Conkouati-Douli Project
Created in 1999 Conkouati-Douli is the newest and the second largest of the three national parks in Republic of Congo.
Situated in the southwest of Congo, on the Atlantic coast, the Conkouati-Douli National Park is the most ecologically diverse habitat in Congo. The borders of the protected area extend from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, through beach and coastal habitat, lagoons and mangroves, savannah and wetlands to the mountainous zones of the Mayombian forest and the Niari savannah. The area is consequently home to an extraordinarily diverse range of fauna, with marine species such as manatees, marine turtles, dolphins and whales, and many terrestrial threatened species, such as forest elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, mandrills and forest buffalo.
The National Park covers an area of 5045km2 and includes a new zoning system, within which there are a terrestrial and marine core integrally protected areas where no resource extraction is permitted, surrounded by a terrestrial and marine bufferzone or 'eco-development' zone, where resident communities may carry out durable subsistence activities such as hunting, fishing and gathering firewood. Interior Regulations of Access and Resource use are being developed for both use zones, as well as a 5 year management plan to provide a legal basis to address current threats and conservation priorities.