The Albertine Rift region of Central Africa is one of the world’s greatest biodiversity hotspots, and, like so many others, it is at risk of being destroyed. To protect the existing rainforest from advancing human development, GRACE and its partner UGADEC (Union des Associations de Conservation des Gorilles pour le Developpement Communautaire a l’Est de la RD Congo), with generous financial support from Rainforest Trust and other donors, are working hand in hand with local communities to create the Usala Conservation Corridor. Once established, this 300,000-acre (120,000 hectares) corridor linking Tayna Nature Reserve and Maiko National Park will be a lifeline for critically endangered Grauer’s gorillas. We are excited to have reached two significant milestones in our efforts to create this corridor.
What is so important about the Usala Conservation Corridor?
The Congo Basin spans six countries and removes approximately 1.1 billion metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year. Covering more than 700 million acres (300 million hectares), it is the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest, trailing only the Amazon. Most significantly, the Congo Basin is the world’s largest carbon sink, absorbing more carbon than it emits. This is in contrast to the Amazon Basin, which, due to industrial-scale logging, out-of-control fires, and agricultural development, has become a net carbon emitter. Preserving the Congo Basin’s forests is essential to any solution to climate change.
The Congo Basin is also one of Africa’s most biodiverse regions, home to many threatened and endemic species such as forest elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, okapi and leopards. By protecting this region we can address the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
There is a wave of deforestation moving westward toward the Tayna Nature Reserve and the surrounding lush forests. This expanding human population creates an impenetrable barrier for wildlife between the Tayna Nature Reserve and Virunga National Park to the east. If deforestation continues and encircles the Tayna Nature Reserve, it risks becoming an isolated biological island, cut off from Maiko National Park.
Currently, most of the forest in the Usala Conservation Corridor remains intact. The most effective and cost-efficient way to preserve important ecological functions is to protect the existing forest. Rainforests can take centuries to regenerate after being cut down, and their ecological complexity might never fully recover. There are very few places on Earth where such a vast area with remarkable biodiversity can still be protected, making immediate action crucial.
Milestones Reached
This project has recently achieved two significant milestones: the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process has been completed with communities formally agreeing that they will apply for the land tenure of their community forests, and as part of this, community-generated maps of traditional boundaries have been validated. The communities are now preparing to apply for four CFCLs, encompassing nearly 300,000 acres (120,000 hectares) of tropical rainforest. This is a landmark step that signals a shared commitment to sustainable land stewardship, conservation, and socio-economic development across a vast and remote region.
What is a Local Community Forest Concession (CFCL)?
For many years, people in rural areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had no accessible legal means to own their land, despite generations of customary tenure being locally recognized. This vulnerability exposed communities to powerful logging and mining interests and the influx of people fleeing unrest or extraction industries in other parts of eastern DRC. As these communities largely depend on small-scale agriculture and forest resources for survival, they needed a way to protect their rights and lands to ensure they could continue to feed their families.
A new land tenure and management law facilitating the application and management of what are known as Local Community Forest Concessions (CFCLs) is now enabling communities to secure land tenure in exchange for sustainably managing their forests. The CFCL management plans require that the communities identify usage zones, whereby some areas are designated for communities to continue and improve their local livelihoods and other areas are designated as conservation zones. Local communities elect management and monitoring committees to oversee the implementation of these management plans.
Benefits of CFCLs for Communities and the Planet
- Empowerment and Land Ownership: CFCLs shift control from distant authorities to local communities, granting them the right to own and manage their forests. This provides them control over their own futures.
- Sustainable Economic Activities: CFCLs allow sustainable economic activities to flourish, reducing poverty and strengthening communities.
- Access to Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs): Communities maintain access to essential NTFPs like medicines and edible plants, which enhance nutrition, health, resilience, and food security during unstable times.
- Integrated Planning: The CFCL planning process includes zoning for different activities, respecting traditional uses and customs while protecting sensitive ecosystems.
- Forest Protection: Those living in or near the forest are the most invested in its protection. Intact forests stabilize local and global climates, safeguard water supplies, and ensure the availability of necessary resources.
The CFCL mechanism is vital for empowering communities, protecting biodiversity, and providing a sustainable livelihood pathway. Each concession in DRC can encompass up to 50,000 hectares of forest, and the Usala Corridor will consist of four concessions, ensuring significant forest protection for the future.
Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) – Upholding Human Rights
While not required for the creation of CFCLs, GRACE and UGADEC prioritized stakeholder engagement and obtaining the consent of all who have claims to the land or will be affected by the new concessions. The method we used for this process is known as Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC):
- Free: Consent must be given freely, without coercion or financial incentives.
- Prior: Stakeholders must be consulted, and their consent must be given, before establishing the concessions.
- Informed: All parties must fully understand the process, the legal structure, and their and their partners’ roles and responsibilities. As well they must understand the impact of a CFCL and be given opportunities to provide feedback.
- Consent: Formal consent must be given in a way that is meaningful to local communities. This community-driven process ensures that affected people benefit from and agree to the creation of the forest concession.
Executing this process in such a vast and inaccessible region is a difficult undertaking. GRACE and UGADEC teams have canvassed over a thousand stakeholders in towns and villages across the Usala region, ensuring proactive and effective information dissemination. Their dedication is evident in their commitment to thorough and respectful engagement and a willingness to change course when community listening sessions brought new information to the table.
Our teams initially believed that Bukucha was the seat of authority of the Usala region, and our plans and budget were structured around holding meetings in this town, which is a one-day walk from the nearest road. During the first meeting in Bukucha, the community members revealed that the true, traditional seat of authority was in Rama – a much more remote village that requires a challenging 7-day trek through the rainforest to reach. It turned out that the colonial government established the administrative center in Bukucha because Rama was too remote.
Despite the difficult journey through dense forests and across countless rivers, the GRACE and UGADEC team chose to engage directly with the leaders in Rama, demonstrating their integrity and commitment to the process. This willingness to travel to a village rarely visited by outsiders was a critical step in gaining the trust of the Usala communities and bolstered the credibility of the entire process.
Another example of our willingness to pivot when plans and reality collide is the number of villages that our teams consulted in the corridor. Our original work plan and budget included visits to the eleven villages that we knew existed prior to engaging with the communities. By the end of the FPIC process, GRACE and UGADEC engagement teams had visited 45 in the corridor, some multiple times, making every effort to address questions, concerns, and aspirations.
The FPIC process involved explaining the benefits, requirements, and responsibilities of CFCLs, with GRACE ensuring that these discussions were inclusive, involving leaders, women, youth, and other key stakeholders. This open communication allowed for important feedback from communities on issues such as conflict resolution, human-wildlife coexistence, and the need for sustainable development in areas like health, education, and agriculture.
A result of this transparent and community-driven FPIC process was that after much discussion, a group of community leaders chose to exercise their right of consent and withdraw from the CFCL application process for now. They assured GRACE and UGADEC teams they felt respected and appreciated the effort made on their behalf, and that they would consider applying in the future after seeing how the process benefits the other communities.
Below is the final map of the four CFCLs that will be included in the applications.
The validation of FPIC by all involved communities underscores the strong sense of ownership and agency they now have. This shared commitment has set the stage for the next phase of the project, where community representatives will apply for the CFCLs, advancing Usala’s conservation goals and creating a foundation for socio-economic progress.
Customary Representation and Strengthening Traditional Governance
Another vital component of the project has been the selection of customary representatives for each CFCL. This inclusive process, which involved the nomination and confirmation of representatives across all clans and multiple villages, ensures that each family and community is represented in the management of the CFCLs. These representatives are not only custodians of the land but are also the voices of their people, bridging generations of tradition with modern conservation objectives.
The project’s emphasis on traditional governance reinforces the cultural fabric of the Usala communities, empowering them to protect their lands in a way that respects and incorporates their customs. For many families, this process offered an opportunity to hold discussions within their clans, fostering unity and shared vision. This step has been key to creating a sense of responsibility, collaboration and pride among the communities, who now feel assured that their interests are at the forefront of this conservation initiative.
The Importance of Participatory Mapping
The participatory mapping process has been central to the project’s progress, representing a tool for both empowerment and precision. Guided by traditional knowledge and supported by GRACE and the Research Center for Environmental Planning (RCEP), communities embarked on creating detailed maps that define the boundaries of each CFCL. These boundaries capture the essence of local geography, cultural landmarks, and resources unique to each community, ensuring that the ongoing management of the forest aligns with traditional knowledge and understandings.
