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

Country: Gabon

Name: Monts de Cristal National Park

Type and IUCN Category: A twin protected area, combining Mbe and Mt Sene National Parks. IUCN category: not reported.

Size (hectares): 120,000

Date of creation: 4 September 2002 (decree No. 608/PR/MEFEPEPN).

CARPE landscape: Monte Alen – Monts de Cristal. Not covered by CARPE III.

Management plan: A draft management plan for the Monte Alen – Monts de Cristal landscape can be found online (Conservation International et al., 2008). No official, up-to-date management plan for the park is publicly available, despite being reportedly in the making since 2013 (Parcs Gabons, 2013).

Local communities: According to the most recently available statistics (2006), the average population density on the Gabonese side of the entire Monte Alen – Monts de Cristal landscape is 0.6 inhabitants/km2 (Devers et al., 2007: 117). There is no specific information on populations living in and around the Monts de Cristal National Park. It was described as ‘almost virgin territory’ and ‘largely inaccessible to humans’ (Kenfack, 2013), but there are claims that some of the Fang (a Bantu group) now living around the park were displaced when it was created (Mekemza Engo, 2007).

Administration: The park is administered by the Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN). Conservation activities are managed by technical advisors from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) (Conseil National des Parcs Nationaux du Gabon, 2006).

The conservation of Monts de Cristal forests aims at reconciling the protection of wildlife, ecotourism and hydro-electric production, in collaboration with economic actors and the local population (Conseil National des Parcs Nationaux du Gabon, 2006).

Biodiversity information : The forests of Monts de Cristal represent one of the highest diversities of plant species of the Congo Basin. The park also hosts a rich variety of fauna including elephants, forest buffalos, gorillas and chimpanzees (Conservation International et al., 2008).

Neighbouring and overlapping extractive industries (Mapping for Rights):

Five logging concessions border Monts de Cristal National Park:

(1) concession 01-023, managed by Bois et Scierie du Gabon (Malaysia) since 2006;
(2) concession 01-031, managed by Greenedge-Gabon (Malaysia) since 2006;
(3) concession 01-045, managed by Honest Timber Gabon (China) since 2007;
(4) concession 01-017, managed by Societe Equatoriale d’Exploitation Forestiere (Gabon) since 2004; and
(5) concession 01-035, managed by Tropical Logs Production (France) since 2006.

Two mining permits have also overlapped with the park since 2007. They are managed by SOGADEMIN and CICMHG.

Information available on funding:

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

Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) Phase II, Monte Alen – Monts de Cristal Landscape
Funder: USAID
Objective: Develop a foundation for long-term conservation, sustainable forest management and maintenance of ecological services in the Monte Alen – Monts de Cristal Landscape in Gabon, in close coordination with complementary efforts in Equatorial Guinea.
Grant manager: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Funds: No information available.