Conserving biodiversity in the democratic Republic of Congo: A brief history, current trends and insights for the future

The history of biodiversity conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) runs in parallel with the story of alienation of land and natural resources which began in early colonial times. There is a legacy of undemocratic laws promulgated in the time of Leopold II that still govern land rights and the conservation of biodiversity. Numerous conflicting pressures are currently exerted on the DRC Government to lease more lands and create more protected areas. I argue that while conserving biological diversity is good, there is a need to reflect deeply on how to make the management of protected areas effective and reconciled with the needs expressed by communities. I also argue that preserving biodiversity is not and should not be equated with creating more new state-owned protected areas. There are other ways to conserve biodiversity, including privately protected areas, devolution of law enforcement to local communities, and downgrading some protected areas to IUCN Category VI, with proper zoning to reflect the reality of management. This is a complex process and involves strong political decisions and should be supported by a thorough assessment of the entire protected area network. I suggest that the key to success in preserving biodiversity in DRC is a proper land rights system and local law enforcement, which will make local communities allies rather than opponents to conservation.