The establishment and management of protected areas has become the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation worldwide. This approach aids in limiting human activities considered inimical to biodiversity conservation while making provisions for adjacent communities to the protected areas to benefit socially or economically from parks through ecotourism and the provision of alternative livelihood activities.

This approach is what the Environment and Rural Development Foundation has embarked on for over seven years now. The Organisation successfully saw through the creation of the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in 2014 and is currently facilitation the creation of the proposed Mak-Betchou Wildlife Sanctuary, and the proposed Mount Muanenguba Integral Ecological Reserve.

The Organisation has been conducting surveys of great apes and other mammals in Mak-Betchou for the past five years and the proposed Mount Muanenguba Ecological Reserve for over a year now.

Hunters and forest exploiters in all the villages around these areas are being used to facilitate surveys, thus creating awareness of the importance and need to conserve biodiversity.

This approach is what the Environment and Rural Development Foundation has embarked on for over seven years now. The Organisation successfully saw through the creation of the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in 2014 and is currently facilitation the creation of the proposed Mak-Betchou Wildlife Sanctuary, and the proposed Mount Muanenguba Integral Ecological Reserve.

The Organisation has been conducting surveys of great apes and other mammals in Mak-Betchou for the past five years and the proposed Mount Muanenguba Ecological Reserve for over a year now.

Hunters and forest exploiters in all the villages around these areas are being used to facilitate surveys, thus creating awareness of the importance and need to conserve biodiversity.

Socioeconomic surveys have also been done by ERuDeF with alternative sources of livelihoods (Apiculture, piggery) offered to people neighbouring the proposed sanctuary. This is done so that the people will not be trapped between their dependence on resources from these areas to meet their local development aspirations, and the national and international pressure to protect these resources.

By Angwa Gwendoline