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Conservation of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Zaïre

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2009

Peter J. Stephenson
Affiliation:
WWF International, Africa and Madagascar Programme, Avenue du Mont Blanc, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland.
John E. Newby
Affiliation:
WWF International, Africa and Madagascar Programme, Avenue du Mont Blanc, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland.
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Abstract

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The Okapi Wildlife Reserve was created in May 1992 to conserve a representative area of the Ituri rainforest in north-eastern Zaïre. This article examines the threats facing this large protected area and summarizes the management actions proposed to address these problems within the next 10 years. Emphasis is placed on the need to integrate the local population into reserve management and to empower people as much as possible to manage their own resources. The long-term future of the reserve in the context of national economic and political instability is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Fauna and Flora International 1997

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