Annual Report 2021 WWF-DRC

WWF-DRC Annual Report 2021 Great blue turaco (Corythaeola cristata), Salonga National Park

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CONTENTS COUNTRY DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

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WWF IN DRC

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WHERE WE WORK

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OUR RESULTS

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WILDLIFE FORESTS PROTECTED AREAS FRESHWATER SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE CLIMATE AND ENERGY GOVERNANCE MARKETS & ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS SUPPORT TO EDUCATION AND RESEARCH LESSONS LEARNED

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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THE WAY AHEAD

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WWF is one of the largest and most experienced international conservation organizations. It is active in more than 100 countries and has over 5 million supporters worldwide. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring the sustainable use of renewable natural resources, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

This report covers the period from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

Website: www.wwfdrc.org Facebook : www.facebook.com/WWFDRC

WWF-RDC: 14, Avenue Sergent Moke, Concession Safricas, Commune de Ngaliema, Kinshasa, République démocratique du Congo E-mail : wwfdrc@wwfdrc.org Téléphone : +243 976006100 Crédit photos Cover page © Sylvain Deloy/WWF-RDC, pages 4-5 : © Christian Mpassi/WWFRDC, pages 6-7 : © Christian Mpassi/WWF-RDC, page 8-9 : © WWF-RDC, page 10 : © Thomas Nicolon/WWF-RDC, page 12 : © Thomas Nicolon/WWF-RDC, page 13 : © Christian Mpassi/WWF-RDC, page 14-15 : © Christian Mpassi/WWF-RDC, pages 16-17 : © WWF-RDC, page 18-19 : © Christian Mpassi/WWF-RDC, page 20 : ©WWF-RDC, page 22 : ©Christian Mpassi/WWF-RDC, page 23 : ©Christian Mpassi/WWF-RDC, page 27 : ©Christian Mpassi/WWF-RDC.

COUNTRY DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Dear readers/partners, It is with pleasure that we publish our 2021 annual report (covering the period from July 2020 to June 2021).

Martin KABALUAPA Country Director, WWF-DRC

We have once again, and with the support of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, our donors, and partners, delivered on our different strategic axes, namely: forestry, agriculture/food, energy, wildlife/protected areas, natural resource governance, and more.

Our actions have ranged from supporting government policies on the environment and biodiversity protection to raising awareness among local communities and indigenous peoples in remote villages far from major urban centers.

The conservation actions undertaken with communities have significantly contributed to their socio-economic development via income-generating activities and/or improvement of essential services (schools, health centers, drinking water supply), through awareness raising on their rights. As was the situation last year, our actions have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic which to some degree, impacted our ability to mobilize resources (15% less funding than last year), and the performance of certain activities such as support to anti-poaching in Salonga National Park.

We therefore thank the DRC government and our donors for their financial support that made the work presented in this report possible, as well as our implementing partners, civil society organizations, and all WWF-DRC staff who work with us for the environment and to safeguard the biodiversity in the DRC. Please enjoy reading this report.

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Marantaceae in the forest near Malebo. Marantaceae are used for cooking and packaging of food but also for the construction of shelters in forests. The young shoots are also consumed as vegetables.

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WWF IN DRC Our Vision: By 2030, the DRC’s natural resources are sustainably managed, equitably benefit the population, and contribute to the ecological resilience of the planet.

Our Mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life in the DRC.

Our overarching conservation goal is: By 2025, WWF DRC conservation programmes in priority landscapes and project areas have succeeded in reducing threats to biodiversity, and reducing deforestation and degradation by supporting sustainable development in rural communities through collaboration with private sector actors, partners, and provincial and national governments.

Our Objectives to help us achieve the goal are : •

Reduce unsustainable fishing and hunting through sensitization of communities, working with communities to prepare fisheries and hunting management plans, including hunting quotas and zoning in the Community Forest Concessions’ management plans, and supporting farmers to install fish ponds;

•

Reduce or eliminate illegal trade in endangered wildlife through support to law enforcement entities and the judiciary, advocating to counter international demand for wildlife products, strengthening community monitoring, providing alternative livelihood opportunities, and pursuing advocacy to reduce bush meat consumption in urban areas;

•

Reduce the loss of habitat by ensuring that degraded savannah lands are either rehabilitated to forest or converted to productive agricultural land, thereby reducing pressure on intact forests, preventing or reducing illegal logging, providing technical support to improve agricultural practices, and by promoting alternative energy sources for cooking to replace charcoal; and

•

Enhance community resilience by reducing poverty and increasing economic opportunities and improving community governance through establishment of functional community governance structures, support to enable communities to achieve land tenure of community land, including forest concessions.

