Congo spirits get international help to protect wetland

WWF 9 Apr 09;

Brazzaville, Congo: The spirits traditionally associated with a vital rapids and waterfall complex on the mighty Congo River will now have the help of international recognition in protecting the area.

Les Rapides du Congo-Djoué, a 2,500 hectare site not far downstream from Republic of Congo capital Brazzaville, was one of four African wetlands inscribed on the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands register of wetlands of international significance this month.

The largest site is the 1.525 million hectare Sangha-Nouabalé-Ndoki wetland in the north west Republic of Congo, a vast area of lakes, marshes, ponds and floodplain forests on major Congo tributary the Sangha River.

The area is significant in regulating flood flows and providing dry season reserves for the Congo basin generally, is important for transport and is habitat for a number of species of conservation concern – including the Giant Pangolin, chimpanzees and leopards.

The much smaller Congo-Djoué rapides surround a natural barrage on the Congo and major tributary Djoué which is vital to its two largest cities, Brazzaville, and the Democratic Republic of Congo capital of Kinshasa.

The site is centred on one of three forested islands: L’Ile du Diable (Devil’s Island), traditionally the home of spirits who not only protect the areas but ensure good fishing, health and influence to those initiated into their secrets.

However, for the uninitiated, the spirits – for which Nile crocodile or half-human, half-fish “sirène” tokens are venerated – can exert a malign influence.

Gilbert Madouka, of the Ministry of Tourism and the Environment and the Republic of Congo’s Ramsar representative, said the area was being recognised for its cultural as well as its environmental significance.

“The sirène and the Nile Crocodile are revered in our area like gods,” Madouka said.

“That is why this habitat that houses the gods always causes fear among the population and access to these areas to exploit their natural resources is often based of the traditional authorities – which to a certain extent, diminishes the human pressure on the area.”
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Also declared last week were two new welcome additions to protected wetlands in coastal Sudan to help guard against risks posed by over-grazing and proposed expansions to shrimp aquaculture.

The areas are unusual in straddling terrestrial and marine environments, from camel breeding areas to reefs important to endangered turtles and dugong.

WWF International's Wetlands Programme has been supporting wetlands conservation in the Republic of Congo since 2002.