The GEF Global Forum for Integrated Programs, held at the United Nations Office in Nairobi this April 13th to 17th, Convened by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), brought together practitioners, policymakers, and partners working across biodiversity, climate, finance, land and livelihoods.
Building on the precedent set by neighbouring Mintom Council, Institutional strengthening under the GEF-8 Dja Landscape Project has reached a new milestone in Djoum Municipality, marking a significant step toward sustainable and inclusive landscape governance in southern Cameroon.
Context & Background
Nestled in the heart of southeastern Cameroon, the Dja Landscape stretches across millions of hectares of pristine Congo Basin rainforest; one of the most biodiverse and ecologically critical ecosystems on Earth. Home to forest elephants, western lowland gorillas, and countless endemic species, this landscape has long required a delicate balance between conservation imperatives and the livelihoods of the communities who depend on it.
Bringing together governments, GEF agencies, and a wide range of technical and implementing partners under the shared objective of “Strengthening the sustainable management of one of the world’s most important forest region”, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Congo Forest Integrated programme (Congo Forest IP,) spans diverse ecosystems and national contexts.
Dans les paysages de tourbières de Bikoro, Province de l’Equateur, République démocratique du Congo, un groupe de femmes autochtones redéfinit discrètement leur perception des moyens de subsistance durables — en renforçant la résilience de leurs familles tout en contribuant à la préservation de l’un des écosystèmes les plus importants au monde.
In the peatland landscapes of Bikoro, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a group of Indigenous women are quietly reshaping what sustainable livelihoods look like—building resilience for their families while contributing to the stewardship of one of the world’s most important ecosystems.
Working with locally with WWF, these women are strengthening agricultural practices adapted to peatland environments, while developing new opportunities that extend beyond the field.
Somalomo – Ngoyla – Lomié, Eastern Region, Cameroon - 2026
GEF-8 Dja Landscape Project - Mintom and Djoum Municipality, Cameroon _ February 2026
Institutional strengthening under the GEF-8 Dja Landscape Project has reached a decisive milestone in Mintom Council with the formal creation of an Ad Hoc Committee mandated to operationalize the Municipal Landscape Management Commission (MLMC). The Commission is envisioned as a permanent multi-stakeholder body to coordinate inclusive land and natural resource governance across the municipality.