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WHERE WE WORK 1. Salonga Landscape Includes Salonga National Park (SNP)36,000 km2, one of the largest intact forest areas in the world. Rich biodiversity including bonobo, forest elephant, bongo, giant pangolin and more than 220 species of and more than 220 species of birds including the Congolese peacock.

Mbandaka

Mon Malebo

2. Virunga Landscape Location: North Kivu province. Includes Virunga National Park (7,840 km2) - the oldest park in Africa. The biodiversity of the park includes forest elephant, savannah elephant, lion, hippopotamus, mountain gorilla, numerous birds and 11 endemic species of reptiles.

3. Lakes Tumba & Mai Ndombe Landscape Area of 85,215 km2. Provinces: Equateur, South Ubangi, Mongala and MaiNdombe.

Includes the largest transboundary Ramsar* site in the world.

* A Ramsar site is the designation of a «wetland of international importance» as listed under the Ramsar Convention by a State Party.

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Luki

nkoto

4. Itombwe Landscape Includes the Itombwe Nature Reserve in the province of South Kivu. Area of 5,732 km2. Biodiversity includes 584 species of birds, 30 of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift, 72 species of mammals, 35 species of reptiles, and 23 species of amphibians.

Goma Bukavu

5. Luki Landscape Province of Central Kongo in the southwest of the DRC. Includes the Luki Biosphere Reserve at some 450 km from Kinshasa, with an area of 330 km2, in the heart of the heart of the Mayombe forest. The Reserve is a site that has been used for many years in years in experiments of sustainable management natural resources and also as a laboratory for researchers.

Loile River, Salonga National Park

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OUR RESULTS

Bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus), Salonga National Park

WILDLIFE Biomonitoring of large mammals Over the past year, biomonitoring of large mammals continued in Salonga National Park, with 24 camera traps installed in 3 sites capturing 12,235 images confirming the presence of forest elephants, bongo, leopard, hippopotamus and buffalo. This effort contributes to our knowledge of species distribution, and to identifying areas of high conservation interest, which information is then used to improve Park management planning.

Ongoing monitoring of two bonobo families resident in community forests in Malebo, Mai Ndombe province indicated that the population is stable, and that the forest ecosystem remains intact, and comparable to 2016 baseline conditions. Habituation of the bonobos continues, with additional precautions taken by trackers due to the Covid-19 outbreak to ensure that the virus could not be transmitted to the bonobos. The population size and dis8 / WWF-DRC Annual Report 2021

tribution of forest elephants in the community forests was also surveyed and found to be stable.

Community monitors patrol the 6 community forest concessions at the Malebo site, to control illegal activities, remove traps and document evidence of hunting. The 63 members of the community patrol team, all from the 7 villages surrounding the community forests, were trained on relevant aspects, including the monitoring of hunting, habitat degradation, and ethics related to their mission.

Over the past year, 63 patrollers removed 128 traps in the 6 concessions, and collected 186 cartridge cases. To determine the impact of hunting in community forests, a study was carried out on the level of hunting and consumption of bushmeat in the local villages, most commonly used hunting methods, and the relative dependence of local residents on bushmeat. The study will be used to develop a

methodology that can be used by communities to monitor large mammals.

Patrols in Ngiri, Lac Tumba-Mai Ndombe landscape, seized 26 traps and destroyed 9 poaching camps. The data from both Malebo and Ngiri indicate the extent of poaching in the reserves and community forests, and can be used to inform awareness-raising activities with local populations on the need to preserve conservation targets such as the bonobo.

Capacity building of law enforcement agencies The Attorney General for Kinshasa is one of the champions working with WWF-DRC to raise the awareness of judicial officers and inspectors on wildlife law enforcement.

An alert system for poaching and related law enforcement

efforts, and a database with details of arrests and seizures have been developed which will improve tracking of illegal wildlife trade activity. In June 2021, a workshop for ICCN staff, police, and judicial authorities was held focused on the following themes: the legal framework for wildlife in the DRC; wildlife offenses, criminal procedure and the role of justice; the illegal trade in elephant products in the DRC; how to produce evidence in court; current conservation challenges: new approaches and strategies to combat wildlife crime; corruption: a catalyst for poaching and trafficking in wildlife; and techniques for identifying wildlife products: the case of ivory and pangolin scales.

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Forest in the Salonga region

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FORESTS Community Forests Support for the establishment of community forest concessions in the Virunga Landscape continued.

Follow-up of the applications for forest concessions of the five local communities of Kyakaba/Bolema, Bakila-Tenambo, Bahatsa, Babumbu and Buloloma was ensured with the administration: ----

Two local communities have obtained provincial decrees for the allocation of forest concessions (Bakila-Tenambo and Babumbu); Three multi-resource studies were conducted for the concessions of Buloloma, Bakila-Tenambo and Babumbu with the participation of local communities; A socio-economic study was conducted for the concession of Babumbu;

The simple management plans for the concessions of Buloloma, Bakila-Tenambo and Bambumbu have been drawn up, validated by the members of the community assemblies and approved by the sector chiefs.

