Mouloundou, Dja Landscape, Cameroon – January 2026

The GEF-8 Dja Landscape Project has taken a major step toward community-led conservation with the launch of a medicinal plant garden in Dioula village. 

This initiative marks the first milestone in establishing a community forest that will secure Indigenous Peoples’ rights while promoting sustainable forest management across nearly 4 million hectares of the Dja Landscape.

SINCE ITS OFFICIAL LAUNCH IN SEPTEMBER 2025, THE GEF8 LANDSCAPE PROJECT HAS ENGAGED THROUGH ITS PARTNERS TO ROLL OUT ACTIVITIES ON THE GROUND.

Mintom, Cameroon – December 2025 Environment Conservation for Public Health (ECO-ph) has completed the first phase of community mobilization under the GEF-8 Dja Landscape Project, successfully engaging six villages and stakeholders across the Mintom Commune to prepare for the creation o

Across Cameroon's Dja landscape, a critical biodiversity corridor spanning four million hectares, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and municipal authorities have long faced significant governance challenges that threatened both conservation goals and community rights. Fragmented decision-making processes, limited representation of marginalized groups in land-use planning, and weak coordination between traditional and formal governance systems have created obstacles to sustainable development.

Indigenous peoples and local communities in the Dja Landscape are gaining a stronger voice in conservation efforts with the launch of a new Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) under the GEF-8 Dja Landscape Project (Cameroon). The mechanism aims to ensure that community rights are protected and that concerns related to project activities are addressed promptly and transparently.

Digital innovation is opening new doors for Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the Congo Basin. From forest camps to market stalls, technology is transforming how people manage, protect, and benefit from their landscapes.

The GEF-8 Dja Landscape Inception Workshop held on 10–11 September 2025 in Mbankomo, Cameroon marked a pivotal milestone in operationalizing the strategic objectives of the project titled “Strengthening Governance and Ecosystem Connectivity for Biodiversity Conservation and Improved Livelihoods in the Dja Landscape.” 

From the perspective of the CBLI (Congo Basin Landscapes Initiative), the developments in the Lac Télé landscape mark a milestone in how innovative outreach can foster deep community engagement and environmental stewardship. By blending time-tested communication practices with modern technology, we are developing a scalable model for sharing knowledge about peatlands, sustainable resource use, and conservation values with remote communities.

In the heart of Central Africa, in the Congo Basin, where ancient rivers wind through dense rainforests and floodplains stretch beyond the horizon, a quiet revolution in conservation is taking place. Deep within the Lac Télé Community Reserve (RCLT), a team of researchers armed with spotlights and GPS devices are conducting one of the most sophisticated crocodile monitoring programs ever undertaken in the Congo Basin.