The Wonders of Nouabal-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of the Congo

Conservation of the environment is a critical concern for the Republic of the Congo. It is a land covered in verdant rainforest, complete with their populations of exotic animal life. In 2011, President Denis Sassou Nguesso hosted the Summit of the Three Rainforest Basins in Brazzaville to discuss protection of the rainforests of these areas. The three basins are the Amazon Basin of South America, the Congo Basin in Central Africa and the Borneo-Mekong Basin in Southeast Asia. While no commitments were made, the parties agreed for a declaration of goodwill on biodiversity, climate, economic and social significance of their rainforest regions. The Republic of the Congo takes preserving its wild lands and wildlife quite seriously.

Far north in the Republic of the Congo, bordering the Central African Republic lies the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. Covering roughly 3,921.61 kilometers, this park consists of untouched tropical rainforest free from almost any human habitation save a few villages along its perimeter. The park boasts abundant populations of elephants, apes, including Western Lowland gorillas and chimpanzees, as well as ungulates like the bongo, the largest of Africa’s forest antelope species. There are also over 300 species of birds and over 1,000 plant and tree species, including endangered mahoganies.

The government of the Republic of the Congo created the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park (NNNP) in 1993. The area had originally been marked for commercial timber extraction. Fortunately, the government made the audacious move of singling out the unique, uninhabited wilderness for preservation. Through joint cooperation of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Congolese Ministry of Forestry Economy (MEF), activities within the park have centered on developing and applying efficient management strategies for protection, ecotourism, research and monitoring. Like other national parks, groups of “eco-guards” protect the haven from poachers, an unfortunate and very real threat to the animals of these reserves.

Maintenance of biodiversity in this area is a complex matter. 4,000 square kilometers may sound like a lot, but it is not sufficient enough to just protect the species within the park boundaries. When it comes to protecting wide-ranging species like forest elephants, wildlife authorities need to figure out how to guarantee these animals protection across their whole range, including areas beyond the park’s borders. To make this feasible, the WCS as well as national park staff have been working together with government officials, local villagers and logging companies to ensure that these roaming animals will be safe from dangers once they have left the confines of the park. From this effort came the Projet Gestion Peripheriques au Parc National Nouabale-Ndoki (Project for the Management of Ecosystems Adjacent to the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park—PROGEPP). This group is a collaboration of the WCS, the Republic of the Congo’s government, the lumber company CIB (Congolaise Industrielle du Bois) and the local people—one of the most crucial collaborators. Through these groups’ combined efforts, the wildlife of the region has been well preserved, but modern infrastructure has also been allowed to develop with minimal effect on the natural surroundings.

The Republic of the Congo and India: A Growing Partnership

The Republic of the Congo has been on a steady, concerted track towards a fully developed, modernized economy. One of the main facilitators that drives Congo’s progress is international investment and cooperation. The Republic of the Congo has been promoting greater economic integration of neighboring African nations. Just last month, President Denis Sassou Nguesso hosted a number of African leaders at the first ever BUILD Africa forum in Brazzaville. Here public and private sector financial specialists discussed and planned for upcoming projects that will develop Central Africa’s infrastructure. The Congo has also worked extensively with non-African nations, most notably China. Another major Asian power, however, could play a major role in the Republic of the Congo’s march toward modernity: India.

The Republic of the Congo plans to become an emerging economy by 2025. They have so far made some real progress towards this goal. Yet there are still some major players that Congo-Brazzaville would like to engage in more closely in the realm of economics. Industry Minister Isidore Myouba addressed delegates at the 10th CII-EXIM Bank conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership, saying that “Indian companies could partner the Republic of Congo government in converting the country's comparative advantage in different sectors into competitive strengths.” The conclave began yesterday in New Delhi, with the Republic of the Congo featured as the “Focus Country.”
 

The spirit of the CII Conclave—CII stands for Confederation of Indian Industry—has been to encourage Indian exporters to enter and explore African countries and increase their presence in the region. Both India and Africa have much to gain from this kind of economic interrelation. Success can be seen in the rising number of participants that have attended the CII conclave over the years. Another indicator is the number of memoranda of understanding and the significant value of the economic projects under discussion. In the past 9 events, attendees discussed plans for 1,985 projects worth over $172.25 billion.

The Republic of the Congo and India have already begun working together on financial and economic matters. As Minister Mvouba pointed out in his report "Industrialisation in Africa: Role of the Indian Private Sector,” India has aided the Congo’s efforts at electrifying its vast rural areas. Work on electrification was established back in November 2011 when the Republic of the Congo signed a line of credit agreement worth $70 million. Besides electrification, India has assisted in building up urban transportation and food quality controls, not to mention crucial commercial sectors like cement and pharmaceuticals. India benefits immensely from trading with Congo-Brazzaville, importing valuable resources like metallic ores, crude oil, organic chemicals and semi-precious stones. With bilateral trade valued at roughly half a billion dollars, the economic cooperation between the Republic of the Congo and India is already fruitful, but can certainly continue to grow. In a further sign of closer relations, President Denis Sassou Nguesso will be visiting India this year.