For the management of the concessions of Buloloma, Bakila-Tenambo, Kyakaba/Bolema and Babumbu, management bodies have been set up and legalized at the local level (notarized statutes and internal regulations and operating authorizations).

In Itombwe, 12 community assemblies were held in Uvira, Fizi, and Mwenga to determine their interest in acquiring community forest concessions. To begin the process, several activities were carried out including participatory mapping, identification of families, lineages and/or clans, as well as sensitization sessions on gender mainstreaming and consideration of indigenous peoples’ rights. All the candidate communities agreed to go ahead with the project and, as a result, nine community forest files were created for a total area of 32, 4160 ha.

The UGPNS continued its support to 6 communities of Bolongo, in the territory of Oshwe, within the Salonga National Park buffer zone, which received titles to their forest concessions in 2019. A consultant was hired to carry out socio-economic surveys, biodiversity and multi-resource inventories, and micro-zoning of the forests based on uses by the community, which information will be used to prepare simple management plans for the 6 concessions.

authorities on the integrated management of forest resources of these community concessions. The next step is the issuance of titles from the Provincial Governor.

In Luki, communities were supported to develop a sustainable harvesting plan for the Manzanzoni community forest concession, which had regenerated from savannah 14 years ago. The multi-resource inventory was carried out with technical support from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD).

Afforestation under payments for environmental services (PES) in savannahs and peri-urban areas In Lacs Tumba-Mai Ndombe and the Luki project site, communities received Payment for Ecosystem Services for protecting degraded savannahs from fire, which then naturally regenerate to forest species. In FY21, communities received US $ 39,475.67, for protecting a total of 7,895.14 hectares. The funds were used by communities for expanding school buildings, providing water points, and other basic services. A strategic document to guide management of community income was produced, and disseminated to Local Community Development Committees. Payments for Ecosystem Services to communities also facilitated the establishment of least 1,000 hectares in fuelwood plantations around villages.

Carbon emissions reductions produced from regenerated forests were calculated by constructing a carbon reference scenario using a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) map of the spatial distribution of carbon in DRC forests of the DRC, making it possible to quantify the carbon values. The reduction in CO2 emissions corresponds to approximately 51,229.75 tonnes of CO2 produced as a result of activities including protection of savannas and forests, and improved agroforestry.

One community in Lacs Tumba-Mai Ndombe landscape has completed the multi-resource inventory essential to drafting the forest concession management plan. WWF technicians are also training communities to manage an additional 17 community forest concessions, with a total area of 132,000 ha. The 17 files were validated by the local administrations following the meetings with regional WWF-DRC Annual Report 2021 / 11

Aerial view of forest and river, Salonga National Park

PROTECTED AREAS Development of the SNP infrastructure management plan In FY21, the Salonga National Park Management Unit completed the first phase of the framework document that describes the strategic development of the Park’s multi-year infrastructure plan. The context and needs identification phase establishes the foundation for the second phase of evaluation and analysis of energy needs and technical planning for building the infrastructure itself.

Distribution of the Guide of Conduct for Ecoguards After its development and validation by DG ICCN in August 2020, the Guide of Conduct for ecoguards and other personnel of the Salonga National Park was printed in November 2020. The Guide summarizes the essential elements from texts relating to the application of laws in protected areas and details the ethical rules established by the ICCN Staff Regulations. Three thousand copies of the summary of the Guide, 100 lines that outline the rules of conduct, were produced; 1500 in French and 1500 in Lingala. The documents were distributed in the first half of 12 / WWF-DRC Annual Report 2021

2021 during workshops held for the eco-guards at 6 Park stations. The document is also made available to local communities as part of the implementation of the complaints and appeals management mechanism.

Monitoring and evaluation of Park management Each year, the Park management unit organizes a management effectiveness assessment session using the IMET tool. The assessment session was held in June 2021 to evaluate management effectiveness for the year 2020, which resulted in an overall score of 59.6%, a slight decrease to the score obtained for 2019. The decrease was attributed to the lack of access to the Park by support personnel during the Covid outbreak.

Training on data collection As part of an ongoing effort to improve the quality of biomonitoring data, 12 ecoguards from Anga station were trained in data collection techniques. This 4-day training took place in April, 2021 and included the following modules: use of GPS and compass, reading maps and completing patrol sheets.

Products from artisanal fishing, Luilaka River, Tshuapa Province

FRESHWATER Fisheries management Conflict between ecoguards and community members fishing in the rivers that border Salonga National Park was common prior to last year. However, on April 15, 2021, the Director General ICCN signed a letter of exemption, which was the first official recognition of the communities’ right to fish in these rivers. The Park management unit issued the news to all communities through local radio stations.

