The Cameroon Wildlife Conservation Society (CWCS) actively participated in the first African Protected Areas Congress (APAC) held in Kigali Rwanda from 18-25 July 2022. Represented by its Coordinator, Dr. Gordon Ajonina, CWCS participated alongside 2000 African and 500 non-African participants to chart a sustainable future for Africa.

Dr. Gordon made several intervention during the congress including a presentation co-management of natural resources around protected areas; Other Effective Area based Conservation measures (OCEAM) including the ongoing process of developing a management & business plan for Douala-Edea marine- terrestrial national park. The congress side events were veritable hubs for sharing experiences and learning from different experts. “This APAC enabled us to showcase evidence-based conservation, drawing from our experiences and lessons learnt in Cameroon,” says Dr. Gordon Ajonina.  CWCS also drew lessons from case studies of co-management experiences in Kenya, Madagascar, Niger and Mozambique. “It is clear co-management principles enhance degree of ownership, enables responsibility and provides benefits to local communities living either within or outside the boundaries of protected areas,” Dr. Gordon said. CWCS participation was facilitated through its principal partners, Rainforest Trust represented by Antoine Maritial. Rainforest built the most visited stand with its partners.