lopé-description : Protected Areas in the Congo Basin: Failing both people and biodiversity?

Country: Gabon

Type and IUCN Category: National park. IUCN Category II. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

Size (hectares): 491,291

Date of creation: 30 August 2002 (It was first designated as a protected area under colonial rule in 1946).

CARPE landscape: Lope-Chaillu-Louesse (CARPE Phase II). Not covered by Carpe III.

Management plan: A management plan for the period of 2006-2011 is publicly available (CNPN, 2006) but does not appear to have been updated.

Local communities: While there are no officially recognised settlements inside Lopé National Park, it has been reported that 600 people live inside (Ndémanou, 2011). In addition, five villages are located on the park’s immediate periphery, totalling around 1,300 inhabitants, including indigenous Ba’Bongo people (RAPAC, 2009; CNPN, 2006; 16).

Administration: The Agence Nationale de Parcs Nationaux (ANPN) officially manages the park. Several organisations and NGOs have conducted conservation projects in Lopé including the European Union (as part of the ECOFAC project), Association Mogheso, the Zoological Society of London, and the ‘Centre International de Recherche Médicale de Franceville’ (PAPACO, 2010).

Biodiversity information: Lopé contains a high diversity of habitats and plant species, as well as many mammal species, including: forest elephants, western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, mandrills, black colobus, sun-tailed monkeys, sitantunga and yellow-backed duikers (CNPN, 2006).

Neighbouring and overlapping extractive industries (Mapping for Rights):

Eight logging concessions border Lope National Park:

(1) concession 01-033, managed by Transport Bois Negoce International (China) since 2006;
(2) concession 01-024, managed by Gabon Export Bois-ASSALA-Compagnie des Bois du Kota (France) since 2006;
(3) concession 01-023, managed by Bois et Scierie du Gabon (Malaysia) since 2006 ;
(4) concession 01-004, managed by Leroy-Gabon (Portugal) since 1998;
(5) concession 01-018, managed by Rimbunan Hijau (Malaysia) since 2004;
(6) concession 01-017, managed by Societe Equatoriale d’Exploitation Forestiere (Gabon) since 2004;
(7) concession 01-015, managed by Compagnie Industrielle de Placage (Malaysia) since 2004); and
(8) concession 01-025, managed by Exploitation Forestiere de Moanda (France) since 2006.

Since 2007, three mining concessions also operate within and around the park. These are managed by Dome Venture, Motapa, and CMTR .

Information available on funding:

(Please note that some of these grants may be covering several protected areas or landscapes.)

CARPE Phase II for the Lopé-Chaillu-Louesse Landscape (2006-2011)
Funder: US Agency for International Development (USAID)
Objective: Conservation of the Lopé-Chaillu-Louesse Landscape
Grant Manager: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Funds: $1,787,500 (Specific amount dedicated to Lopé unknown)

Community-managed tourism with “Mogheso” in Lopé National Park (2008 – 2010)
Funder: French Global Environment Facility (FFEM)
Objective: To foster sustainable development in Makoghe village and Lopé National Park, and to improve local living standards and encourage people to use natural resources in more rational ways by creating attractive amenities for community tourism in the area (FFEM, 2008).
Grant manager: Mogesho and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Funds: Approximately $44,500 (€42,000); over 70% of this was granted by FFEM, with the rest coming from Mogesho and WCS.

ECOFAC-EU Project (three-year project in operation as of 2010)
Funder: European Union
Objective: Provide institutional support for the implementation of a management plan, strengthening infrastructure and equipment (PAPACO, 2010)
Grant manager: No information available.
Project area: Lopé National Park
Funds: Around $1,224,000 (€1,155,067) (PAPACO, 2010)