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Pilot farms serve as demonstration fields for sustainable agricultural practices

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE Training and awareness of farmers in sustainable agro-forestry practices In 2021, a total of 335 farmers in three territories within the Virunga landscape were trained in improved agro-forestry practices. A total of 70 ha of agricultural plots have been developed with these farmers, which are located on steep hills and in difficult terrain. The adoption rate of the practices is very high as beneficiaries own small plots of land, averaging 0.1 ha per farmer, and they need to improve soil quality to raise their level of production from the limited land area available.

Training of farmers in simplified market analysisé A total of 347 farmers were trained in simplified market analysis and rapid response to market needs in the three sites of Lubero, Rutshuru and Masisi. An agricultural yield survey was carried out in these sites with 239 women farmers, and when surplus production is greater, business links will be established.

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Continued support to the pilot farm network In the Salonga landscape, 180 pilot farmers were selected by their CLDs to be trained in improved agriculture, including fertility management, and crop rotation. These farms serve as demonstration fields, and the farmers act as peerto-peer trainers to increase sedentary agriculture, thereby reducing deforestation resulting from shifting cultivation.

ISCO, Oxfam, and WWF technical staff support these pilot farmers. To date, an additional 530 households, on average 3 per pilot farm, have adopted the improved practices.

Additionally, 1,394 farmers, including 1,735 women, participated in several field schools with practical training that demonstrated techniques. A total of 19 training themes were covered in 682 sessions, including crop interplanting and rotation, lowland rice cultivation, optimal seeding techniques, plowing depth, tree nursery operation, fish pond construction and operation, management of sugar cane presses, coffee harvesting techniques, and vaccination of hens against the Pseudo Avian Plague (ASF).

Support for the development of food and perennial crops in the periphery of Salonga National Park In collaboration with the private company GTCC, 125 hectares of oil palm is under cultivation, with the goal of developing market shares for the benefit of local communities in the value chain. A total of 600 hectares of perennial crops are planned under the project, to be continued in the next phase

Development of food and commodity crop sectors (coffee, cocoa, palm oil)

Payment for Ecosystem Services contracts for agricultural sedentarization were signed with 100 pilot farmers, who will be supported to establish integrated production systems on savannas and fallow land, thereby reducing deforestation for agriculture. As well, study to examine the potential for commodity crops including cocoa, coffee, and palm oil on 1000 ha of existing degraded land was produced.

Innovations in production and processing that add value to agricultural products was the subject of a separate report, and those techniques will inform future training, benefiting the local farmers and womens’ groups.

Over the last year, significant progress was made on training and promotion to improve production of food and commodity crops in the LTMN landscape. Capacity building was carried out for ten local agents from IPAPEL and CPE who participate in the supervision and support of the beneficiary communities, as well as for territorial agronomists, rural animators, and pilot farmers.

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Improved cooking stoves produced with the support of WWF in Goma

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CLIMATE & ENERGY Production of improved cooking stoves and reduction of household charcoal consumption From January to June 2021, 823 improved stoves were produced and 656 sold in the Virunga landscape, resulting in a total of 7,214 stoves produced and 4,624 sold since July 2017. By using these improved stoves, households have reduced their charcoal consumption from 9,089.64 tonnes to 4,039.84 tonnes since 2017, i.e. a reduction of 5,049.8 tonnes overall. During this reporting period, a reduction of 576.1 tonnes was achieved.

In Luki, a survey was carried out to establish the baseline of household fuelwood and charcoal consumption, and will be followed up by training CLDs and CARGs on the production of economical cooking stoves.

A similar initiative, with improved cooking stoves produced by rural women’s associations and generalization of their use in urban centers is being pursued in LTMN.

Green charcoal production (Ecomakala) in Virunga Production of charcoal from fuelwood plantations and using improved kilns reduces pressure on natural forest ecosystems to supply the market. From January to June 2021, approximately 4,856 tonnes of charcoal were produced and sold by 819 planters who operated approximately 604 ha of woodlots.

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GOVERNANCE Capacity building of civil society organizations We continued to work with 14 civil society organizations in Virunga and Itombwe, which have shown increased engagement and competence in mobilizing communities, drafting advocacy notes, and engaging in high-level policy dialogue. Over the last year, we provided skills training for financial management and traceability of the timber trade. Members of CSOs engaged directly with local communities and authorities (police, immigration, customs) to advocate against illegal timber trade, fraud, and corruption at the Baraka border post in Uvira.

