Protecting biocultural diversity in DR Congo: amplifying the voices of indigenous/local communities in nature conservation research and policy

Summary

Conservation projects in the DR Congo are typically pursued through top-down, coercive approaches, which lead to considerable tensions with the people that live around protected areas, as well as poor conservation outcomes. To deliver more environmentally and socially sustainable conservation governance, we need to create a new approach to conservation that recognises the interlinkages between local/indigenous communities and their ancestral lands and resources. Hence, this project aims to catalyse a more socially just ‘biocultural’ conservation paradigm to secure the future of Congolese forests; a paradigm that bolsters the cultural heritage and knowledge systems of local and indigenous communities alongside scientific knowledge. This will be done by: (i) Conducting high-quality, transformative/action-oriented research – i.e. research focussed on addressing the needs of marginalized population groups – to reveal the biocultural dimensions of nature conservation in the Congo rainforest; (ii) Building the transformative/action-oriented research capacity of the partner institution (UNIKIS), by propelling it as a centre of expertise on biocultural diversity and driver of practical action for more socially just conservation in the long-run; (iii) Amplifying the voices of indigenous/local communities among academic researchers and policy-makers by mobilising coalitions and opportunities for dynamic and equal exchanges of knowledge and experience.

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