The process began with communities sketching initial maps on paper and chalkboards, marking rivers, valleys, hills, and other natural features that form the contours of their ancestral lands. The RCEP team then trained local youth as data collectors and mappers, a strategic decision that empowered young community members to play an active role in this historic process. This team of local mappers ventured deep into the forest, using handheld GPS devices to transform community sketches into precise digital maps. In many cases, this meant long treks across rivers and through dense forests, where mappers encountered local wildlife and recorded the landscapes that had sustained their communities for generations.
Each map has now been validated by community leaders representing the CFCLs, but also with neighboring communities, with adjustments made based on collective consensus. This validation serves not only as a confirmation of physical boundaries but also as a commitment to protect and sustainably manage these lands as CFCLs. The successful completion of this mapping project is the final step allowing the communities to formally submit their applications for CFCL designation.
Additional Community Benefits
It is critical that these CFCLs offer sustainable economic opportunities that will allow the Usala communities to thrive into the future. We are currently exploring potential income-generating activities that align with local culture and conservation goals. This is part of a long-term plan to support community livelihoods, with a focus on sustainable agriculture and payment for ecosystem services.
In addition to these economic opportunities, a groundbreaking achievement for the project was the installation of a satellite internet system in Rama, funded by our partners at The Rainforest Trust. This connectivity has been transformative for the project. Before the satellite internet was installed, any communication between Rama and the GRACE headquarters required fourteen days of walking, making it extremely difficult to organize meetings or transmit information about the project. It is now possible for the field teams to communicate their progress, questions, and challenges in real time.
Community members have also embraced this new technology, which allows them to communicate with family members in other regions, stay updated on project developments, and have direct access to external support networks.
Challenges Overcome and Lessons Learned
The journey to this milestone was not without challenges. The remoteness of the Usala Conservation Corridor presented logistical hurdles, from the seven-day trek to Rama to the need for localized security measures amid regional instability. Despite these difficulties, the dedication of community members, GRACE, and UGADEC, coupled with the support of local authorities, ensured that the project moved forward. Through this process, invaluable lessons were learned about flexibility, patience, and the importance of adapting plans to meet community needs.
Moreover, the rigorous approach to the FPIC process has been a learning experience for all involved. By taking the time to answer every question and consider every piece of feedback, GRACE and its partners have built a model for inclusive, community-centered conservation that prioritizes local voices.
Still a lot of work ahead!
With participatory mapping and the FPIC process now complete, the Usala communities stand ready to take the next steps toward formal CFCL designation. This will involve the submission of detailed applications to the provincial government, which include the validated maps, lists of representatives, and other documentation of community agreements. This process is expected to bring official recognition of the CFCLs by the middle of 2025, a monumental step that will mark a new era for Usala’s forests and communities.
Once the CFCLs are established, the work doesn’t end. Here are just a few of the things that we have in our plans for the next few years:
- Supporting the Reserves des Gorilles de Usala (RGU), the locally-elected body that will manage the CFCLs. Once the CFCLs are formally recognized, the elected representatives from each of the communities will formalize and adopt management plans. GRACE and its partners will continue to support the Usala communities in this endeavor, ensuring they have the tools, knowledge, and resources to sustain their CFCLs.
- Enacting a plan for biodiversity monitoring. This is an area that has never been formally surveyed. Learning what species of flora and fauna are present will help inform conservation management plans for the new corridor. Ongoing monitoring will also provide skills and employment for local community members.
- Beginning socioeconomic surveys. We plan to continually assess the socioeconomic impact of the CFCLs on communities through employment, sustainable forest uses, and climate-friendly economic development tools such as carbon financing.
- Researching and implementing sustainable economic development. Our goal with this project is not just to benefit gorillas and other wildlife, but also to give a pathway for long-term economic development and financing that will benefit communities and allow the protection of the forest far into the future.
- Expanding our reach. We will continue to engage with the additional communities that have expressed interest in establishing CFCLs but have not yet committed. Expanding the corridor to include additional community forests will require undertaking full FPIC and participatory mapping processes for those new areas. While this will result in another large financial and time investment, the outcome is a larger corridor for wildlife and a more sustainable future for communities.
We believe that landscape-scale conservation is the key to protecting the ecosystem functions provided by the Congo Basin, and that the only way to do that successfully is to partner with local communities. The Usala Conservation Corridor is a model for protecting vast tracks of primary tropical rainforest while benefitting communities that can be applied around the globe.