In the territory of Beni, North Kivu, CSOs organized a workshop to design an advocacy strategy aimed at the governor to include indigenous peoples’ organizations in the governance structure for water management, with 30 people in attendance. The resulting strategy will be to map all existing structures (from local to provincial level), review the law and draft a position paper that will be submitted to the governor, recommending that IPs be included in the management structure.

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After the political dialogue session on wetlands which resulted in the drafting of a decree last year, the parliament was assisted by 28 people composed of CSO champions, and scientific experts from academic institutions of Bukavu to revise the document for submission to the Council of Ministers.

Communities are sensitized to conflicts over the sustainable use of natural resources A workshop on the identification and mapping of conflicts in the project areas was organized in June 2021 by the Young Methodists, for CSOs, OCs and Leading the Change project networks as well as customary representatives of decentralized territorial entities, women’s organizations and public services. There were 52 participants, including 16 women. Thirty major conflicts were identified in the intervention areas of the Ltc project, most of which focused on the management of natural resources. In order to be more sensitive to these conflicts and to avoid creating others through our interventions, each partner organization of LtC has developed an adaptation and conflict reso-

Members of a village savings and loans association set up with the support of WWF near Mbandaka

lution plan in its area of intervention while identifying the existing opportunities to promote social cohesion between the parties in conflict. This recovery plan will be evaluated at the end of the year in order to ensure the contribution of each actor to the mitigation of conflicts in their area of action.

Community and Agricultural Councils in Salonga In the Salonga landscape, 150 legally recognized CLDs have been established, and several CARG (Conseil Agricole Rural Gestion) unions formed as agricultural cooperativesn. In the first half of 2021, these unions prepared and adopted texts to govern their operation, and held elections for their management committees, which replaced provisional committees.

Four rice producers’ organizations were trained in the use of management tools. Tools included members’ registers that maintain records of producers’ field areas, stored products and processed products, as well as financial documents including cash books, cash receipt vouchers and cash exit vouchers to improve traceability of expenditure and income.

Prospective review of development in Mai Ndombe province In LTMN, socio-economic surveys by gender (ASEG) of 14 village territories were produced, as well as the planning documents defining local development priorities (PDL), and participatory zoning maps. Also, a study detailing the development priorities of Mai Ndombe province was produced, to inform government planners.

Literacy, alternative livelihoods and savings groups in Mai Ndombe Under the supervision of local resource people in Mai Ndombe, 100 people participated in awareness-raising literacy activities, 50 people in beekeeping training and 25 others in production of artisanal crafts. To improve villagers’ access to capital, 12 village savings and loan groups were created with 631 members, including 268 women and 363 men.

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Beekeeping in the Virunga landscape

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MARKETS AND ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS Effective marketing of sustainable charcoal WWF staff worked with plantation owners and charcoal producers in North Kivu to effectively market sustainably produced charcoal. A total of 6,593 tonnes of charcoal was produced and marketed over the last year, of which 4,856 tonnes were sold by individual plantation owners and 1,737 tonnes sold via the cooperatives.

Marketing of honey, other NTFPs and agricultural products in Virunga landscape From January 2020 to June 2021, 4,262 kg of honey was produced by local beekeepers, but the quantity sold was not disclosed. The sectors of other NTFPs have not yet been developed because simple management plans have not yet been implemented.

Market Analysis and Development for the planning and development of small forest enterprises In LTMN, a report was produced identifying NTFPs that can be sustainably harvested from 14 community forest concessions that have received their titles, which will inform potential opportunities to establish small community enterprises.

Bonobo habituation for Ecotourism in Malebo Bonobo habituation continued at Malebo, in Mai Ndombe, and additional skills training was provided to 12 trackers, who now collect bonobo behavioral data using iPads. The site hosted only two ecotourism tours in the last year, as the Covid pandemic greatly affected both national and international travel. The promotion of ecotourism activities and community forestry in Malebo are seen as effective tools for the conservation and preservation of natural capital, especially bonobos which remain the main attraction. While communities in Malebo recognize that ecotourism can be an important economic lever, we continue to develop and promote other livelihood activities to diversify earnings sources, in particular, the sustainable use of non-timber forest products, beekeeping, crafts, and improved processing of agricultural products to add value.

Diversification of the ecotourism package and improvement of visitor reception centre WWF-DRC, working with ERAIFT, mapped the potential for ecotourism in and around the Luki Biosphere Reserve in Congo Central, which revealed several interesting sites. A meeting with traditional leaders, eco-guides and the local community development committee was organized to discuss a how these groups can collaborate to further develop ecotourism potential of the Reserve. In order to diversify the ecotourism experience of the Luki Biosphere Reserve, a training mission for eco-guards was organized, and camera traps were deployed between November and December 2020. These camera traps were recovered between February and March 2021, and the recovered images suggest the presence of numerous pressures on the fauna in the reserve. The possibility for habituation of recently detected chimpanzees is being explored, to integrate wildlife viewing into an ecotourism route.

