Waters and Swampy forests of the Lac Tumba Landscape,

Democratic Republic of Congo

Importance and stakes of Conservation Biodiversity and

implications for local populations

• Surface: 80,000 km2

• Altitude: 300 – 340m

• Rainfall: 1700 – 2300mm/an• Temperature: 25C

Bio-physical Attributes

Socio-cultural Attributes• Tribes: 32, y compris

• Human Density: 6 – 24 ind/km2

• Demographic Growth: 3.8%/an

• Composition: 10 membres/menage

• Villages and camping sites: 230 villages and permanent camps

Wetland: 60 – 65% Terre ferme: 30 – 35%

Forest savannah-Mosaic

Habitat Classes

52.000 km2 28.000km2

Biodiversity

• Mammals: 53 identifies • Fishes: 1500 identifies• Birds: > 100 especes

Over 2.000.000 inhabitants draw their livelihood from the swampy forests of Lac Tumba

But in excesses…and with unstustainable means.

Waters and swamps of Lac Tumba feed major towns such as Kinshasa (6.000.000 - 9.000.000 inhabitants)

Major economic Stakes for the RDC Central Africa and Africa

But, the nature, and human action …are taking a huge toll

The Waters of the Congo are declining!!

Lac Tumba

Mean Rainfall for Kinshasa

y = -23.338x + 1426.6

R2 = 0.6709

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1971

1974

1977

1980

1983

1986

1989

1992

1995

1998

2001

2004

Mean Kin

Linear (Mean Kin)

Kinshasa

Rainfall for Luki

y = -13.643x + 1175.4

R2 = 0.5313

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

1959

1961

1963

1965

1967

1969

1971

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

Rainfall (mm)

Linear (Rainfall (mm))

Luki

How to deal with these challenges?

Preservation of waters and swampy forests

International Action - Ramsar Convention and other

mecanisms• Insert water and swampy forests among

natural resources that need specific attention from national, regional and international levels.

• Legally recognized by different nations• Delineate sites with multiple purposes• Management plans for each of these

zones• Adopt an international process of

evaluating the execution of those plans