The Congo Basin Peatland Project "Securing crucial biodiversity, carbon and water stores in the Congo Basin Peatlands by enabling evidence-based decision-making and good governance", funded by IKI (January 2022-December 2027), aims to protect the globally significant carbon sink and invaluable natural diversity in the Lac Tele/Lac Tumba landscape in the Cuvette Centrale.
Supporting an enabling environment at the policy level. The project is creating cross-sectoral stakeholder platforms and designing governance mechanisms to underpin policy interventions. Policies and plans that hamper sustainable peatlands management are being identified along with measures to address them. Partnerships with the private sector are being institutionalized and options for innovative financing are being explored.
Sustaining biodiversity, habitat and livelihoods. Action plans to counter threats to threatened species such as the West African Lowland Gorilla and the Forest Elephant are being developed. Species and habitat monitoring is being conducted. Communities are being trained in sustainable agricultural practices. Integrated land use plans are being developed and approved by stakeholders. Biodiversity-friendly best practices for industries are being developed and promoted and companies are being supported to adopt these practices.
Managing water and climate. This theme is seeing the development of a water management support system for the Lac Tele/Lac Tumba Landscape and will include a water management plan for the Central Congo Basin Peatlands. The water management plan is being developed together with climate scientists and through stakeholder consultations.
Mapping the Peatland ecosystem. A high-resolution map of the peatlands ecosystem is being produced, bringing together field expeditions and best in class mapping systems. Through project advocacy, this mapping will support governments to advocate for Peatlands conservation and include this planning in national plans to help realize the countries’ commitments to global environmental goals and targets. Livelihood approaches to support indigenous peoples and local communities are being further developed to support the conservation and sustainable management of the peatlands.
Capacity building and knowledge management. An online scientific research hub is being developed as part of the IKI Peatlands project. The research hub is designed to facilitate transboundary and South-South exchanges, inter-disciplinary research collaboration, and support global policy setting. It will complement the knowledge management system being developed as part of the GEF-funded Conga Basin IP project and will house best practices, describe innovative methods developed, and lessons learned.