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SUPPORT TO EDUCATION AND RESEARCH Environmental education for young people The «Tobatela Zamba» project in partnership with the NGO Mbou-Mon-Tour launched Environmental Education activities in public primary schools in Malebo, focused on a “train the trainers” approach with nearly 90 teachers and heads of schools from 15 villages. The objective is to develop among students an eco-citizen behavior vis-à-vis local biodiversity, especially wildlife in general and the bonobo in particular. The primary and secondary schoolteachers are from 28 schools and will be able to reach approximately twelve hundred students.

Research partnerships and activities at Luki Biosphere Reserve Our partnership with ERAIFT (Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion intégrés des Forêts et Territoires tropicaux), in the Luki Biosphere Reserve has provided many opportunities for post-graduate studies. A doctoral student was selected for a thesis on the subject: «Edible caterpillars of the savannahs around the Luki Biosphere Reserve: study by systemic and eco-landscape approaches». The general objective of this thesis is the sustainable production of edible caterpillars, with a view to improving food security and income, contributing to better socio-economic and climatic resilience of local communities. This work is supported by ERAIFT, Université de Gembloux and Université Laval in Canada. The

Samples kept in the herbarium of the Luki Biosphere Reserve

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doctoral student has already completed a first phase of data collection and initiated discussions with her supervisory committee on publications. Also, four ERAIFT masters students were selected through small complementary grants and have been working on the project since June 2021.

An agreement to collaborate on research activities at the Luki Biosphere Reserve has been negotiated with INERA (Institut Nationale de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricole). As well, a collaboration agreement with the Research and Education Support Unit “Forest is Life” of the TERRA Unit of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, affiliated with the University of Liège was reached, with the aim of intensifying scientific and technical exchanges, and to create a platform to facilitate these exchanges.

Research activities on the regenerated forest of Manzonzi continue under the quadripartite collaboration agreement between the Local Community, the Royal Museum for Central Africa (MRAC), WWF, and ERAIFT. also sets up coordination measures. research and gives prerogatives to ERAIFT to link Universities, Manzonzi and RBL to ensure that databases and copies of reports are available at the end of the research. To support this effort, a register was established to store databases, and copies of research publications, and to maintain records of current and ongoing projects for future reference.

LESSONS LEARNED Forestry, Energy-wood, Agriculture Plantation establishment in North Kivu The adoption of other tree species, apart from Eucalyptus, needs to be encouraged to improved diversity and offer additional opportunities for plantation owners to produce timber, fruits, nuts, or other products beyond wood for charcoal production. In all reforestation sites, planters believe that only Eucalyptus can be planted on marginal land. The significant increase in reforestation without Eucalyptus is possible by favoring the principle of «a good tree in the right place». To achieve this, it will be good to involve pilot planters (especially large landowners) who can serve as role models to inspire small planters.

Agroforestry on slopes in North Kivu In the topographical context of North Kivu (very hilly land with steep slopes), agroforestry as a technology involves integrated land management using practices such as earthworks, which must be integrated into the design of the project. To do this, it will therefore be necessary to insist on the installation of anti-erosion structures in sloping plots. This poses a monitoring challenge which will have to go beyond the project period until the terraces are formed / consolidated. It will therefore be important that the growers are effectively trained on this technology (through pilot fields for example) and that the contracts for monitoring extend over a period of 12 months instead of just 6 months.

PIREDD Equateur After one complete year in the PIREDD Equateur project, several recommendations were made to improve implementation. It was recognized that governance structures, including Local Development Committees and Rural Agricultural Management Councils, are key to involving communities in rural development and resource use issues. Work on establishing the complaints management mechanism, to ensure community voices are heard, is ongoing. Agro-forestry equipment and seeds supplied by the project must be of good quality and delivered on time so that rural communities are well-served and the project objectives are met or exceeded. Also, multi-stakeholder platforms will be supported to encourage leadership and knowledge exchange on themes including agriculture and forestry initiatives.

Most of the farmers are tenants, and do not own the land.

The custom is that planting a tree is a marker of land ownership, and therefore landlords do not allow tenants to plant trees in their fields. It will be necessary to envisage a standard contract between the tenant and the landowner, where the both parties benefit from the wood resource, and slope stabilization occurs.

Improving efficiency in charcoal production and replacing household charcoal use With improved carbonization techniques, only 3 kg of wood is required to produce 1 Kg of charcoal, while traditional techniques use 7 Kg for each kg of charcoal produced. Saving 4 kgs of wood to produce each kg of charcoal, represents to date, an overall reduction of 4,590,760 kg of wood in the charcoal programme.

