to their cocoa, banana, peanut, potato and cassava plantations by the man-wildlife conflict. How has this happened?  What measures have been taken to stop this phenomenon? What local and administrative authorities are doing to help people live better? Find out more in this report produced with the coordination of Hervé  with the support of the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Conflicts between men and elephants in the Haut Nyong department in the East region of the country

Title: Land grabbing in Djoum-Cameroon
Date: 17 August  2023
Name of radio station: CRTV, Univers terre ( Environmental program)
Language: French
Country: Cameroon
RJF Rainforest Reporters: Vincent De Paul Mebara
---
In a World Bank report published a few years ago on land grabbing, it was revealed that Africa is home to 202 million hectares of unexploited land, found in several African countries including Cameroon, and increasingly desired by multinationals. Most of these foreign companies come to Africa to increase their revenues through various forms of exploitation, and this envy is accompanied by conflict in several villages. This is the case in the villages of Avebe and Meyos III, which have been in conflict with a foreign company for almost 8 years. Report by Vincent De Paul Mebara produced with the support of the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Land grabbing in Djoum - Avébé and Meyos III villages /Cameroon

Title: Gishwati-Mukura Park: Between Protection and Survival of Local Communities
Date: January 2024
Name of radio station: Radio Rwanda
Language: French
Country: Rwanda
RJF Rainforest Reporters: Patrick Nyiridandi
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Every year, the area of forest in the world is reduced, especially in tropical regions. In 2018, the total surface area of tropical forests destroyed represented 12 million hectares - the equivalent of 30 soccer stadiums every minute. This deforestation causes other dramatic consequences, including torrential rains, climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Reporting done by Patrick Nyiridandi, produced with the support of the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Gishwati Mukura Park: Between Protection and Community Survival

Title: Community forestry in the DRC and Gabon
Date: October 2023
Name of radio station: Radio télévision Ngoma ya Kivu
Language: French
Country: DRC and Gabon
RJF Rainforest Reporters: Patrick Kulondwa Kahondwa and Michael Moukouangui
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The community forestry approach has a two-faceted reality in DRC and in Gabon. 
Located in the Congo Basin, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon are rich in natural resources. Given the threats to these resources, including poaching and the illegal exploitation of minerals and other natural resources, they have adopted a community forestry approach to protect their forests. This approach is characterized by the granting of rights to communities over a given area, a forest concession, so that they can manage it with the aim of carrying out activities that contribute to the sustained preservation of biodiversity and poverty reduction. In DRC, several communities across the country have obtained titles to manage their forests. 
Report by Patrick Kulondwa Kahondwa and Michael Moukouangui, produced with the support of the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Community forestry in the DRC and Gabon

Title: Political permits, clientelism and illegal practices: who benefits from artisanal logging in DRC?
Date: April 2024
Name of radio station: Radio Liberal FM
Languages: French, lingala
Country: DRC
RJF Rainforest Reporters: Alfredo Prince NTUMBA, Bénie MENGI, Clément ITOKO
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Artisanal logging is one of the most lucrative activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A World Bank study conducted in 2015 revealed that the volume of timber produced each year reaches between 3 and 4 million cubic meters  According to the same data cited by CAFI, only 300,000 m3 come from industrial logging. In fact, over 90% of the country's timber clearly comes from the artisanal sector.
 In order to learn more about the modus operandi of this sector, considered as one of the most destructive of the Congolese forests, our team investigated in three forestry provinces: Equateur, Tshopo and Mai-Ndombe. 
Report by Alfredo Prince NTUMBA, Bénie MENGI, Clément ITOKO, produced with the support of the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Liberal FM

Title: Political permits, clientelism and illegal practices: who benefits from artisanal logging in the DRC?
Date: May,6, 2024
Name of radio station: SADEC FM Inongo
Language: French, lingala
Country: DRC
RJF Rainforest Reporters: Alfredo Prince NTUMBA, Bénie MENGI, Clément ITOKO
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Artisanal logging is one of the most lucrative activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In fact, over 90% of the country's timber clearly comes from the artisanal sector.
In order to learn more on the modus operandi of this sector, now considered one of the most destructive of Congolese forests, our team investigated three forestry provinces: Equateur, Tshopo and Mai-Ndombe. 
Report by Alfredo Prince NTUMBA, Bénie MENGI, Clément ITOKO, produced with the support of the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Sadem FM Inongo

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The initiative is administered by The Pulitzer Center 

If you are a journalist, apply for a grant:
https://rainforestjournalismfund.org

Biodiversity and Humanity: A Single Destiny (French)

Rainforest RJF

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