Results from the pilot project using biogas digesters indicates that households avoid using 3 kg of charcoal per day.

Over 6 months, each digester replaces 432 kg of charcoal.

During the pilot period, this resulted in replacing 15,989 kg of charcoal with the 37 digesters.

Agriculture on slopes in North Kivu

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS INCOME STATEMENT AS OF 30 June 2021 FISCAL YEAR OPERATING INCOME

2021 US$

INCOME FROM WWF INT. (PO CORE SUPPORT) INCOME FROM TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS VIA THE WWF NETWORK INCOME FROM THE WWF NETWORK

35 798 1 602 006

SUBTOTAL WWF NETWORK INCOME

1 637 804

BILATERAL & MULTILATERAL FUNDING VIA THE WWF NETWORK

4 754 656

DIRECT BILATERAL & MULTILATERAL FUNDING

1 608 539

SUB TOTAL BILATERAL & MULTILATERAL FUNDING OTHER INCOME (FINANCIAL EXPENSES, FOREIGN EXCHANGE GAINS AND LOSSES AND OTHERS) A. TOTAL OPERATING INCOME

US$ 286 437

6 363 195

-138 779 8 148 657

OPERATING EXPENDITURES ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS STAFF COSTS

927 542

THIRD PARTY FEES

-26 858

OTHER GRANTS AND AGREEMENTS

75 730

TRAVEL, ALLOWANCES AND LODGING COSTS

46 427

COMMUNICATION & FUNDRAISING COSTS

40 694

MEETINGS & TRAINING COSTS

70 748

OFFICE RUNNING COSTS

188 406

FIELD RUNNING COSTS

19 346

CAPITAL ASSETS COSTS

17 850

MANAGEMENT FEES

-525 808

SUB-TOTAL ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS

834 078

CONSERVATION COSTS BY THEME FORESTS, AGRICULTURE, GOVERNANCE & WOOD ENERGY

5 089 700

WILDLIFE & PROTECTED AREAS

2 441 782

CONSERVATION COSTS BY THEME

7 531 483

B. TOTAL OPERATING COSTS CUMULATIVE FUND BALANCE OF THE YEAR CUMULATIVE FUND BALANCE FROM PRIOR YEAR

C. NET OPERATING INCOME

8 365 561 -216 903 1 232 653

1 015 750

WWF-DRC ended FY 2021 with a positive cumulative net income of $1.02 million compared to $1.23 million for the previous year (2020). It should be noted that revenues for fiscal year 2021 decreased by 15.60% compared to fiscal year 2020.

24 / WWF-DRC Annual Report 2021

BALANCE SHEET AS OF JUNE 30, 2021 ASSETS

10 041 655

Receivables and other items

-

Other receivables

1 449 955

Cash & cash equivalent, banks

1 602 006

TOTAL ASSETS

11 491 611

LIABILITIES

Net operating result

1 015 750

Accruals and deferred income

-

Accounts payable

10 475 861

TOTAL LIABILITIES

11 491 611

DISTRIBUTION OF THE FUNDING OF ACTIVITIES FUNDING FROM WWF INT 4%

OTHER INCOME2%

BILATERAL &MULTILATERL FUNDING 78%

FUNDING FROM WWF NETWORK 20%

FINANCEMENTS DE WWF INTERNATIONAL

FINANCEMENTS DU RESEAU WWF

FINANCEMENT BILATERAUX & MULTILATERAUX!!!

AUTRES REVENUS

DISTRIBUTION OF EXPENDITURES BY THEME WILDLIFE & PROTECTED AREAS 29%

ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS 10%

FORESTS, AGRIC, GOVERNANCE & WOOD ENERGY 61%

DEPENSES ADMINISTRATIVES FORETS, AGRICULTURE, GOUVERNANCE & ENERGIES BOIS DEPENSES FAUNES & AIRES PROTEGEES

WWF-DRC Annual Report 2021 / 25

FY21 ACTIVE PROJECTS N°

Project Title

Landscape

Donors

Years

1

Support to sustainable management of SNP Comanagement/ Ecoguards training support

Salonga

WWF Germany

2019 – 2022

2

Support to sustainable management of SNP Comanagement

Salonga

WWF Germany

2016 – 2021

3

Fonds de prévoyance pour le programme CAFEC

Salonga

BMZ WWF Germany

2020 – 2023

4

Rural Agricultural Development and Conservation in the Salon- Salonga

European Union

2017 – 2021

ga landscape « PARCCS »

WWF Germany

5

Bonobo and Congo Biodiversity Initiative in Salonga National Park

Salonga

6

To batela Zamba Programme FY20-FY21

Lacs Tumba-Mai Ndombe

WWF Netherlands

2020 – 2021

7

Wildlife Trade Programme Central Africa FY21

Lacs Tumba-Mai Ndombe

WWF Netherlands

2020 – 2023

8

Sustaining tropical forests for climate, nature and peuple

Lacs Tumba-Mai Ndombe

NORAD

2021 – 2025

9

Innovation Funds Conserving bonobos and their forests through dried fruit market creation

Lacs Tumba-Mai Ndombe

WWF International

2019 – 2021

10

Protection of Bonobo in DRC

Lacs Tumba-Mai Ndombe

Stiftung Pro Animale CAFI / FONAREDD

2017 – 2023

11

PIREDD EQUATEUR

Lacs Tumba-Mai Ndombe

CAFI / FONAREDD UNFAO

2019 – 2023

12

Protection of communities, indigenous peoples and their tropical forests in DRC/ Mai Ndombe

Lacs Tumba-Mai Ndombe

DGD

13

Additional support for DGD Program in Mai Ndombe

Lacs Tumba-Mai Ndombe

WWF Belgium

14

ESSF support for Lac Tumba

Lacs Tumba-Mai Ndombe

WWF International

2020 – 2021

15

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Programme Sida CivSam 2018-2022

Virunga / Itombwe

SIDA

2018 – 2022

16

Agroforestry techniques to improve the environmental resilience of farmers in North Kivu

Virunga

17

Protection of communities, indigenous peoples and their tropical forests in DRC / Nord Kivu

Virunga

18

Additional support to the ECOmakala program

Virunga

WWF Belgium

2020

19

Support to Organisational Development in the Eastern Office (Goma) of WWF-DRC

Virunga

WWF Belgium

2019 – 2020

20

PPG/ Proposal Preparation Grant

Virunga

UNEP UICN

2020 – 2021

21

Building resilience to Climate Change in Luki and Mai Ndombe

Luki Mai Ndombe

European Union

2018 – 2021

22

DRC Forest Governance

National

NORAD WWF Norway

2017 – 2020

23

From REDD+ agreement to REDD+ results :generating results to secure concensus

National

NORAD WWF US

2016 – 2020

24

Support to WWF DRC to develop their Country strategy

National

WWF Belgium

2020

25

Reviving Conservation Capacity

National

WWF Germany

2021 – 2022

26

Organizational Development contribution FY18-FY20

National

WWF Germany

2017 – 2022

27

Contingency Funds for Gap in CAFEC Program

National

WWF US

2020 – 2021

28

Socio-economic study and community consultations in for DGD National in Virunga & Malebo

26 / WWF-DRC Annual Report 2021

ZSM

2019 – 2021

WWF US

WWF Norway

2017 – 2021

WWF Belgium 2021

WWF Sweden AWC Belgique

2019 – 2021

WWF Belgium DGD

2017 – 2021

WWF Belgium

WWF Belgium

2021

Salonga National Park near Lokofa Patrol Post

THE WAY AHEAD Achieving our conservation objectives in the DRC is a gradual progress, building on incremental improvements over years, occasionally experiencing setbacks, and having to adapt plans and targets. In the past year we’ve been able to strengthen work that supports communities to obtain tenure to Community Forestry Concessions, following a now well-defined process, with our staff now recognized as experts in this area. Efforts to develop eco-tourism were hampered by site disruptions and, of course, the global restriction on traveling due to the pandemic. The Civil Society Organisations, with whom we partner in capacity building programmes, have leaped forward in their ability to advocate, manage projects, and mobilize communities, evidence that slow, persistent engagement at the field level does indeed produce change.

We’ve adopted and proven initiatives that are now ready to be scaled up in all of our landscapes: pilot farms that grow a diversity of crops, many including fish ponds; value-added processing of forest and agricultural products, focusing on women’s groups and accompanying these activities with training to form savings groups; and alternative energy solutions that we hope will eventually entirely replace charcoal for cooking.

Over the next year we’ll continue to implement these and other successful initiatives, and can start to focus on the next challenges; engaging the corporate sector to access climate financing for our landscapes; strengthening links with other international and national NGOs that complement our conservation work to bring holistic solutions to rural communities and indigenous people; and ensuring that our staff have the necessary resources to further develop their skills as conservation professionals. When our staff grow their abilities, the positive impacts in our landscapes multiply, and our conservation objectives will be achieved or exceeded.

WWF-DRC Annual Report 2021 / 27

OUR VISION: BY 2030, THE DRC’S NATURAL RESOURCES ARE SUSTAINABLY MANAGED, EQUITABLY BENEFIT THE POPULATION, AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE OF THE PLANET.

Why we are here To stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature www.wwfdrc.org

WWF-RDC 14, avenue sergent Moke, Concession safricas, Quartier Socimat, Commune de Ngaliema, Kinshasa, RDC wwfdrc@wwfdrc.org